I’ve been using this 6ch preamp board
To regulate the volume of this 5.1 decoder
because the 5.1 decoder’s output needs pre amplification and the IR is randomly affected by the TV’s remote. I can use the TV’s variable analog output to control volume but of course only with analog input to decoder providing suto surround. Using optical I loose the tv control and as a result use the 6ch preamp for signal magnification and control.
The preamp serves it’s purpose well, no cross IR remote codes causing mischief, volume control, and adequate signal magnification. However it’s seemingly not a very well built unit. The usb-c power input broke off and required soldering and the subwoofer level adjustment jumps all over the place, the potentiometer dial isn’t super accurate as it is. Seller has nearly perfect rating but the repair would take forever and it still might be a fixed troublesome unit.
I’m looking at some other compact 6ch preamps that have a nicer display that better matches the decoders display. The two others I see both have what looks like jst connectors but with a common ground. If I were to give one of these a go, how would I wire it with only one ground spot? I’m really still quite green behind the ears with this end of the hobby and my only idea would be to splice the six outputs grounds into one wire going into that ground location. The reason I bought the original preamp was because the grounds were internally connected with a straightforward connection. I yanked the rca’s and added these phoenix connectors for simple 3 conductor wire connecting between the two boards and amplifiers.
Here’s one I'm looking at
To regulate the volume of this 5.1 decoder
because the 5.1 decoder’s output needs pre amplification and the IR is randomly affected by the TV’s remote. I can use the TV’s variable analog output to control volume but of course only with analog input to decoder providing suto surround. Using optical I loose the tv control and as a result use the 6ch preamp for signal magnification and control.
The preamp serves it’s purpose well, no cross IR remote codes causing mischief, volume control, and adequate signal magnification. However it’s seemingly not a very well built unit. The usb-c power input broke off and required soldering and the subwoofer level adjustment jumps all over the place, the potentiometer dial isn’t super accurate as it is. Seller has nearly perfect rating but the repair would take forever and it still might be a fixed troublesome unit.
I’m looking at some other compact 6ch preamps that have a nicer display that better matches the decoders display. The two others I see both have what looks like jst connectors but with a common ground. If I were to give one of these a go, how would I wire it with only one ground spot? I’m really still quite green behind the ears with this end of the hobby and my only idea would be to splice the six outputs grounds into one wire going into that ground location. The reason I bought the original preamp was because the grounds were internally connected with a straightforward connection. I yanked the rca’s and added these phoenix connectors for simple 3 conductor wire connecting between the two boards and amplifiers.
Here’s one I'm looking at
You might want to check out this thread I did in 2019. I started with your
red board and it worked OK. The M62446 is adequate but not very impressive.
"Mute" will allow some residual audio if it's loud enough. At the time I subbed
an Arduino for the supplied microcontroller. The Arduino listens to the LG
infrared control data. The LG TV does nothing with the audio level control
when it is outputting TOSLINK optical so it doesn't interfere with the Arduino
processing. If you look at the case that amp is in, you'll see I copied the footprint
of the red board so I could simply "drop it in". The other board is a 6 channel
class D amp that does 20 Watts per channel. The smallest board is the Arduino
with the shield that does the 'breakout' from Arduino to the IR receiver, I²C
displays and the shaft encoder for local volume and mute. I included a '3 channel'
mode that takes the L and R channels and sums them for a center channel and
does a low pass filter for the subwoofer and switches to that mode when in simple
stereo. When it detects center channel audio it changes to 5.1 mode. Because
the controls are the same as a plain old TV, the system is active always and
requires no extra remote for 5.1. It just works.
https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/5-1-channel-preamp.342102/
I have a newer board that uses DSP instead of the analog tone controls but in my
laziness it's still "in the works". The DSPs are Analog Devices ADAU1701 chips, still
the same footprint as the red board. It will either do a 6 (or 8) channel 5 band
parametric equalizer or compensate the speakers using REW.
G²
red board and it worked OK. The M62446 is adequate but not very impressive.
"Mute" will allow some residual audio if it's loud enough. At the time I subbed
an Arduino for the supplied microcontroller. The Arduino listens to the LG
infrared control data. The LG TV does nothing with the audio level control
when it is outputting TOSLINK optical so it doesn't interfere with the Arduino
processing. If you look at the case that amp is in, you'll see I copied the footprint
of the red board so I could simply "drop it in". The other board is a 6 channel
class D amp that does 20 Watts per channel. The smallest board is the Arduino
with the shield that does the 'breakout' from Arduino to the IR receiver, I²C
displays and the shaft encoder for local volume and mute. I included a '3 channel'
mode that takes the L and R channels and sums them for a center channel and
does a low pass filter for the subwoofer and switches to that mode when in simple
stereo. When it detects center channel audio it changes to 5.1 mode. Because
the controls are the same as a plain old TV, the system is active always and
requires no extra remote for 5.1. It just works.
https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/5-1-channel-preamp.342102/
I have a newer board that uses DSP instead of the analog tone controls but in my
laziness it's still "in the works". The DSPs are Analog Devices ADAU1701 chips, still
the same footprint as the red board. It will either do a 6 (or 8) channel 5 band
parametric equalizer or compensate the speakers using REW.
G²