Kategorie: HDMI to I2S

Cambridge Audio (or other) IR-repeater Option 5 / Broadlink RMmini3 / Fire TV Cube (2.Gen)

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so, folks 😉

unfortunately nothing new from here concerning ES9038Q2Ms (or audio-sound-wise) but got today some “Broadlink RMmini3” for cheap (7,50€ incl.shipping/Ebay, “normal” about ca. 20€) to test out the “Alexa” (-uuaargh ;-( )-functionality of my new bought Amazon-Fire-TV-Cube (was on “easter-sale” on Amazon, 60€ instead of 120€ (more later))..

i primarily wanted to use the RM3mini as an alternative for my Cambridge-Audio IR-remote which is really,really bad in terms of ir-range (i think 3cm max directly right in front of the amp 😉 )..

I´ve made 4 “tutorials” of this, “Cambridge IR-repeater”->http://essabre-90xx-rpi.sfb2.com/?s=cambridge+audio, first via bluetooth (DIY), then “web-controlled” (html), third with some mqtt-broker-thing on a Pi, and then “over-simple”, only with an Arduino, some ir-transmitter + -receiver +some dupont-cable->http://essabre-90xx-rpi.sfb2.com/?p=1939,

and now  i thought, i say “Volume down” or “Aux” in the firecube remote and the RM3mini will do it (more maybe later)..

okay, got it today, and it has really a superb ir-coverage (there a 5 or 6 led-transmitter in it), the apps according to it (“Broadlink IR-remote” etc..) are a little bit tricky to install, but the “learning-procedure” (in using the buttons on the original remote) itself is very simple..

fine..u have a great “template”-collection, i used a very simple one (see above) but u can easily customize it..

so, just started the “Alexa”-integration with the “Broadlink”-Skill, but its a bit more complicated then for 5 minutes..

okay, now to the Fire-TV-Cube (2.Gen)->absolutely greater video (+20% compared to Fire-Stick 4K)-quality (“deeper” colors + contrast) + also audio is much better..

in these Fire-Cube 4Ks is some Amlogic S922x with 6-core and 2GB Ram..these Amlogic S922x were the “high-end-boards” of the other Android-TV-Boxes..got years ago 2 of them here (and still) , the first also had some spdif-output and could play flac-files up to 96khz or 192khz (which was not common in the early times of mini-media-player (“WD-player”, Asus O-play and such) and i used Kodi on these boxes..(okay, now with all the “HDMI”-tutorials here on the site, u can still get a good clean sound/tune out of it)..

anyway, “Kodi V19.4 (ARMv7/32bit)” runs absolutely great, fast and very good on these 4K-Cubes (as said 6-core, 2GB Ram)..

and because Kodi runs so absolutely smooth, i thought about to “pimp-up” the audio-line a little bit (besides the normal HDMI-output), and i knew that these Amlogic 922x also has some I2S-output (original design) but on the Amazon-Cube-board its after the first “check” not available/disabled/not carried out->

(more here ->  https://de.ifixit.com/Anleitung/Amazon+Fire+TV+Cube+Motherboard+Replacement/116369)

anyway, we could use (with the help of our great “HDMI”-tutorials here 😉 ) the hdmi-output with some hdmi-audio-extractor to I2S and tell Kodi to put it out “native”/bit-correct/”hdmi-passthrough”..(havent check it out here at present)..

so, that was it for now, as said “hi-fi”-bricolage (with case,toroidal,es9038q2m) is a little bit on hold but i´ll post then maybe more about it..

but many greets and have a happy easter !! 😉

 

Happy New Year !! ;-) / momentary “gear” / nothing new / I2S over hdmi far better than via spdif

