Help with new Listening/Entertainment room setup

Hello everyone,

I recently finished my basement and I am setting up my entertainment area with TV/Blu-Ray/Receiver etc.
I want to be able to have my TV and Blu-Ray player hooked up to my amp as well as the ability to stream spotify without having to turn the TV on. My amp only has RCA inputs. My TV only as digital outputs. Right off the bat I need some sort of Toslink to RCA converter, so I'm wondering if I should just go with a cheap converter, or upgrade and buy a DAC. For Spotify I would need some sort of streaming device in order to avoid plugging in my iphone/ipad to my Amp. So it seems like I have a lot of options but need help choosing equipment.

1) Is there a blu-ray player that has a good DAC, allows for play of all discs (BR, CD, DVD etc), has spotify connect so I could just Purchase 1 device?
2) If nothing is recommended above, which music streamer and/or DAC would be recommended?

My budget is under $500 for everything. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

 

You mention "receiver" and then "amp". Which is it and what model(s)?

 

Yeah same thing lol. Its a Cambridge Audio Topaz SR10

 

Ok, you can get a FiiO optical-to-RCA converter on Amazon for $20; that's fine for TV audio.

Blu-ray player (all BR also play DVD and CD) with analog out, Spotify support, and remote app (so you don't have to turn on TV) is tougher. Sony X700 and X800 have Spotify, but only HDMI or coax out; maybe another FiiO would work, but it's unpredictable what if anything comes out of the coax when playing a non-CD source. Sony X1000ES has analog out, but is at the top of your budget. I can't figure out whether the Sony units are controllable via app.

 

I have a Sony UHP-H1 BD player. It is a discontinued model, but only a few years old. I bought it new for $300. You should still be able to find one NOS, open box, or used. This might be what you are looking for.
It plays Blu-Ray, DVD, DVD-A, SACD, CD, CD-R, etc. It has stereo analog RCA outputs as well as HDMI, TosLink, and coax S/PDIF. The built-in DAC outputs native DSD from SACD through the HDMI output, and converts DSD to PCM and/or plays native PCM up to 24/192 through the RCA outputs. S/PDIF output is limited to 24/48 by licensing restrictions.
The built-in WiFi internet tuner includes most major streaming apps, including Spotify. You need a Spotify Premium account to enable this feature. Just connect it to your home WiFi, and you control the app wirelessly with your smartphone or tablet.

 

Thank you both for the replies! I'm gonna look into the FiiO and the Sony UHP-H1! For the Sony, would I be able to hook up both the HDMI and RCA and have the HDMI active with the TV on and RCA active with the TV off?

 

Yes, of course

NOS units are understandably pricey, $450-$500, however:
Here's an ebay seller with good feedback and several used ones for only $72.00 shipped w/30-day returns after evaluation. Extended warranty available for $11/one year or $16/two years (probably a good idea). NO REMOTE INCLUDED
Sony UHP-H1 4K Upscaling 3D Blu-Ray Disc / DVD Player Wi-Fi | eBay

Here's the necessary remote control from another good ebay seller, brand new $43 shipped
NEW SONY ORIGINAL RMT-VB210U RMTVB210U REMOTE CONTROL FOR UHP-H1 UHPH1 | eBay

 

Ok thanks. That seller doesn't ship to Canada but I found another that does. It would cost me just over 200 Canadian with shipping and taxes to get the player and the remote. Not sure if I'm gonna do it but I'll think about it.

Can't I simply get a blu-ray player such as the Sony BDP-S6700 and the FiiO D/A converter listed above and have my TV hooked up via Toslink and the Blu Ray hooked up via coax and just use the switch on the FiiO? I see above that the result can be unpredictable from Non-CD I'm not sure why. Wouldn't the blu-ray player ignore the HDMI if the TV is off and just use the coax?

 

If I were trying this, I'd probably upgrade to a Schiit Modi 2 Uber DAC. It's a little more expensive at $70, but looks nice and easier access to input switch. The reason why it's unpredictable what comes out of the coax on non-CD media is copy-protection. The industry didn't want consumers having access to the "hi-res" bitstream. Some players, like the Sony UHP-H1, address this by downsampling these media to PCM 24/48. It will still sound fine.

Hopefully, someone who has used the Sony BDP-6700 coax output will share their experience. Or, if you have a Best Buy or equivalent nearby you can pick one up, try it at home, and return it if it does not do what you want.

 

Ok thanks for the explanation. I picked up a FiiO as well as a Sony BDP-3700. I'll be testing everything out this week and hopefully it works.

 

The BDP3700 didn’t have Spotify installed and according to Sony there was no way of downloading it. So I ended up ordering the 6700 which should have it included.

So far I’m not happy with the sound. I might try out a DAC. Does anyone have an opinion between the schiit modi or Cambridge audio dacmagic 100?