[ecopsorn]

Hi all
It's been a while since I posted in these forums. My trusty HTPC build has been running for over 10 years now (see signature). Unfortunately however, it's come to an end. I get random bluscreens. In addition, the Intel GPU doesn't support 4k, but I updated my whole setup and would like to be able to get 4k Kodi running.
I come to these forums because of a hardware advice to replace my current HTPC as well as general advice for my system. I'm sure there are plenty of people that might have ran into similar use cases.

Current Setup:

• Samsung QE77S90C TV
  
• Denon X4800H
  
• Apple TV 4k
  
• PS5
  
• Slowly dying old HTPC to be replaced
  

Goals:

• I want to replace my HTPC with either an upgraded HTPC or an nvidia shield TV pro (depending on the further goals below)
  
• I want to be able to watch 4k content in Kodi
  
• Now comes the kicker: I want to be able to listen to Dolby Atmos with the Audeze Maxwell when I watch Netflix with those headphones (haven't bought them yet)
  

Things I already checked:

• The Denon is not capable to output Dolby Atmos through the headphone jack and also not through Blutooth, only Stereo is possible
  
• Not possible to connect the Audeze Maxwell to the Samsung directly, same restriction as with the Denon, Blutooth cannot output Dolby Atmos
  
• Cannot connect the headphones to the Apple TV directly, same story.
  
• Wouldn't be able to connect to Nvidia shield pro either, same story with blutooth
  

Question/Solution?
So, since the Audeze Maxwell X-Box variant would work with Dolby Atmos on a PC, I was wondering whether it is smarter to NOT buy a nvidia shield pro, but to build a new HTPC? Would I than be able to pull it off getting Dolby Atmos through the HTPC? Likely this will also only be possible with a wired connection, right?

I hope somebody had a similar undertaking and can provide some guidance if my use case can be achieved somehow.
Let me know if you need more details

[noggin]

Hi all
It's been a while since I posted in these forums. My trusty HTPC build has been running for over 10 years now (see signature). Unfortunately however, it's come to an end. I get random bluscreens. In addition, the Intel GPU doesn't support 4k, but I updated my whole setup and would like to be able to get 4k Kodi running.
I come to these forums because of a hardware advice to replace my current HTPC as well as general advice for my system. I'm sure there are plenty of people that might have ran into similar use cases.

Current Setup:

• Samsung QE77S90C TV
  
• Denon X4800H
  
• Apple TV 4k
  
• PS5
  
• Slowly dying old HTPC to be replaced
  

Goals:

• I want to replace my HTPC with either an upgraded HTPC or an nvidia shield TV pro (depending on the further goals below)
  
• I want to be able to watch 4k content in Kodi
  
• Now comes the kicker: I want to be able to listen to Dolby Atmos with the Audeze Maxwell when I watch Netflix with those headphones (haven't bought them yet)
  

Things I already checked:

• The Denon is not capable to output Dolby Atmos through the headphone jack and also not through Blutooth, only Stereo is possible
  
• Not possible to connect the Audeze Maxwell to the Samsung directly, same restriction as with the Denon, Blutooth cannot output Dolby Atmos
  
• Cannot connect the headphones to the Apple TV directly, same story.
  
• Wouldn't be able to connect to Nvidia shield pro either, same story with blutooth
  

Question/Solution?
So, since the Audeze Maxwell X-Box variant would work with Dolby Atmos on a PC, I was wondering whether it is smarter to NOT buy a nvidia shield pro, but to build a new HTPC? Would I than be able to pull it off getting Dolby Atmos through the HTPC? Likely this will also only be possible with a wired connection, right?

I hope somebody had a similar undertaking and can provide some guidance if my use case can be achieved somehow.
Let me know if you need more details

The Audeze Maxwell looks to be very specific to games consoles - have you thought about running Kodi on an Xbox?  I don't know if that will work.

[ecopsorn]

The Audeze Maxwell looks to be very specific to games consoles - have you thought about running Kodi on an Xbox?  I don't know if that will work.

