My computer based system tries to achieve a pretty high target, and I’ve finally gotten there after a decade of hardware swaps, tweaks and messing around.
The goals:
- Full 8 channel digital feed from PC to processor
- Ability to play back ripped DVD-A and downloaded high-rez multichannel albums
- Ability to either natively decode and play the tracks or to ‘push’ them to DLNA renderers
- Ability to bitstream DTS, AC3, DTS-MA, Dolby TrueHD to the processor
- Ability to remote control the Playback selection from an iPad/iPhone
- Provide visualizations for the music to be played on the HT projector
- Provide as high-quality a source of audio signals as possible
What it takes:
First is a processor/preamp capable of HDMI input, I use the mighty Denon AVP A1-HDci
I documented the PC setup in some detail at the
AVP preamp Wiki site, so read that
The use of FooBar2000 is key, as is its use of WASAPI audio paths
Adding the following plug-ins to Foobar help me achieve some of the goals:
Foo-upnp – provides the ability to create playlists in Foobar and ‘push’ them to a DLNA renderer. I use this to push files to my Denon AVP.
Foo-remote – provides for full playlist selection and browsing using the super-cool Apple Remote app. Yes, you no longer need to use iTunes to be able to use Remote to manage and select audio. Works perfectly, love this ability, it totally transforms the experience.
Visualization tool of your choice, MilkDrop is my favorite.
How it’s used:
This is the nice part, but still a bit techy. It assumes your PC is running 24/7, which mine is as it is also the whole house file server as well as the automation system controller. Since that server happens to sit in the same air-conditioned equipment room as the rest of my audio gear, all it takes is one 4’ HDMI cable to link them up.
I leave Foobar running, which provides the remote capabilities, and it has five or six main playlists pre-loaded.
Whenever I want to listen to the music server, I just select that input on the avp, and using the Apple Remote on my iPhone, pick a playlist, such as my multichannel DVD-A rips, and pick an album or song, hit play, and voila, full 5.1 24/96 resolution music is playing through the system, no physical intervention required.
Want to switch to 2ch music ripped from CD’s, no problem, just pick a playlist that contains those. If that playlist contains DTS tracks as well, the AVP immediately recognizes a bitstreamed multichannel signal, and switches into DTS mode. If the next reack is stereo, it immediately goes back to 2ch PCM 16/44 and keeps trucking.
Amazing usability coupled with as pristine an audio path as one could want.
For the final layer of cool, fire up the projector, pick up the PC remote keyboard (I use and RF slimline all-in one with pointer control), start the visualization and enjoy the cool light show synched to music on the 100” screen.
Great way to chill and enjoy some awesome tunes.
The details on my rig are too extensive to list here, so just
click on over to my site and see pages of details and pics. It’s big, complex, highly customized and delivers the best performance I’ve ever heard.
It was a bit tedious at times but much less so than sitting there just to do that.
