Now, if anyone can find a way of downgrading the firmware to one that allows 176K/24 bit from coaxial, this player will get very popular very quickly.
I'm not sure how you have your system setup but I get bass below my crossover setting with stereo, 3 channel and 4 channel recordings. It doesn't matter if there is surround or subwoofer content. The bass below my 80 Hz crossover is not lost at all. It's found it's way to my subs just fine .
The OPPOs bass management is a setting for PCM 5.1 multi-channel output, so if you feed it a multi-channel disc with less than 5.1 it only outputs channels received. Each of those channels can be set to small or large. Channels set to small will crossover at the point you set, like 60 Hz. and bass in those channels from the SACD below crossover point will be not be sent to those speakers. Speakers set to large will receive all bass. If you are getting bass to the sub when there is no.1 then it's via the DSP from the preamp extracting it from each channel from crossover point set, or if the preamp is connected to an active sub it could be extracting bass from the mains.
I suspect your OPPO is connected to your preamp whereby the preamp's LFE processing is outputting bass to the sub at the crossover point it has been set to for incoming channels. LFE processing is also the way stereo input to the preamp produces sub channel output for frequencies below crossover point.
Why does it matter if the SACD is 3.0, 4.0 or 5.0? I wouldn't think the 205's bass management would treat either any differently. If the 205 outputs three or five main channels why wouldn't bass management handle both the same?
It does treat each channel the same whereby each channel can be set for level, speaker size, and distance but unless the SACD has a .1 channel there is no bass going to your sub. With no .1 from the SACD the selected crossover point will determine what frequencies of low level bass are produced by live channels when set to small. Also, remember the OPPOs bass management only operates on 5.1 analog multi-channel setting, not stereo or HDMI and it only operates when OPPO is set to convert DSD to PCM. Once again if you are using the OPPOs bass management feature,which is there to accomodate analog multi-channel preamp users, and sending output to a LFE processing preamp, the preamp's LFE DSP will process the input and it will extract bass from the mains and other live channels at whatever crossover point the DSP has been set to for those channels, directing the low frequencies to the sub channel. That is why you are getting subwoofer output even from 3 channel, 4 channel or 5 channel SACDs. It's also how you get subwoofer output from stereo SACDs. Since my analog multi-channel preamp has no LFE processing I have no sub output unless the .1 channel is active.
Let me make it a bit clearer. .......................so if you feed it a multi-channel disc with less than 5.1, it outputs 5.1 channels but with signals only on the channels that it receives from the disc. Again: ...................only operates on 5.1 analog multi-channel setting, not stereo, and it only operates when OPPO is set to convert DSD to PCM. That includes the analog and the HDMI outputs.
Do you have your 205 set to DSD or PCM for multichannel SACDs? I've had the 5.1 analog output of my 205 connected to the XMC-1 in the past. With that there was output from my subs on 3.0, 4.0 and 5.0 SACDs when the 205 is set to PCM. With the XMC-1 when the 5.1 analog input is used there is no DSP processing. The 205's bass management handles the processing. Again I really don't know how you have your 205 setup.
I use a Topping D30 D/A converter with my X-800, the D30 is so minimalistic that it has no display or any other way to indicate incoming sample rate. Reading all your posts I disconected the digital coaxial output from the Topping D30 D/A converter and connected it to one of the digital coaxial inputs on my Pioneer SC LX-76 A/V receiver and I have to swallow my words: the Sony UBP X-800 is now converting SACD's to 44.1 Khz, it didn't before it's previous firmware update, I checked with single layer (Boston S/T SACD) and SHM-SACD which are single layer only,no red book layer, and before this last "update" it output 176.4/24 while playing SACD's/DSD files. I guess the X-800 can not be downgraded to its previous firmware. If you look at it from a certain perspective we are being ripped off as we bought a product that did this, that and those other things and all of a sudden either the this, the that or one of those other things is removed. Figure out that you buy a car with top of the line tyres and after some time you get up in the morning and discover that those top of the line tyres are gone and standard ones are on their place and you find out that the car maker and seller have decided to "update" your care with those inferior tyres. I think both cases are more or less the same, a rip off. I bought "this" and I want to keep "this" as is working as it did the first day that I bought it,till the end of its working life. We should complain to Sony.
When did this firmware occur and why? My X800 has been boxed up ever since I bought a X1000ES which was about a month later so my X800 may not have this "upgrade".
Be careful what you wish for. In many respects, you are fortunate to have even the 44.1//16 bit output as the default behaviour of SACD players is to completely mute the digital out when playing an SACD, and if Sony felt so inclined they could impose that with the next firmware update! Realistically, this wasn’t an advertised feature they have arbitrarily removed but a mistake on their part.
Nobody has posted firmware release numbers so what I have posted remains speculation. However, I wouldn’t expect firmware release notes to mention the specific issue of digital output during SACD playback as it isn’t something players are really meant to do at all.
Yeah, I may return mine, it's basically just a CD transport now in my 2 channel system without the high bitrate SACD conversion. For a few hundred more, I could get a Cambridge Audio CXC which I'm sure is the better CD transport. Unless I go the de~embedder route... Any advice from you guys that have tried these? Thanks
Sony SupportUBP-X800 Firmware update version M36.R.0239 for UBP-X800/UBP-UX80 Improves HDMI connection stability Applicable Models This information is for the following models: UBP-X800 UBP-UX80 IMPORTANT: This file is only for use with the models identified. Not all models are sold in all countries. About this download Benefits and improvements from the latest update Improves HDMI connection stability Previous Benefits and Improvements Enables HDR10 for Prime Video content Solves playback issue for specific Blu-ray titles Extends Ultra HD Blu-ray compatibility (Japan and North America) Improves the stability of network service Solves possible disc playback issues Improved intense color quality on HDR Content playback Improved compatibility with OLED TVs from other brands Supports additional network services (YouTube, Spotify Connect) Extends 4K UHD content availability on some TVs UI (background) has been changed Supports some network services File Info File Name Firmware update version M36.R.0239 for UBP-X800/UBP-UX80 File Version M36.R.0239 File Size 152 MB (160,318,915 byte) Release Date 10-16-2018
Well, apparently, the Sony is allowing the S/PDIF connection to output single layer SACDs at CD quality. So it is providing a means to enjoy those SACDs without needing an HDMI or analog connection to preamp. Is that right?
Yes, but with an HDMI de~embedder, I think(?) I can get the full signal. This should be fairly simple with the audio only hdmi output on the Sony. Waiting to hear from people who've tried it
I just ordered a de~embedder from Amazon, should have it Wednesday. I'll report back once I have it hooked up and I goof around with it a little bit
