What are you doing audio wise for the Super Bowl?

[vortecjr]

Please post your info and images:

 

I have been preparing for this year's game since last year. Every year I try something different and just never get the sound where I'm satisfied. In the past, I have tried various digital and analog signal paths from the cable box and/or TV. When I tried the digital setup I would use a DAC and when I tried the analog setup I would feed my integrated amp. I have mostly concentrated on two-channel setups, but this year in preparation I tried a three-channel (FR / center / FL) setup. I liked the way that sounded in testing, but I didn't like all the extra gear. 

 

Recently Audiopraise updated the VanityPros's firmware to include powerful downmixing algorithms and I have settled on this setup for today's game.

 

5.1 channel Apple TV feed via HDMI into the VanityPro with downmixed to 2.0 channels. The downmix feature properly mixes the unused channels so the audio information is not lost. From the VanityPro I'm sending digital to my DAC for playabck on my regular system.

 

[NOMBEDES]

I prepare for the "big game" by unplugging the TV and planning my vinyl Sunday selections.

[sphinxsix]

1 hour ago, vortecjr said:

 

I have been preparing for this year's game since last year. Every year I try something different and just never get the sound where I'm satisfied.

 

I thought nothing in the audio world could surprise me anymore..

😎

[MarkusBarkus]

...similar to that old Barefoot Jerry track: "Watching TV With the Radio On"...you can listen to jazz...with the game on! Currently, Lee Morgan and Clifford Jordan are killin' it! 
 

[sphinxsix]

1 hour ago, MarkusBarkus said:

...similar to that old Barefoot Jerry track: "Watching TV With the Radio On"...you can listen to jazz..

..or some bowl music, some of it is perhaps even quite super..

 

 

[Speedskater]

I was going to set-up the 5.1 channel system with only the center channel connected, but didn't get around to it.

Don't know way sports show producers think that crowd noise is more important than the commentators voice tracks.

The Phoenix golf match was unlistenable. Also 200,000 spectators at the golf just 20 miles from the Superbowl. Who didthe scheduling?

[Jud]

2 hours ago, Speedskater said:

Don't know why sports show producers think that crowd noise is more important than the commentators voice tracks.

 

 

I'm supposing the crowd noise at the venue is actually pretty deafening, and all the crowd noise we hear is an indication of how difficult it is to filter out that noise.

 

@vortecjr, I really hadn't given the audio much thought up to now, but it's extremely easy for me to run stereo from the Apple TV broadcast to my DAC via Toslink, so maybe I'll give it a try. Certainly not the best sound the system is capable of, but better than the TV speakers.

[sphinxsix]

[vortecjr]

On 2/12/2023 at 2:30 PM, NOMBEDES said:

I prepare for the "big game" by unplugging the TV and planning my vinyl Sunday selections.

I hope you had as good a time as we did:)

[vortecjr]

On 2/12/2023 at 2:33 PM, sphinxsix said:

 

I thought nothing in the audio world could surprise me anymore..

😎

I'm already thinking about next years game and what to do for that...

[vortecjr]

23 hours ago, MarkusBarkus said:

...similar to that old Barefoot Jerry track: "Watching TV With the Radio On"...you can listen to jazz...with the game on! Currently, Lee Morgan and Clifford Jordan are killin' it! 

Thats is awesome. 

[vortecjr]

8 hours ago, Speedskater said:

I was going to set-up the 5.1 channel system with only the center channel connected, but didn't get around to it.

Don't know way sports show producers think that crowd noise is more important than the commentators voice tracks.

That is exactly the issue. There is a firmware coming for the VanityPro that will give better control of the channels and I plan to try a few things.   

[vortecjr]

5 hours ago, Jud said:

 

I'm supposing the crowd noise at the venue is actually pretty deafening, and all the crowd noise we hear is an indication of how difficult it is to filter out that noise.

 

@vortecjr, I really hadn't given the audio much thought up to now, but it's extremely easy for me to run stereo from the Apple TV broadcast to my DAC via Toslink, so maybe I'll give it a try. Certainly not the best sound the system is capable of, but better than the TV speakers.

I did that one year...one of my DACs did not like the optical signal, but the other DAC did. It sounded okay. It always sounds okay and better than the TV, but with the crowd noise and noise from my friends the announcers are MIA.  

[vortecjr]

2 hours ago, sphinxsix said:

The halftime show never sounds that good and I lowered the volume to catch a break.  

[Jud]

36 minutes ago, vortecjr said:

I did that one year...one of my DACs did not like the optical signal, but the other DAC did. It sounded okay. It always sounds okay and better than the TV, but with the crowd noise and noise from my friends the announcers are MIA.  

Already do it for, e.g., movies and music documentaries and know it works fine. Only issue with sporting events specifically is as you say the announcers.

[Allan F]

On 2/13/2023 at 4:15 PM, Jud said:

Already do it for, e.g., movies and music documentaries and know it works fine. Only issue with sporting events specifically is as you say the announcers.

 

I have listened to the sound of my TV though my stereo system for decades. I currently feed the optical output of my TV to an inexpensive "Digital to Analog Decoder" from which interconnects are connected to my preamp. IMO, the sound is surprisingly good and far superior to that of the TV's speakers. I don't have any issues with crowd noise or sports announcers who can follow the play and provide knowledgeable insight. 

[vortecjr]

 

 

It's never to early to prepare for the big game. I know it's silly, but it's a fun pet project I undertake every year. The goal is to isolate the announcers and lower the crowd noise. Understand that a bunch of people also come the party and they just add to the white noise so the announcers never have a chance. 

 

I have a permanent stereo system and no matter how good it is for music it does not fulfill the needs of the big game. I'm not trying to break the bank or change my system too much. This system is not ideal or practical and mostly utilizes equipment I already have. Remember it's just for few hours. 

 

The heart of the system is the Audiopraise VanityPro that takes the 5.1 HDMI output of an Apple TV and processes it down to 3.0 SPDIF digital output. Other digital output configurations are possible…this is just mine. This year I'm using the multichannel SPDIF output board in the VanityPro (instead of the stereo output board) so I can isolate the center channel. I'm also going to use the new Audiopraise VanityPSU. This dual output power supply is a new matching ultra low noise linear power supply for the VanityPro.

 

I'm going to demote my permanent system to crowd noise duties keeping its output low via its dedicated volume control. 

 

I'm going to run the center mono channel into a Mytek DAC. The analog output of the Mytek DAC will be split via a y-adapter to feed a stereo amp that will feed two temporary speakers flanking the TV. My son does not know I'm borrowing his gear:) The Mytek DAC has volume control so I can independently crank up the center speakers as much as I want!

 

Well that's the plan so far…