Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Systems Feintech VAX01202 + HD621 as a substitute of the UHD722

Hi guys,

I wanted to share with you my latest experience with a small gizmo called Feintech VAX01202 HDMI splitter/extractor which solved few issues with 4K loseless files. More about the device here:

https://feintech.eu/en/collections/audio/products/vax01202-hdmi-earc-audio-extractor-splitter

My 861v6 and HD621 struggled with this kind of files, any 4k movie with Dolby True HD/Atmos or DTS-MA caused sound drops sooner or later. This was probably causes by to large amount of data the HD621 received. I tried different tricks, different cables, diffferent configurations, different sources - sound drops by 4k files never gone. This was so annying that I even bought a different HT processor and planed to get rid of the Meridian.
One day I bumped into an older post from Domin who mentioned this splitter in few words but it seems like nobody really showed any interest in this small device.
Long story short, few days ago I've found a used on for 15 euro and decided to give it a chance. And, for the first time I don't hear any sound drops at all.

Here's how my system is configured at the moment:

HTPC HDMI 1 output ---> Feintech audio out2 output ---> HD621 ---> 861v6.
HTPC HDMI 2 output ---> Projector

I played all kind of 4k movies which previously ALWAYS caused sound drops, it seems the problem gone. I think it's great news as this combo (feintech and HD621) basically does the same job as the UHD722 but for way less money. It gives our older units like 568.2mm, G68 and 861 a second life. At least IMHO.

Have a nice weekend

The HD621 was never designed to work with 4k content. Comparing your widget to a UHD722 is apples to oranges. I can say that there is no way the widget will sound better than the UHD722.

Whilst the UHD722 was designed for a 4K signal....

Are you saying that you pass a 4K signal into an HD621 and it actually passes the video correctly but you were getting drop outs in the audio?

And by putting this device between the source and the HD621 it still it passes the 4K picture correctly and does NOT drop out the audio?

If so, would you need one of these per 4k source then?

Or does this only work for you because you have two HDMI port outputting the same signal and you use one for video and one for audio?

/Marcus

I can also confirm this product works with the HD621, but does not give MHR between the HD621 and processor used. (when using an lpcm stream)
The HD fury Vertex2 for example does give MHR, I think video with proper DHCP locking has to be included in the product, to give a full MHR signal.

After looking to the picture, it has a HDMI audio out so the HD621 isn't bothered/overloaded with decoding and separating the 4k vid?

I saw this mentioned in the specs....

+Audio formats for HDMI ARC: Dolby Digital Plus (incl. Atmos), AC3 (Dolby Digital 5.1), DTS, LPCM 2.0
+Additional audio formats for eARC: DTS-HD, Dolby True-HD (incl. Atmos), DTS-ES 6.1, DTS-HD, DTS:X, LPCM 5.1 - 7.1, Dolby MAT

Are you using it with arc or earc? The feintech does something to the handshake. Telling the source to put out dts / dd with Arc.
Is the source set to deliver lpcm or bitstream by HDMI?

I use Potplayer with LavFilter set up to LPCM, exactly the same as for the HD621. I will try to feed it with bitstream signal to see how it behaves but I'm guessing it doesn't convert bitstream to LPCM.
It's indeed "castrating" the signal delivered to the HD621, that's probably the reason my unit doesn't have drop outs anymore.

HD621 is not able to pass 4k picture through, only 1080p. Otherwise you're right, I have 2 x HDMI cloned output, I always used the first HDMI output of my GPU to pass the picture to my projector and the second HDMI output to the HD621. In this scenario (without this small splitter) 4k files always had sound drop outs.
I

Does the UHD722 sounds better than the HD621?

Because this Feintech device has only one function here : receive video + LPCM audio (or Dolby Digital/Dts depending of PC configuration) from HTPC and separate audio signal from the video signal.

- Screen receives the 4k signal.
- HD621 audio signal with blank 1080p image. There is no modification about audio's signal.

There is no MHR because all splitters blow up HDCP.

HdFury is a too big company and have problems with HDMI Alliance about HDCP. So they had to recreate it.
But if you have HDCP's problems, send an mail to HdFury and you will receive a software version to solve the problem.
And you will loose MHR too.

But there is no reason about MHR's system since the players are outputting signals that were previously prohibited on HDMI (like DSD or 24/96).

I originally had the HD621 until 4k became more available and I had the Oppo 203 so I invested in the UHD722. I also had Sky Q which has 4k content. The UHD722v1 was good but it wasn't that compatible with Sky Q so there were annoying oddities in behaviour.

My dealer let me know that the UHD722v2 was about to go EOL so I decided to purchase as it had a new Video board and I hoped my issues with Sky Q would disappear. Indeed the issues have disappeared (still get the odd one but it is easily resolved).

As a bonus the video and audio processing is superior to the UHD722v1 so I'm very pleased I went ahead and of course it delivers MHR to the 861 from the Oppo.

I never considered any other 4k solution as I need an integrated solution that is easy for the family to use. My HT doubles as the main TV room so is frequently used for standard TV, streaming and Bluray playback.

I can't use Atmos from Sky Q but then given my 7.1 config it is of no use anyway.

Bob

I wanted a device that could act as a switcher an a splitter. I also wanted something that could process LLDV for my projector. The Vrooom from HDFury does all 3.
4 inputs and two outputs. So I use a single HDMI input to my HD621 for HDMI Audio, the VRooom sends the image from any of the 4 devices straight to the projector.
It’s pretty technical to set up, but once it’s working, you’re all set. Nice app for changing sources.

The HDFury solutions are pretty good. I don’t have 8k so just a vertex 2 for me. There’s an easy API for both that I use to sync the input selection to the Meridian source via Node-red, and it also works well with Harmony (for now) so it can be pretty much as seamless as an HD722. Before that I used a couple of the old-style splitters, which worked well but ran hot.

The bonus with the HDfury Vertex 2, is that it gives a full MHR signal to the processor, when connected with the HD621.

This is to my experience not possible with other brand lot of splitters, which also have an HDMI audio output.

MHR should sound a little better than PCM if I am correct.