Can XBMC over HDMI and Foobar over USB DAC Possible?

[manniraj]

Hi

I was looking at the option of using XBMC/MPC-HC over HDMI output and Foobar2000 over USB DAC on the same PC with one windows login. I know that somebody on the forum I believe haisaiket has done this configuration with 2 different logins on the same PC. I looked around on the net but did not find any conclusive answer.
I was thinking that in the XBMC settings I can make the default sound output over HDMI and the same I can do it for the Foobar2000 settings by selecting the ODAC (planning to get this) as the default sound device. Is this setting possible? Somebody who has this setup please check and your reviews will be helpful..
My current setup is like this with 2 diff PC's..
HTPC Configuration:
HTPC>XBMC-MPC-HC>HDMI>Receiver>HDMI>TV
Music-PC Configuration:
Music-PC>Foobar2000>Optical>Receiver

Planning to combine this and make it as one PC if the above configuration works..

thanks in advance..

 

[koushikp]

Hi

I was looking at the option of using XBMC/MPC-HC over HDMI output and Foobar2000 over USB DAC on the same PC with one windows login. I know that somebody on the forum I believe haisaiket has done this configuration with 2 different logins on the same PC. I looked around on the net but did not find any conclusive answer.
I was thinking that in the XBMC settings I can make the default sound output over HDMI and the same I can do it for the Foobar2000 settings by selecting the ODAC (planning to get this) as the default sound device. Is this setting possible? Somebody who has this setup please check and your reviews will be helpful..
My current setup is like this with 2 diff PC's..
HTPC Configuration:
HTPC>XBMC-MPC-HC>HDMI>Receiver>HDMI>TV
Music-PC Configuration:
Music-PC>Foobar2000>Optical>Receiver

Planning to combine this and make it as one PC if the above configuration works..

thanks in advance..

easy to do. by default all sound will go through the ODAC unless you bypass it. Simply select HDMI in sound output settings in XBMC system menu and you are done

 

[manniraj]

Thanks koushik

If this works then I am done with only one system for movies/music.

 

[babhishek]

No reason why this should not work

 

[manniraj]

The doubt I had is that both the player softwares are being connected to the same receiver in 2 different modes (hdmi & usb dac) and I was presuming that only one sound out works at a time, hence the clarification. If it isn't the case then I am happy, going to order the ODAC.

Thanks

 

[sam9s]

I am surprised you forgot me doing the same. I open foobar from within XBMC using program launcher and listen to music ... so I guess this means I am using the same login to play both ...

When I am in XBMC playing movies, all sound goes through HDMI, the moment I switch on Foobar, the sound is routed through my USB DAC fiio to my AVR ..... I just make sure that I do not specifically select any of my audio out as the default device, rest is taken care of by itself by the application running.

 

[Oakley]

Yes you can send audio over hdmi in xbmc and audio over USB in foobar.
Is there an reason why you don't use xbmc for audio?

Xbmc with wasapi is far better than foobar for audio.

If you know basic Linux, then my suggestion is to go for openelec-xbmc, configure your sound settings via ssh with ALSA bit perfect, you will never go back to any other software.
The frodo builds of xbmc support hd audio and 24bit playback.

Take a blind test between foobar and xbmc and post your comments

Oak

 

[sam9s]

Xbmc with wasapi is far better than foobar for audio.

mmmmmmm ... ..... I would still say foobar with wasapi is better than XBMC with wasipi ...

 

[manniraj]

Sorry sam9..

Actually I did not forget but I presumed that you didnt have this setup. Otherwise you have been great help in this forum especially to me for any kind of clarification/issue.

So great to know that you do have this kind of setup (my life becomes easier), by the way how do you like the FiiO sound. I was thinking of getting the ODAC. Also can you elaborate when you say that I do not make any output as the default sound output. Do you mean to say that you do not do it in XMBC & Foobar or in the windows sound output.

Thanks

 

[manniraj]

mmmmmmm ... ..... I would still say foobar with wasapi is better than XBMC with wasipi ...

Even I second that I use the optical out of my music-pc running Foobar2000 with Wasapi plugin and sound of flac songs is unbelievable. I use XBMC for movies/jukebox.

Thanks

 

[technobhatt]

I have recently started using FIIO E17 for Headphone purpose and it really made difference in my listening ! Specially when we override the default gain to +6db in FIIO settings.

When we connect FIIO to PC, it automatically installs the drivers and shows "SPDIF FIIO E17" in your audio device listing.
As I have WASAPI installed with Foobar; there are 2 options in Foobar output settings after connecting FIIO USB DAC:-
- SPDIF FIIO E17
- WASAPI: SPDIF FIIO E17

You choose anything between above two and that's how it should work with any USB DAC !
And it won't override with any other player's settings until you choose FIIO as default Audio Device.

 

[haisaikat]

Manni, If you want to control foobar on TV screen and listen to audio at the same time then it may be difficult, otherwise if you do not want to control foobar by looking at the TV while payback then your problem is addressable. I opted for two logins for convenience where individual items (XBMC / Foobar) open as shell and I would not have to use keyboard to brings a specific windo in focus if in case the foobar loses focus.

