MCH via HDMI works for sure with A6 as I am using that daily. A main reason for me to ignore that A8. No for A8 it was never mentioned. I saw a specification line with the Output ports for the A10 including a HDMI Audio port, but that is not an official announcement nor a real proof via a picture of its back As-is it is the biggest still unknown for sure for the A10. Atmos support the second and depending on that first.
Maybe I’m misinterpreting your post but my DMP-A6 plays multichannel (5.1 and 4.0) files via the HDMI output. Those files are not downsampled to stereo.
That's not what I meant. I meant that "being compatible with multi-ch files doesn't necessarily imply the ability to output them as multi-ch". DMP-A6 will play both but if you throw a multi-ch file when a stereo output is configured, it will down-mix to stereo. DMP-A6 just also have the option to send 5.1 over HDMI. I'd love the DMP-A10 to get back there but, the likely steep price increase and the really bad level of basic customer support will probably keep me away from EverSolo for a while.
Unfortunately the touch screen is still the same in A10. The others such as Aurender and AURALiC, have larger touch screen.
Yes, of course, what else could it possibly do? Which covers the vast majority of multi-ch music. Atmos would, of course, be appreciated.
But that wouldn't apply to the DMP-A6 as it does output multichannel files as multichannel. That's kind of obvious wouldn't you think? Any universal player I've owned with the output set to stereo will play multichannel DVD-As and SACDs in stereo. Well aware of that as I've been playing multichannel files since the DMP-A6 has been in my system.
I can't really comment about Aurender, because just some of their models are provided with a nominally larger display but with a different form factor (wider but shorter), so I'm not sure what can be considered objectively or subjectively preferable, but as far as I can recall the entire Auralic lineup, even the more expensive models, adopt a smaller (4" vs. 6") and non touch screen display. Great machines but if there is something to complain about is in fact the display. The only models clearly superior to the Eversolo are the ones from HiFi Rose, but all the above brands and models are generally much more expensive offerings so not to bad even if the A10 will be confirmed with the standard display. I suspect that the A10 will be last one in the streamer+DAC lineup to share the current basic design and if we would ever see a larger/better display it will be in the completely new streamer only models to come.
Doing 5.1 over HDMI works fine even in DSD5.1 what do you want more? Atmos is a problem, in fact there isn't any formal container for Atmos Audio only yet. Video containers with Atmos do work on the Zidoo 8K models but using the Video APP. I am confident this will be solved.
There are several formats that work with music-only Atmos (.mka, .m4a, .thd) just like there are several formats for 2 channel music-only pcm (.wav, .flac, .ape, .pcm). Atmos is NOT a problem. The will to do it, is.
No chance with me for any music player not doing also MCH. It is getting momentum again but I am a long term user playing those in all available formats.
I agree 100%. Having multichannel capability was one of the features that led me to buy the DMP-A6. I thought the DMP-A8 should have had it as well. Hopefully the DMP-A10 will have multichannel capability.
Yes, if it doesn't at least do Atmos passthrough via HDMI, then in my opinion its an instant non-starter. Its the one modern day feature they seemingly keep refusing to add. There is a lot of Atmos available on Amazon Music.
I apologize if i misunderstood. Your post said, "The only models clearly superior to the Eversolo are the ones from HiFi Rose," That is what i was replying to.
That's NOT true. You can configure e.g. the RS250 so, that HDMI out acts as bypass (like all the video players) for video and audio. But this isn't a replacement for the HDMI audio out in the DMP-A6. By the way: I don't expect, that the HDMI audio out in the DMP-A10 will be different to the DMP-A6's one.
Again, my point is not what the A6 can and can't do. This is about the A10. The wording on the A10 material so far is not clear. Being "compatible with multi-ch files" does not automatically imply an HDMI out multi-ch. If I had to guess what the market expects, it would be HDMI I2S and HDMI ARC, but not a 3rd HDMI multi-ch. If there's only one HDMI output as some forums describe it, it will probably be I2S (and thus stereo/down-mixed).
