5.1 decoder

[soundNERD]

Hi,

I currently have a 100Wx2 Kenwood amp powering 2 front and 2 rear speakers. It distorts easily, and goes into protect mode with too much bass. I would like to upgrade to surround sound, and of course build the amp myself. I plan on using 2 sets of 2 lm3886 bridged for the two main channels, and 1 lm3886 for the rear speakers and the center channel. My sub is in progress right now and will use 4 lm3886 in B/P mode to get 300W into a 4-ohm speaker. Now, I need to find a way to decode the surround sound from the red and white analog wires from the dvd player. I would like to use optical or coax connection to make it easier, but all I could find was a 2-channel coax decoder from www.sound.au and was told a few months ago by people on this site that it wouldn't even work for dvds since dvds output digitally in 5.1channel mode, not 2 channel mode.

Is it possible (and simple) to build a decoder? If chips are required, they have to be something I can solder (a DIP would be great). I was going to build the 2 channel one and see how it works, then when the samples arrived, I noticed that they were tiny SIP chips.

Thanks for the help, Mike

[nFORCE]

Dear,

E-mail for details.

nFORCE

50140834@alumni.cityu.edu.hk

[koolscooby]

Yes, Cirrus makes a 5.1 decoder chip, check out the CS492x series chips, i got a sample 492[something], not arrived yet, but i only requested it a week ago, and those things take time.. good luck, and i'd like to know of any progress (thinking of building a digital decoder into my pre-amp, and emulating 2 channel sources into 5.1 etc... :/)

[machinow]

I also wanted to try building a decoder , but isn't it easier to get one from an old receiver??? And do some DAC/ADC/PSU/Clock mods to improve sound//

[koolscooby]

possibly, but when you dont have a old box and you can get free samples from Cirrus, why not at least try?

[koolscooby]

Originally posted by soundNERD
Now, I need to find a way to decode the surround sound from the red and white analog wires from the dvd player. I would like to use optical or coax connection to make it easier, but all I could find was a 2-channel coax decoder from www.sound.au and was told a few months ago by people on this site that it wouldn't even work for dvds since dvds output digitally in 5.1channel mode, not 2 channel mode.

ok.... Red and white wires, referred to RCA, are two channels of audio, red is right [correct me if i'm wrong ], and white is left... you *will* need coax/optical input of sorts... unfortunately i believe the Cirrus chip i'm getting is in a big pain in the a** package , its a sqaure chip, IIRC, i forget the name, is it SSIP? ... i think its 4sidesX10 contacts per each, 40 total pins, not sure though....and i hope its not surface mount or i'll be really bummed... but anyway, www.cirrus.com... good luck! (btw i'll let you guys know when i recieve my chip ) also, dont get scared just because of a surface mount or non-dip chip ... make a simple pcb that has terminals (pin headers) for each pin down along the side if you would like to work on it easier ..., so you never have to remove the chip, and will have the pin header, and you could even get a IDE connector, which is 40 pin, and carry all of the pins from the chip to another board or prototyping station (IE: setup would be, PCB w/ chip attached to a IDE Cable thatp lugs into a prototyping breadboard ... just my suggestion)

[machinow]

Don't want to dissapoin u, but it is Surely SMD - I expect PQFP/TQFP packages. I have no problems soldering down to 0.65mm interlead distance packages, only 0.5mm is a little bit difficult. And you will need a PCB for it, too.
I ordered samples of it, too, and if I have the time and money I can make a PCB for it, and some DAC/ADC's also. Is anybody interested??
Regards

[soundNERD]

Can any of those chips decode from a coax connection so I can get true 5.1 surround?

[soundNERD]

Actually, is it possible to make a surface mount board using a laser printer and photo paper or press n peel. Or would the toner smear together. I would really like to just try building the coax adapter from www.sound.au.com just for the fun of it, but when I got my samples, I noticed that they are surface mount.

[soundNERD]

Now that I looked at my samples of the CS8414 and the CS4334 chips, the pins aren't that close, and if I could use my laser printer and photo paper to make a pcb for it, it should work good. Right?