Surround receiver with preamp outputs for monitors?

[V5V]

I've got a shiny new MacBook Pro with a USB-C-to-HDMI adaptor.

I've also got five Tannoy System 800A Active analog monitors with a matching sub.

It seems like I should be able to just plop a consumer-class receiver in between and start monitoring in surround. HDMI out from the Mac into the receiver, out of the receiver into the speakers.

What I'm having trouble with is finding a receiver with HDMI input and balanced line-level outputs. Denon had one, but it's discontinued. So did Onkyo, but it's gone too. Marantz has a couple, but I could buy an Apogee Symphony for what they cost!

Anyone have any suggestions?

[MIKEROPHONICS]

Don't Pioneer make one - they had a tie up with Air Studios?


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[V5V]

Originally Posted by MIKEROPHONICS

Don't Pioneer make one - they had a tie up with Air Studios?

Thanks for the tip! Turns out they do. I was hoping for balanced outputs (like this discontinued Denon), but it looks like the only units that offer that are either discontinued or "audiophile" models that cost quite a bit more than a dedicated audio interface.

This is just for a "hobby" rig in my home, not my primary "at work" system, so I was hoping to find something cheap and simple that would serve double-duty as a Pro Tools monitor controller and a home entertainment device while maintaining a balanced audio path. It may not be possible to find an inexpensive receiver with balanced pre-outs, so I may be better off using a traditional setup with a USB or Thunderbolt audio interface.

Thanks again for the suggestion! Please feel free to let me know if you have more ideas.

[nucelar]

Why not use unbalanced connections? Yours is a very controlled environment, I hope you don't have much interference, and the line level cable runs are relatively short.

[theom]

Yamaha
12 XLR outs

Not cheap but you get the immersive decoders etc.

https://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-CX-A51...=p_89%3AYamaha

$2,500

[V5V]

Originally Posted by nucelar

Why not use unbalanced connections? Yours is a very controlled environment, I hope you don't have much interference, and the line level cable runs are relatively short.

A reasonable question. Here's my completely unreasonable answer:

Years ago when I had a home studio I didn't worry about such things. I just did whatever needed to be done to get things to work together.

As the studio grew, and with it the number of interconnects, I started running into issues with some devices wanting the cold floated (they'd barf if it was grounded), others creating problems with maintaining unity gain through the chain, and the occasional device causing a ground hum. It got annoying enough that one day I made a pledge that I would never be unbalanced again.

(Insert mental health joke here.)

Given the relative simplicity of this setup it really wouldn't matter, but I've been burned before by thinking "Hm, I have a rule about that but I don't remember why..." and later realizing "Oh yeah, THAT'S why!" so I just stick to whatever rules of thumb I've developed over the years, which has mostly kept me out of trouble.

[V5V]

Originally Posted by theom

Yamaha
12 XLR outs

Not cheap but you get the immersive decoders etc.

https://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-CX-A51...=p_89%3AYamaha

$2,500

Awesome box! I hadn't seen that one.

It's definitely overkill for this application -- if I was gonna spend that kind of money I might as well buy a Zen or Ensemble or similar -- but that IS the kind of thing I'm looking for. Just simpler and cheaper.

I think I'm just gonna keep my eye on the used market for an old Denon.

Thanks for the tip, though!

[nucelar]

Hi, you're reasoning is fair enough

You might find these units interesting:
https://emotiva.com/products/pres-an...xmc-1-hdmi-14b
https://emotiva.com/products/pres-and-pros/mc-700
http://outlawaudio.com/products/975.html

Or if you feel brave:
https://www.minidsp.com/products/ht-series/nanoavr-hda

you can pair an unbalanced unit with a cheap behringer ULTRALINK PRO MX882 to convert unbalanced to balanced.

[V5V]

Originally Posted by nucelar

You might find these units interesting:
https://emotiva.com/products/pres-an...xmc-1-hdmi-14b
https://emotiva.com/products/pres-and-pros/mc-700
http://outlawaudio.com/products/975.html

Excellent suggestions, thanks! I hear good things about the Outlaw, and was already considering the Emotiva stuff.

Originally Posted by nucelar

Or if you feel brave:
https://www.minidsp.com/products/ht-series/nanoavr-hda

Neat! I don't think I would have found the minidsp stuff if you hadn't shared it. Thanks!

I wonder how well this product will sell? It's a fun idea and inexpensive enough to get one just to play around with, but with no on-board decoders it's really only useful to people with fancy Blu-Ray players. It obviously will also work for applications like mine -- de-embedding audio from an HDMI stream cheaply in a consumer setting -- but the number of buyers for that seems like it would be in the low single digits!

[Schottlandru]

I like miniDSP, I have one of their ADAT breakout boxes to hook my system up to a stage I rent now and again - works great!
Simple USB to ADAT, fantastic.