Hi Bebop86,

I assume you don't have Modified Oppo with SPDIF outputs, so I guess you're connected to your 861 via 6 analogue feeds into a IA45 card.

To get hi-Res Digital audio into your 861 you either need to get a Modified Oppo or a Meridian HD621. My view (& others on here) is that HD621 is the way to go. It gives you 6 HDMI inputs, to strip out the audio and feed it in to your 861 via 3*SPDIF SmartLink connection. Also the HD621 will upsample and apodise standard res audio from HDMI sources

Meridian are not offering these new Hi-res codecs in any of their processors, as their philosophy (and Bluray Consortium) is to decode in the player and output multi-channel LPCM via HDMI into the HD621.

As for the new 861v6; as you have a 7.1 system, having a HD621 + 861v6 would give you 8 channel discrete inputs. However, like all of us who might upgrade / trade-in you need to audition it and let your own ears decide.

Hope this helps,
Regards,
Carl

861v6+ID40, HD621, 8000.2, 7200HC, 7200.2, SKYQ Silver, PS3, PDP-LX6090, QNAP TS870-Pro (8*6TB), Roon, iPadAir2.
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