I don’t have an Xbox. My HTPC is old, so I gotta replace it with some new hardware, really haven’t thought about Xbox for that use case, is this possible like on an nvidia shield? Researching new Kodi hardware never took me down the Xbox path yet gotta check

[ecopsorn]

so Xbox apparently is not really good for running Kodi, besides I never considered getting an Xbox in the first place.

I’m sticking to Airpods 2 for Netflix on my Apple tv.
For Kodi, I’m still struggling between a new HTPC and a shield pro. I read that the Audeze Ps5 version works fine with PC and an Atmos licence can be used on multiple PCs.
seems the only option for Atmos

[noggin]

so Xbox apparently is not really good for running Kodi, besides I never considered getting an Xbox in the first place.

I’m sticking to Airpods 2 for Netflix on my Apple tv.
For Kodi, I’m still struggling between a new HTPC and a shield pro. I read that the Audeze Ps5 version works fine with PC and an Atmos licence can be used on multiple PCs.
seems the only option for Atmos

Yes - Atmos on headphones is a very niche area - as it requires the player to decode the Dolby Atmos audio (True HD or DD+ with Atmos extensions) and render the audio objects / stems / beds in the Atmos streams with processing that implements the psycho-acoustic stuff that makes headphones with two speakers fool you into thinking stuff is around you (by simulating the way your ears and brain 'hear' directionally). (I'm assuming these are still stereo-connected headphones ?)

That's not mainstream media player territory (things like the Shield TV won't handle it - unless there was some kind of Android app or support for Atmos on those headphones) - so you either need something that handles it at an OS level or that can have drivers installed that do?  HTPC running Windows is likely to be your only option for such a narrow requirement.

[ecopsorn]

yes, absolutely. I ruled out every alternative. A new windows HTPC is the only option, but the benefit/cost ratio is just not there for me as my initial use case changed a bit.

I realized that I can make use of Atmos with my Apple TV 4k and Airpods Pro 2, so the Netflix/Atmos/Headphone use case is solved

The Audeze Maxwell still serves the purpose of a gaming headset for my gaming PC and PS5.

If I want to watch a movie on Kodi, I’d just stick to Stereo for now.


All in all, just for the purpose of Kodi playing my NAS movie library, I really have to think about just getting the shield and be done with it. My PC building enthusiast mindset hasn’t allowed it yet though lol.

I was so happy with my HTPC and Flirc setup, maybe I just replace the Mobo/CPU

[rebootedman]

I thought the nvidia shield 2019 supported Dolby Atmos, even through Kodi?

If I play a video with Atmos sound track it works on any hps, but if I switch to another track say Ac3 or something similar it wont work.

I always thought it was working (atmos) on shield pro but guess could be wrong.

Yes the atmos addon works with audeze maxwell via windows 11 pc, as long as you select dolby atmos under sound settings.

Audeze maxwell 2.4ghz dongle has superior sound quality then BT (high res) and lower latency for better lip sync performance. It does work on the Nvidia shield pro via the usb port and adjusting the shields sound settings to the maxwell dongle and it works well enough but the detection can be glitchy sometimes requires a reboot if no sound is detected.

I find it very hard to get something that works well with wireless hps, only the artic Pro wireless or novas seem to work best due to that break out box with nvidia shield pro. I think it does need android 14 to work better and more reliable. 

Its why I was looking at the google 4k streamer since it has android 14, or better building a kodi box with coreelec but not had enough time to test a kodi/HTPC, id imagine it should be much faster and more reliable with any BT dongle though. Might work better with dolby atmos and windows with dolby atmos configured though.

[ecopsorn]

very interesting, thanks for the reply.
Please keep me updated in case you decide to go ahead with another box.

If you can really just plugin the dongle to the shield with some occasional restarts, that would do it for me I guess. 10 years ago, there was only the solution to build your own HTPC, the new “cheap” streaming boxes makes you think where to run Kodi though.

Having Kodi on the Apple TV would be the best, but I read that’s not an easy undertaking and requires a mac and xcode, I don’t have that.