Any way of using the E28 as a Movie audio preamp...?

[wappinghigh]

Crazy question I know. Heresy even.. hahaha

 

But any way of using the Exasound E28 to double up as a pre amp for the 5.1 channels within Dolby Atmos and Dolby Digital and the like?

 

As well as to handle 5.1 channel Music LOL

 

(I'm actually serious)

[astrotoy]

I had an E28. As I remember, there were no 5.1 inputs to feed it (like a mch preamp), nor Dolby decoders (which would have to be signals through the USB input port. It only decodes DSD and PCM, IIRC.

 

So I think the answer is no.

 

Larry

[Fitzcaraldo215]

Crazy question I know. Heresy even.. hahaha

 

But any way of using the Exasound E28 to double up as a pre amp for the 5.1 channels within Dolby Atmos and Dolby Digital and the like?

 

As well as to handle 5.1 channel Music LOL

 

(I'm actually serious)

 

My system is 7.1. I listen to Mch music and Mch BD video sound as well as Mch TV sound regularly via my E28. There is no prepro or AVR in my system. All sound to the E28 is sourced from the PC via USB using JRiver software with a Dirac Live plugin for room correction. The E28 feeds my amps directly.

 

JRiver handles bass management, and Dirac handles speaker distance correction, although JRiver could do that just as well. JRiver also translates the video codecs, like DTS HDMA and Dolby TrueHD.

 

The E28 can only function as a DAC with volume control. It cannot function as a preamp. But, I am extremely happy with the sound. It is much better than it was with a prepro via HDMI from the PC or from a separate player.

 

I can play or rip CD, DVD and BD discs directly using optical drives in the PC. The video formats require appropriate hacking software, such as MakeMKV. I cannot play SACD discs directly due to DRM, but I play them from a JRiver library on my NAS, ripped to the NAS by an Oppo 103.

 

I do not use Dolby Atmos, but I believe you need more than the 8 channels in the E28 to get anything worthwhile out of it. I have no idea which software players support Atmos, Auro or DTS:X, if any. I have no interest in those formats currently.

[TomScrut]

Do you have a TV tuner or do somehow get your TV sound from elsewhere?

 

Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

[Fitzcaraldo215]

Do you have a TV tuner or do somehow get your TV sound from elsewhere?

 

Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

 

Yes. I use a Silicon Dust HD Homerun Prime with 3 tuners using a FIOS cable card. That accepts the cable TV coax feed and connects to the PC via Ethernet, and JRiver supports that allowing channel selection for watching and recording. PQ and SQ are excellent. However, there are no Premium Channels, like HBO, and no On Demand. But, I do not watch that much TV, so no great loss. The PC feeds the video to my hi def TV via HDMI.

 

So, JRiver is my Mch control center replacing my prepro. It is also my library/AVplayer replacing an external Oppo. And, it is my TV control interface replacing my cable box via the SD HDHR Prime. And, the sound is excellent for all sources via Dirac Live in the PC to my Exasound e28 DAC via USB.

 

I realize that TV sound as delivered via cable is compromised, low bit rate Mch. But, TV sound, upsampled and running through the same audio path that my music and BD videos use, is a very pleasureable experience. I just finished watching the Eagles-Browns football game, and the sound just blends in so well in my listening room. The sound is effortless and just immerses you in the watching experience. It is way better than my bedroom TV setup with its sound bar in that regard. But, obviously, hi rez music is even much better.

[wappinghigh]

My system is 7.1. I listen to Mch music and Mch BD video sound as well as Mch TV sound regularly via my E28. There is no prepro or AVR in my system. All sound to the E28 is sourced from the PC via USB using JRiver software with a Dirac Live plugin for room correction. The E28 feeds my amps directly.

 

JRiver handles bass management, and Dirac handles speaker distance correction, although JRiver could do that just as well. JRiver also translates the video codecs, like DTS HDMA and Dolby TrueHD.