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Hi there !! 😉

first, Happy New Year !! 😉

second: unfortunately absolutely no news from here 😉 ..i´m “stuck” at present to find the right toroidal transformer + the right rectifier for it (Dual DC +-15V) (as written here a thousand times) (btw. “burnt” meanwhile 2 rectifier + 1 Philips power-board + 1 ES9038Q2M-board ;-(  (so, be careful 😉 ) 

and because its always the same here lately, i just want to wish you a happy new year !! 😉

hope i´ll get something more interesting in future about this whole DIY-DAC-thing + ESSabre-boards !! 😉 

(some quick and dirty pics (only for happy new year) ->Sony BDP-7200->HDMI->HDMI-extractor->I2S over hdmi receiver->I2S->Skysong ES9038Q2M (only single 12V at present)..(+but after connecting it via I2S its really really far better than the normal spdif/coax-line from the Sony BDP7200)..

many greets !! 😉

HDMI to I2S (C1) receiver-board arrived / NE5532 vs. AD797 vs. OPA1612

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so, 😉

finally today the “HDMI to I2S (RX-“C1”-PS-audio-standard) receiver-board arrived (LINK-Aliexpress, 14€))->works absolutely great/flawlessly with the hdmi to I2S-extraction-board (HDA20012 GLA V5 TX-“C1”)->

it works “so”, without extra 5V-power (the extraction-board delivers the 5V over HDMI (but u can “jumper” it))..

“sound-wise” its a little bit more “flat”/not so “brilliant” in comparison to a direct I2S-connection (absolutely logical), but i guess so only about 2%-difference 😉 )..(and u have one I2S-solder-/”unstability-problem” less !)

by that i´ve got an “OPA1612” a week ago or so, and got now the time to test it out->

NE5532: a lot of body + push, absolutely good overall OP-Amp..(was originally in the “green” SMBCP-ES9038Q2M-board (V1.07)

OPA1612: very clear, very dynamic, very “roomy”, more “body” like the AD797, (but also a little bit “thin” + less “character”)..(coriously today the best from the two (NE5532+AD797) the body/lows from NE5532 and the highs from the AD797)..(“quality-wise” about 10-15% ahead of the NE5532.)

great OP-AMP !! (but maybe with a little less “character”)..

AD797ANZ: absolutely “creamy” + sweet+ 3D-ish (almost “heavenly” 😉 ), but with almost no body/lows..absolutely in the middle/highs and there some “own room/3D/space”, character..(but also a little bit “distorted” in some way)

a lot of “character”, was my favourite OP-AMP so far..

still complicated (to find the right OP-Amp for yourself), right now/today i´m more “on character”.. (i tested a lot of OP-Amps, Bursons, Muses, LME´s,OPA´s (look right in the widget/categories->”OP-Amps“->http://essabre-90xx-rpi.sfb2.com/?cat=13)

(+ in these region/area of very good/high-end OP-Amps its really only about the “timbre/color” of the sound (which u prefer)..the sound/tone/content itself still remains..)..

so, will change the OP-Amp back to the NE5532 to get my “test-setting” back and to work again more “on the chain” (transporter->hdmi->I2S) before..

(PS.: the OPA1612 is still playing here now; absolutely great, super quality + a great dynamic ! (should compare it again to the Burson or Muses or other OPA´s etc.,etc. for example, but not now) 😉 )

many greets for now + much more to come !! 😉

Panasonic DMP BDT 385 / playing finally .dsf/.dff-files / Toroidal transformer – Talema (Cyrus PSX) 27,9V

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so, 😉

got today finally a Panasonic DMP BDT 385 (got it cheap from Ebay, 17€, faulty, couldn´t recognize a bluray-disc anymore) to test the DSD-functionality + to compare it with my other Sony + Philips Blurayplayer here..

very nice, detect and play any .dsf/.dff-files which i have on my usb-drive..the Sony only detects Sony-“tagged” .dsfs and the Philips only Philips .dffs 😉 ; the pansonic plays them all + also other “non-tagged”-DSD-files->stupid..

