Decoding and Playing Multi-Channel files on an older surround system

[CRWSurround]

I love surround and fortunately bought up quite a few DVD Audio, SACD MultiChannel, Monster SuperDiscs etc. when they were all plentiful. I still buy SACD MultiChannel and have purchased some great sounding discs from Dutton-Vocalion based on reviews here. BUT - - I would like to buy and listen to some of the surround files that are available in FLAC and other formats. My A/V receiver is pretty old and has no HDMI inputs but it does have digital/optical inputs. My simple question is: what do I need in order to play FLAC surround files on my system? Special drivers on my laptop? How do I connect my laptop to my main system to play in 6.1 or 5.1? Should I route the playback through my Smart TV which is connected to the A/V receiver via digital/optical cable? Probably a simple set of questions for many of you - but just looking for a way to open up this source of surround content without having to buy a new A/V receiver. Thanks to any and all who can assist with the bare minimum steps and costs involved?

 

[LuvMyQuad]

I believe the digital/optical outputs on your existing AVR are limited to stereo and Dolby Digital (AC3). They won't pass FLAC.

Does your AVR have 5.1 analog inputs? If so what do you connect them to now?

Many disc players that have USB inputs will play multichannel FLAC and will accept it from USB thumb drives and even USB portable hard drives. They use their own basic internal navigation menu for choosing tracks.

 

[EricKalet]

BUT - - I would like to buy and listen to some of the surround files that are available in FLAC and other formats.

What model/brand disc player do you have? Perhaps it has a usb input and 5.1 rca outputs??

In many cases it would easiest to run HDMI from your computer to your AVR, that doesn't sound possible here, so the path of least resistance may be disc player to AVR.

 

[ubertrout]

I love surround and fortunately bought up quite a few DVD Audio, SACD MultiChannel, Monster SuperDiscs etc. when they were all plentiful. I still buy SACD MultiChannel and have purchased some great sounding discs from Dutton-Vocalion based on reviews here. BUT - - I would like to buy and listen to some of the surround files that are available in FLAC and other formats. My A/V receiver is pretty old and has no HDMI inputs but it does have digital/optical inputs. My simple question is: what do I need in order to play FLAC surround files on my system? Special drivers on my laptop? How do I connect my laptop to my main system to play in 6.1 or 5.1? Should I route the playback through my Smart TV which is connected to the A/V receiver via digital/optical cable? Probably a simple set of questions for many of you - but just looking for a way to open up this source of surround content without having to buy a new A/V receiver. Thanks to any and all who can assist with the bare minimum steps and costs involved?

Does your AVR have multichannel analog inputs? A number of Oppo players can play multichannel FLAC. I know the BDP-93 supports multichannel FLAC and has multichannel outputs.

 

[CRWSurround]

What model/brand disc player do you have? Perhaps it has a usb input and 5.1 rca outputs??

In many cases it would easiest to run HDMI from your computer to your AVR, that doesn't sound possible here, so the path of least resistance may be disc player to AVR.

My disc player is a Pioneer DV-45A. It is connected to the AVR via both digital optical cable and also RCA cables for the SACD Multi-Channel playback. No USB input to the disc player. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[CRWSurround]

Does your AVR have multichannel analog inputs? A number of Oppo players can play multichannel FLAC. I know the BDP-93 supports multichannel FLAC and has multichannel outputs.

Yes, the AVR has multichannel analog inputs (RCA) which are currently used by my disc player for SACD Multichannel playback.

 

[CRWSurround]

I believe the digital/optical outputs on your existing AVR are limited to stereo and Dolby Digital (AC3). They won't pass FLAC.

Does your AVR have 5.1 analog inputs? If so what do you connect them to now?

Many disc players that have USB inputs will play multichannel FLAC and will accept it from USB thumb drives and even USB portable hard drives. They use their own basic internal navigation menu for choosing tracks.

Unfortunately my Pioneer DV-45A disc player is too old for USB inputs - - BUT you did turn on a light bulb! My Samsung Blu-Ray player does have a USB input on the front panel which I have never used. So that may do the trick! Thanks for your message. Sounds promising. Will post again if it works!

 

[CRWSurround]

I love surround and fortunately bought up quite a few DVD Audio, SACD MultiChannel, Monster SuperDiscs etc. when they were all plentiful. I still buy SACD MultiChannel and have purchased some great sounding discs from Dutton-Vocalion based on reviews here. BUT - - I would like to buy and listen to some of the surround files that are available in FLAC and other formats. My A/V receiver is pretty old and has no HDMI inputs but it does have digital/optical inputs. My simple question is: what do I need in order to play FLAC surround files on my system? Special drivers on my laptop? How do I connect my laptop to my main system to play in 6.1 or 5.1? Should I route the playback through my Smart TV which is connected to the A/V receiver via digital/optical cable? Probably a simple set of questions for many of you - but just looking for a way to open up this source of surround content without having to buy a new A/V receiver. Thanks to any and all who can assist with the bare minimum steps and costs involved?

Thanks to all who replied to my original post and dilemma. So, here's an update. Thanks to a couple of your posts, I discovered the USB input, cleverly hidden, on my Samsung Blu-Ray player. I usually use my Pioneer disc player for most of my surround listening except for my Pure Audio Blu-Ray Surround discs - - so that Samsung unit really did not occur to me. Here's the odd thing. I used a 5.1 Test File from Bjorn Lynne on a thumb drive and was excited to see if my dilemma has been resolved. Interestingly I DID get very clear and discrete output for left front main channel and right front main channel AND very discrete front center channel (at this point as the file was playing, I got pretty excited BUT the rear channel output did NOT come from my rear speakers only and instead there was some muffled signal of both from the rear speakers and the front speakers. So, a mixed result but better than a total fail with Stereo only. I have some more files I will try but did want to provide this update. Thanks again for your input.