 

The E28 can only function as a DAC with volume control. It cannot function as a preamp. But, I am extremely happy with the sound. It is much better than it was with a prepro via HDMI from the PC or from a separate player.

 

I can play or rip CD, DVD and BD discs directly using optical drives in the PC. The video formats require appropriate hacking software, such as MakeMKV. I cannot play SACD discs directly due to DRM, but I play them from a JRiver library on my NAS, ripped to the NAS by an Oppo 103.

 

I do not use Dolby Atmos, but I believe you need more than the 8 channels in the E28 to get anything worthwhile out of it. I have no idea which software players support Atmos, Auro or DTS:X, if any. I have no interest in those formats currently.

 

Very Cool. Extremely Cool indeed..

[danish]

I do not use Dolby Atmos, but I believe you need more than the 8 channels in the E28 to get anything worthwhile out of it. I have no idea which software players support Atmos, Auro or DTS:X, if any. I have no interest in those formats currently.

 

I guess with 7.1 you will have enough channels for Atmos 5.1.2. The problem is that there is no consumer software that can render object based formats, and there will probably not be any for a long time due to licensing. Your only option for Atmos currently is to pass the bit-stream to an Atmos capable surround processor or receiver with HDMI.

[Robert van Diggele]

On ‎8‎-‎9‎-‎2016 at 11:57 PM, Fitzcaraldo215 said:

 

My system is 7.1. I listen to Mch music and Mch BD video sound as well as Mch TV sound regularly via my E28. There is no prepro or AVR in my system. All sound to the E28 is sourced from the PC via USB using JRiver software with a Dirac Live plugin for room correction. The E28 feeds my amps directly.

 

JRiver handles bass management, and Dirac handles speaker distance correction, although JRiver could do that just as well. JRiver also translates the video codecs, like DTS HDMA and Dolby TrueHD.

 

The E28 can only function as a DAC with volume control. It cannot function as a preamp. But, I am extremely happy with the sound. It is much better than it was with a prepro via HDMI from the PC or from a separate player.

 

I can play or rip CD, DVD and BD discs directly using optical drives in the PC. The video formats require appropriate hacking software, such as MakeMKV. I cannot play SACD discs directly due to DRM, but I play them from a JRiver library on my NAS, ripped to the NAS by an Oppo 103.

 

I do not use Dolby Atmos, but I believe you need more than the 8 channels in the E28 to get anything worthwhile out of it. I have no idea which software players support Atmos, Auro or DTS:X, if any. I have no interest in those formats currently.

All topic, I know  But what CPU are you using in this set up? Thanks.

[Fitzcaraldo215]

1 hour ago, Robert van Diggele said:

All topic, I know  But what CPU are you using in this set up? Thanks.

The PC is nothing special and it is 3-4 years old: Win 7 Pro,  I7, 16GB RAM, 1TB HD, 500w SMPS, AMD R9 270 GPU all in a cheap generic tower case. Cost: around $1,000.

 

Fan noise is not an issue, since the PC is in an adjoining utility room connected by 5 meter USB and HDMI cables.  52TB Synology NAS is also in that room with HD HR Prime, network switches and router.  I am not in any way convinced USB or HDMI cables, even at this length, matter in the least.

 

TV is used as my PC monitor.  Logitech wireless keyboard is used via its dongle connected via USB extension cable between the two rooms.  (That connection is a bit troublesome sometimes.)

 

Sound is easily the best of my long lifetime.  Not even close to my former $50k stereo, though my main Martin Logan speakers were used then, too.  Video is better than from an Oppo 93 or cable box.  There are some inconveniences and feature give ups for this configuration.  But, I am not about to change it.

[Robert van Diggele]

Thanks Fitz  I currently have a i3-6100T and hooked the pc up directly to  TV screen. Looked good already. Perhaps I go with a higher spec CPU, but main use is music playback in stereo and multichannel. Probably next week I will have a e38 from NativeDSD. Will be good to hear how that will be in my set up.

 

I have to ask, 52TB NAS? Massive man