by that, the “quantizing-noise” (and i think thats mainly the “white noise”) is absolutely more less via my hdmi-extraction-board + ES9038Q2M-combo here then via the Sony for example; have to test + evaluate it more..(its still an I2S-connection problem i guess->soldering)

DSD-files are btw. outputted at 88.2/24 via toslink (besides over HDMI of course)->

picture-quality + handling-/usability-wise its a lot more “basic” then with the Sony BDP-7200 for example..thought first why Panasonic have such a good reputation, i felt it too “basic”, but in the end its okay (but its really about your personal taste and overall the Sony is better (for my taste)).

by that i got by chance a really, really, massive (guess 5kg !! or so) Talema toroidal-transformer 220V/2*27,9V..was originally from a Mission Cyrus PSX only power supply expansion (posted a lot of  it before)-> heavy bummer !! 😉

wanted originally some 15V-0-15V toroidal for the chinese ES9038Q2M but will use it as power supply for the DAC and for the rest of things in our “DIY-DAC” !! (esp32s,arduino-display,usb-bridge,AK4113-digital to i2s receiver etc..)

will post a lot more about it, cause that was the “main goal” with this site->our “DIY-DAC !!” 😉

greets or now + much more to come !! 😉

Update HDMI-extractor-Board/box ->(3) different versions HDA20012/15/27

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so, 😉

in further “inspecting/investigating” the DSD-I2S-line via this hdmi-extractor a few posts before->http://essabre-90xx-rpi.sfb2.com/?p=2618  i´ve just read in the ps-audio-forum (many thx to “XA777” there !!)->https://forum.psaudio.com/t/it-works-sony-ubp-x1000es-hdmi-audio-output-to-chinese-i2s-adapter-board-to-ds-sr-i2s-input/15630/51 “..I have 2 HDMI/MHL to I2S boxes: the cheaper one from Audiophonics in France;the board inside the box mentions HDA20012 TXC1. Native DSD via I2S works with Cambridge CXU, but the board cannot input native DSD and output DOP64 via COAX or Toslink. With my Musician Pegasus DAC the DSD L/R channels over I2S are swapped compared to PCM over I2S.”->(by that,theres a “mute” possibility)

absolutely the same here..I´ve got the board from audiophonics (guess HDA20012 but in “V5” because i have an option to swap the DSD-L/R via a jumper/soldering)->

thing is also that i didnt got any dop64 over coax..

“The other box is more expensive, costs about EUR 100,–.
the board inside this box mentions HDA20027 TXC1 pro.
Native DSD via I2S works with Cambridge CXU, and there is now DSD sound/audio on coax and toslink. With my Musician Pegasus DAC the PCM and DSD L/R channels over I2S are correct..”

here the new link with the box (+ another board in it->+ heat-spreader+other LEDS) from audiophonics (65€), but i don´t know the exact board/version in it !!–>https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/diy-interfaces/digital-interface-hdmi-mhl-to-i2s-coaxial-optical-p-13419.html

okay, then it maybe work with a lot of I2S-DACs (with an I2S/hdmi-i2S-input) but i still got a heavy white noise with our chinese ES9038Q2Ms here..

(PS.: u get often “white noise” if the pure DSD-signal is “altered” in some way; maybe some volume-adjustments for example;->same with “Volumio” for example; if didn´t turn the “volume-mixer” to “off” (no hardware nor software-mixer) i get a heavy “white noise” there too..so i guess my “audiophonics hdmi-extraction-board” (HDA20012) will append something to the DSD-signal/alter it..but don´t know what + how to disable it..(or it has something to do with the “channel-swap”; will post then more about it).

have to evaluate it a bit more, hope this helps a little bit for somebody with similar problems, + greets for now 😉

I2S over HDMI->short compendium TX/RX_C1 (PS-audio-standard) vs _C2 (newer) / pinout

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so, 😉

as i bought some HDMI->I2S receiver-board, connected it via some hdmi-cable to my audiophonics-hdmi-extraction-board and got no sound at all 😉 , i just had to get more “in depth” with the different hdmi-pinouts (namely C1 (PS-audio-standard) and C2..)

