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HDMI 1.3 Audio Signal - Good Enough, or no?

I own an Arcam AVR350. As many know, this AVR, among a few others, eschews the HDMI connection for audio (providing switching for video only), citing it as a path largely inferior to other alternatives for truly quality audio reporoduction. Even with the introduction of HDMI 1.3, Arcam stands by the decision they made with respect to HDMI 1.1 and appears to have no plans to accommodate the HDMI audio path in the near future.

My question is whether most folks think that audio quality considerations in a home theater environment are important enough such that the HDMI 1.3 audio route would be "good enough" for HDTV and HD/Blue-Ray DVD. Or, is it really only a factor if you are using the AVR with both an HD cable/satellite receiver AND a high-quality audio source like SACD or DVD-A?
4yanx
audiotomb's avatar
audiotomb
1,112 posts
 
4yank -

I'm in a similar boat as I'm mostly doing the ht room to watch movies (dvd and blue ray) and will probably hook up satelitte (I'll switch from dish network which has less HD content).
I'm hoping the newest 7.1 / 5.1 analog out high end blu ray players have a stellar SD DVD upsample section.

my old main system 2 channel ht seemed good enough
but was ready and willing to play with multi
the Arcam had a pleasing analog element even if it doesn't have the latest hdmi elements

tom
4yanx OP
1,576 posts
 
I hear thee, AT! I have a Zentih DVB318 with the firmware that allows upsampling to 1080i over component, and now I will be looking toward a Blue-Ray player as a replacement, as well.
sogood51
2,157 posts
 
I set up an Onkyo/OPPO Digital system for someone a few months back. The Oppo/Onkyo combo did pass SACD/DVD Audio over HDMI...from one, to the other. It sounded pretty darn good.

NHT Classic speaker, front and rear.

Dave
snofun3
601 posts
 
"Personally, I think anything more than mid-fi is a real waste for movies and I am not sure that surround sound is how concerts "should" be reproduced (since it ain't surround sound or ultra high resolution at the venue)."

Every concert is in surround sound - typically just for the ambiance of the hall, which is enough to make it mandatory. Can you imagine a concert withour hall reverb?

After that you have DVD's like Pnk Floyd where sounds come from everywhere (as in the real show) which are always attention getter's.
jerrym303
54 posts
 
It depends on your needs. My HT stuff is totally separate from my 2-channel (to avoid pollution from noise or unauthorized users), so full HDMI convenience/codecs for movies is more important than the purest sound.

I have an AVR100 in a second system and I agree that the Arcam sound is hard to beat if you want it for pure 2-channel or multi-channel listening. I think that Arcam made a mistake in not supporting full HDMI. What would it really hurt to let the consumer decide? I probably would have stepped up for the AVR350 if they had included full HDMI.

Maybe it was a cost decision due to the fact that they don't turn out the volume of units that the mid-fi companies do.

So, if the system is for movies, I would go with a cheaper alternative that has hdmi 1.3.
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