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TV digital audio - Home theatre vs Stereo audio

Hi,

I have a question that is confusing me quite a bit. I just set-up a brand new 2 channel system which also has a Oppo BDP-95 Blue Ray player from my legacy system and a new OLED LG 4K TV. I trying to get the best sound from my TV. I usually view sports through the now-TV (cable TV provider in HK), Netflix (through my TV connect) and Blue-ray through my Oppo.

The TV has a HDMI ARC connection and an optical digital audio out. Currently I have connected the optical digital audio out to my Auralic Vega G2 DAC and then play the TV audio through my McIntosh/ B&W Diamond 2-channel set-up. I also have connected the digital Coax output from my Oppo to the Auralic DAC and hence I have bypassed the Oppo DAC as I consider the Auralic DAC superior.

However, I read up some material saying that an optical connect from the TV and the Coax output from the Oppo will not carry full Dolby Atmos and other higher end digital audio from the Blue-Ray and hence the audio from both my blue-ray discs through the Oppo and the Netflix that I play through the TV will both be downgraded to normal 2-channel audio.

My question is that if I anyways have only a 2-channel music system set-up through which my TV sound plays, does it matter whether I use the optical out from my TV or the more advanced HDMI ARC?

The second question is that the only way I can see to get the higher end digital audio is to buy a surround sound bar and connect it through the HDMI ARC connect on the TV and play the sound through the sound bar rather than the 2-channel set-up. The problem is that I do not have space to keep the sound bar and hence will need to go through substantive pain to get this done. Is it all worth it?

Thanks in advance.

128x128sudhirgoel
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
My question is that if I anyways have only a 2-channel music system set-up through which my TV sound plays, does it matter whether I use the optical out from my TV or the more advanced HDMI ARC?


The Toslink optical output will be better than the HDMI for driving your DAC and particularly if you reclock it with the Synchro-Mesh. This will elevate both your movie and CD sound quality significantly.


Steve N.
Empirical Audio
mzkmxcv
777 posts
 
@audioengr

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/review-and-measurements-of-ifi-ipurifier-...

The iFi only works when there is a ton of jitter, which Amir could only get by actually inducing jitter with his AP, most real-world performance actually had the iFi adding low frequency noise. 
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
BS. There is a LOT of jitter in all digital sources and reclockers work wonders.

J-Test should not be used for measuring such devices.  The jitter measurement should be direct, with no DAC involved.  I will post those measurements later.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
sudhirgoel's avatar
sudhirgoel OP
23 posts
 
Thanks all for your comments and clear direction in moving forward.

mzkmxcv - That is clear and very heartening to hear. I am not considering the iFi anyways as below but thanks for the article.

audioengr - Many, many thanks to such a detailed and very specific solutions. I do not want a 5.1 channel set-up and hence am assuming the iFi iPurifier is not needed for me. The reclocker is an interesting piece of equipment and I am amazed that you are so sure it will have a significant impact on performance. Just one question there, you say it will have a big impact on the picture and the sound. However, the Reclocker will not have an input for the video as the digital output from the TV only carries audio. So how will it impact the video in that case? Also I have a Leo GX Master clock with my Auralic Vega G2 DAC. Does that already do the function of the reclocker in some way. Sorry I forgot to mention that earlier.

Look forward to more information on the above.
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