The problem with the first approach (video on HDMI and Audio over ODAC simultaneously) will be your AVR. This is because in AVR if you are getting video via HDMI it will not accept audio from ODAC as it is analog input (CD / DVD inputs). And at the same time my Denon AVR did not allow mixing a Digital Video Input (HDMI) with Analogue Audio input. So you would end up controlling foobar (Select song, etc) using TV / HDMI first and switching to Analogue input on AVR where video on TV will be cut off. One solution would be use HDMI splitter to connect TV and AVR simultaneously to HTPC output.

Btw, good that you are getting ODAC, it is a good buy.

 

[manniraj]

Manni, If you want to control foobar on TV screen and listen to audio at the same time then it may be difficult, otherwise if you do not want to control foobar by looking at the TV while payback then your problem is addressable. I opted for two logins for convenience where individual items (XBMC / Foobar) open as shell and I would not have to use keyboard to brings a specific windo in focus if in case the foobar loses focus.

The problem with the first approach (video on HDMI and Audio over ODAC simultaneously) will be your AVR. This is because in AVR if you are getting video via HDMI it will not accept audio from ODAC as it is analog input (CD / DVD inputs). And at the same time my Denon AVR did not allow mixing a Digital Video Input (HDMI) with Analogue Audio input. So you would end up controlling foobar (Select song, etc) using TV / HDMI first and switching to Analogue input on AVR where video on TV will be cut off. One solution would be use HDMI splitter to connect TV and AVR simultaneously to HTPC output.

Btw, good that you are getting ODAC, it is a good buy.

Hi Haisaiket...
Good to see your inputs, but what I am planning to do is similar to what Sam9 has done. Use XBMC as the front-end/jukebox which I use currently but I load MPC-HC for movie playback. I can do the same change of the script to load Foobar2000 for music playback from XBMC. I have the funbook tablet where I have installed the XBMC and Foobar2000 controller, so I do not have to keep my TV on for music playback. Once XBMC loads the Foobar2000 I open the Foobar controller on my tablet and listen to the music and If at all I want to see the movie I just logout of the foobar controller and login to the XBMC remote for andriod and play the movie.

Thanks

 

[sam9s]

Sorry sam9..

Actually I did not forget but I presumed that you didnt have this setup. Otherwise you have been great help in this forum especially to me for any kind of clarification/issue.

So great to know that you do have this kind of setup (my life becomes easier), by the way how do you like the FiiO sound. I was thinking of getting the ODAC. Also can you elaborate when you say that I do not make any output as the default sound output. Do you mean to say that you do not do it in XMBC & Foobar or in the windows sound output.

Thanks

Its ok ... I did mentioned that in my HTPC thread, but I guess it been running for so many pages you got to miss out few things ......

FiiO in my openion is the best USB DAC given the price point, the price is important, for 3500, I dont think you can get anything better.

But I might not be the correct person to actually provide a comparison as I have never owned a DAC, (this is my first) so in that department other experts might have to chip in.

By default sound out put I mean in windows. Where you can see what all sound devices you have installed on you windows machine.

regards
Sammy

 

[manniraj]

Hi sammy

Which FiiO model do you own and how do you connect it from the PC to the receiver? May be I will do a comparison with ODAC as I am planning to get the ODAC PCB board and then make a small case with the RCA jacks which I want to connect the RCA interconnect cable to my yamaha 571 receiver as analog inputs.

Thanks

 

[sam9s]

^^ I have FiiO E10 and I connect it to my AVR via the usual analogue stereo cable. You can also connect it using the Coaxial cable,but I wanted to remain analogue plus whats the point of have a separate DAC if you opt for a digital out ....... so went for a quality stereo cable

 

[manniraj]

^^ I have FiiO E10 and I connect it to my AVR via the usual analogue stereo cable. You can also connect it using the Coaxial cable,but I wanted to remain analogue plus whats the point of have a separate DAC if you opt for a digital out ....... so went for a quality stereo cable

But looking at the reviews/pictures I think FiiO has Coaxial out and Headphones out. So you have used the headphones out with RCA and connected to the receiver. Am I correct?

 

[sam9s]

^^ Nooo it has a line out as well, thats what I use ....

FIIO-Speaker

click on Gallery...

 

[manniraj]

^^ Nooo it has a line out as well, thats what I use ....

FIIO-Speaker

click on Gallery...

Yes got it but what kind of a cable does this Line Out support for RCA. I was in the impression that Line Out will be 2 RCA jacks (Red/White) for connecting to the 2RCA of the receiver. This is something different which I had not seen earlier.

Thanks

 

[gaurav_s]

manniraj,
Slightly off-topic, but why dont you want to use the internal DAC provided by Yamaha RXV-571 ?
Asking as i havent used dedicated DAC's, and wondering if the internal RXV-57 's "Burr-Brown 192 kHz/24-bit DACs for all channels" is not good enough?

Gaurav