on my hdmi-extraction-board i have these description->

“TX_C1“, means the “old” PS-audio-standard” with (in short) “Data-” on Pin 1 (vs. “Data+” on pin1 in TX_C2)->

so, and as i got a “TX_C1” (hdmi-sender/transmitter) i just need a “RX_C1” (hdmi-receiver)->easy as this 😉 

needless to say that i bought a “RX_C2” for my “TX_C1” 😉

(LINK Aliexpress (14$))

hope that helps a little bit (and i hope i got it right !!) and so we can get a little further in this great “DSD over I2S/HDMI-journey” 😉 ..

many greets for now !! 😉

Raspberry Pi 4 ->DSD(.dsf/.dff)-files over HDMI / HDMI to I2S-extractor arrived..

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so folks 😉 ,

hooray, today the hdmi to i2s extractor (from audiophonics) arrived ! 😉 (more later)..

but first, these “Raspberry Pi 4 DSD over HDMI”-thing:

i´ve read the days that openelec, Volumio, Moode + picoreplayer are also capable to sent dsf/dff(DSD)-files via hdmi-out on the Pi-4..

thats also a very nice “alternative” because u didnt have to use an usb-bridge (which is absolutely + in every way necessary) to play DSD-files from a Pi-(X) to an “chinese” ES90XX-board..(we didnt get it to work only over I2S)..

the Pi-4 should now be capable of streaming (also multichannel-DSD) via HDMI (was not (or less) possible with the Pi´s before)..

i´m reading just now a lot of it and will post then more about it..

so, and yet to the (long awaited) “HDMI-I2S-extractor” 😉 ..

“rock-solid” (not soo heavy as the before mentioned Burr-Brown-implementation in the Philips Fidelio BDP9700), but very “steady”..

in first using and setting it up, it has 2 red LEDs flashing/blinking) and no picture/sound and i´ve read elsewhere before that u have to use a 5V external power-source (although its not necessary as per “description”)..

okay, feeded it with 5V,2A and had problems (again) with the I2S-line from the extractor to the “green” (SMPCB) ES9038Q2M, not soo with the JY “Blue” ES9038Q2M..

ended it up now with a coax-line from the extractor directly to the coax on the ES9038Q2M..(but only for now, for DSD(native) u need the I2S-line)

and got finally my lovely 192/24 😉

as said, very “solid”-sounding, almost like the Burr-Brown-Gear in the BDP-9700; very exact, another step in the “hi-fi”-direction..

so, the problem is now that my Sony BDP-S7200 should play .dsf/.dff-files (SACD in anyway) via usb/network, but don´t do 😉 

got/always say “file is corrupt or wrong media-format”, + i havent got a single !! SACD here, so i couldnt test the DSD-functionality (and that is/was originally the reason for all these devices lately !!) right now..(but i´m on it !!)..

and so, these Raspberry Pi-4 playing DSD-files via hdmi came to my mind..

(i do play here with volumio->usb-bridge->es9038q2m .dsf/.dff-files “in native” but for test here the hdmi-i2s-extractor)..

(will post a lot more about it)..

so, many greets for now, hope u enjoy the pictures, much more to come 

and stay tuned !! 😉

Little update: ordered the hdmi to i2s extractor from Audiophonics..

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so folks 😉 ,

a little update concerning the hdmi to i2s extractor->

bought/ordered it right now from audiophonics->https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/diy-interfaces/digital-interface-board-hdmi-mhl-to-i2s-coaxial-optical-p-15388.html

->we´ll have to see how it works out here..

but according to another user @aliexpress (he bought it with a black plastic case) it seems to work (toi,toi,toi (german phrase) 😉 ) also with a sony blurayplayer (guess he played a SACD)->

(don´t know the excact Topping-model/series he had there)

so, much more to come, many greets from here !! 😉

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