Amp board with HDMI ARC

Status
This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.
Saw an old thread on here that didn't seem to go anywhere, hoping now a few years later there's an option.

I'd like to build a 2.1 soundbar with internal amps/power to keep my setup clean like it is now (older Sony soundbar).

I see a lot of plate amp, and amp boards for sale but not sure how they'd work for volume control, unless maybe using the headphone out jack on the tv?

Can you get an amp board/plate with hdmi/arc? Or do I need to go online and buy a cheap used soundbar and gut it for the electronics and I guess replace the crossovers (if separate).
 
At the moment I am following exactly the same plan and I am also looking for a small amplifier board (Class-D China board) with HDMI-Arc input. Are there any ready-made HDMI-Arc modules that can be combined with an amplifier? Unfortunately I could not find anything on the internet.
 
I need to go online and buy a cheap used soundbar
Bear in mind many of those boards are digital only. No analog connecting class D amps.
DSP is usually built into the decoder chip. Even if You find out which one is used You have to find a way to "talk" to it. You could try to find some commercial schematics to determine which one to choose.
 
Are there any ready-made HDMI-Arc modules that can be combined with an amplifier? Unfortunately I could not find anything on the internet.
Yes, there are many modules - but they are known by a different name - HDMI audio extractor or just HDMI extractor - that's probably why you could not find them. Here are 2 examples -
4K 60Hz HDMI to HDMI Extractor Converter Optical TOSLINK SPDIF + 3.5mm Audio RCA | eBay
HDMI to HDMI with Audio Extractor and Optical Toslink Coaxial SPDIF + 3.5mm | eBay

But as you have already discovered, there's very little mention of "HDMI" on this forum, because this forum has a high-fidelity leaning, and HDMI is a technically awful digital interface for audio (for video it's fine). OK, you might not want "high-fidelity" for TV listening, but if there's a better interface method other than the high-jitter HDMI interface, you should certainly use it - and all TV's that I know of have optical s/pdif output (as Khron said) - so use it! You just want 2.1 stereo, right?
So then you need a DAC and a 2.1 amplifier. On AliExpress there's a well-regarded 2.1 amplifier board with dual TPA3116 (class D) chips -
2*50W+100W TPA3116 Bluetooth HIFI Power Subwoofer Amplifier Board 2.1 Channel TPA3116D2 Audio Stereo equalizer Amp|Amplifier| - AliExpress

For a DIY DAC you might consider a DAC board from iancanda, or Khadas.
Or for a fully boxed commercial DAC you could consider SMSL Sanskrit 10th, or Topping D10s ...

but wait, since your input will be digital (optical s/pdif) you can consder a full digital amplifier which will avoid the need for a DAC, and save you space and money. A good 2.1 digital amplifier chip is the STA350B, and there's a board available with optical s/pdif here -
AIYIMA STA350 Digital Power Amplifier Board Audio Amplificador Coaxial Fiber USB Input PCM2704 Decoding Support 2.1 / 2.0 Mode|Amplifier| - AliExpress
I think that's a great option for your situation, and it's probably the same amplifier chip that is built into many commercial soundbars.
 
Thank you very much for the many helpful and very detailed comments. I had already thought about a solution via SPDIF. However, there is one point for me in the front line. And that is the practicability!

The volume control via TV remote control and the automatic switching on and off of the soundbar by the TV are the features I like about HDMI arc.

Directly adjacent to the TV is my DIY equipment including DAC, tube preamplifier, transistor amplifier and speakers without any WAF compromise.

For the TV, however, I am looking for a more practical solution with as few devices and remote controls as possible in use.

The new TV is coming next week. I will test the solution via SPDIF with the existing equipment. If I can control the volume via TV remote control, I will consider moving my lazy back to turn the soundbar on and off manually. :D
 
I will test the solution via SPDIF with the existing equipment. If I can control the volume via TV remote control ...
I don't think this will be possible - TV s/pdif output is usually the unaltered digital audio signal from the tuner. Of course you could use the remote control of your amplifier, if it has one, or the remote volume control of your DAC, if it has one. And this would mean dealing with 2 remote controls - but that's exactly how I set up a TV sound system for my parents, and they seem perfectly happy.

But if you really want to use HDMI-ARC then the HDMI extractors that I listed can certainly be used. Don't expect the D/A conversion of those units to be very good - there's only so much you can do at a price-point of $20, with a jittery HDMI digital signal as source.

And regarding the second part of my earlier post, about a 2.1 amplifier, I hope that forum member THRobinson is busy right now ordering a STA350B amplifier board!
 
The new TV will most likely have at least one USB socket, right? What about a 5V-coil relay switching the soundbar power on and off? This IS supposed to be DIYaudio... :D

I have a similar setup controlling the AC input to the power supply for my DIY "Ambilight".

The new TV is coming next week. I will test the solution via SPDIF with the existing equipment. If I can control the volume via TV remote control, I will consider moving my lazy back to turn the soundbar on and off manually. :D
 
Status
This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.