2. home-theater
  3. 161926-2164

Surround setup problem

In preparation for a surround setup I connected HDMI from an Ayre DX-5 DSD disc player to a Bryston SP3 processor, with front LR to the by-pass input of an Ayre KX-5/20 preamp.  The plan was to use the KX-5/20 and VX-5/20 amp for front LR with NAD digital amps for side and rear surround.  The setup resulted in audio dropouts with about a 50% duty cycle and noise before each dropout.  Disconnecting the HDMI from the SP3 eliminated the dropouts even though the by-pass between the SP3 and preamp was still connected, but that also eliminates surround.

I may end up using a spare NAD M22 for front LR with a switch to select it for surround or the VX-5/20 for stereo.  Any recommendations for such a switch?

db 
dbphd
dbphd OP
1,633 posts
 
Last night I once again had dropouts with a surge in volume following each dropout. This morning no dropouts no surges. I really don’t understand.

Once again, the problem setup is HDMI from Ayre DX-5 DSD to Bryston SP3 with balanced analog from the SP3 to an Ayre KX-5 Twenty by-pass input (and to a pair of NAD digital amps for side and rear surround). The DX-5 also is connected via balanced analog directly to the KX-5; that works flawlessly. Cox cable is connected via HDMI to the SP3 with HDMI output to an Audio Engine 2+, but it can also output via balanced analog to the by-pass input of the KX-5; both work flawlessly.

Video appears unaffected by the audio dropouts, i.e., there are no corresponding video dropouts.

The other input to the KX-5 is from an Ayre QX-5 Twenty acting as a Roon endpoint via Ethernet, but that seems an unlikely contributor to the problem.

db
auxinput
2,921 posts
 
I don't know.  Try another bluray player?
dbphd OP
1,633 posts
 
My experience with an ultraSound Roon endpoint that has to be powered up in a specific order with the DAC suggests the intermittent dropouts may have to do with order of starting up the Ayre DX-5 DSD and Bryston SP3. It may be an HDMI handshake issue. If I select the disc player before powering up the DX-5 there are no dropouts; if I switch from cable to disc player, dropouts are likely. I know that shouldn’t be a problem, but maybe neither Ayre nor Bryston is as HDMI capable as Sony.

db
More to discover