VanityPRO FAQ

Hello,
This post will hopefully help to answer most frequently asked questions. I am sure there will be more, so we will keep adding the Qs and As in here.

Q: Does Vanity^PRO decode Dolby Atmos?
A: The Vanity^PRO does not have multichannel Dolby decoders. The primary purpose of the Vanity^PRO is bit-transparent LPCM and DSD audio data extraction from the HDMI domain with significant suppression of HDMI audio clock jitter and high quality DSD to PCM conversion. The device has been designed as an audiophile digital audio transport, not to replace an AVR.

Q: Why is the HDMI interface version 2.0 and not 2.1?
A: For HDMI audio transfer the HDMI version is not crucial. Apart from eARC, the extra features in HDMI 2.1 are related to video only. The Vanity^PRO works best with devices featuring dual HDMI output, standard AV and audio-only. For audio-only output HDMI 2.0 is more than sufficient.

Q: Can I connect the Vanity^PRO to my AppleTV?
A: Yes. Any streaming device with a HDMI port can be connected to the Vanity^PRO. The only thing to take care of is correct configuration of the HDMI audio output. It should be set to PCM, not bitstream. For sources capable of SACD/DSD playback, the DSD playback method also needs to be configured correctly.

Q: Are there any multichannel DACs with SPDIF or AES/EBU interface?
A: There certainly are, audiophile as well as professional/studio. Two examples below.

• OKTO DAC8PRO https://www.oktoresearch.com/dac8pro.htm
• RME ADI 8 DS https://www.rme-audio.de/adi-8-ds-mk-iii.html

Multiple units of high quality stereo DACs can be linked together for multichannel operation with common volume control.

Q: What are the word-clock and super-clock outputs for?
A: Some DACs (usually professional/studio ones) can be externally synchronized via word/super clock inputs to overcome clock recovery from SPDIF or AES/EBU streams. This direct clocking usually provides better immunity to data-induced jitter in D-A conversion.

Q: How does the Vanity^PRO handle DSD? Does it convert to PCM or does it output native DSD?
A: Provided the HDMI source is capable of sending raw DSD over HDMI, the Vanity^PRO can handle both scenarios.

• Pack raw DSD into DoP (DSD over PCM) format at 176.4kHz for lossless DSD transfer into any DoP compatible DAC
• Convert DSD to PCM up to 24/176.4 with a set of selectable filters to manage the amount of residual ultrasonic noise.

Q: I am not getting any audio with the “Repeater” HDMI mode of the Vanity^PRO
A: The Repeater mode, as the name suggests, does not extract audio signal and it just repeats the HDMI stream from the input port to the output one. This mode is not intended for standard operation, it is there for EDID debugging purposes when the device’s internal EDID is bypassed.

Q: There are audio dropouts and playback interruptions when I change the input on my screen connected to the Vanity^PRO TX port.
A: Every time the configuration of the HDMI chain changes – a cable is plugged/unplugged or input is selected/deselected the HDMI chain re-initializes with the new configuration – EDID. This takes a second or two during which the HDMI stream in interrupted. This is standard HDMI behaviour.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/08/2022 10:49AM by AP.

Could there be audio / video synchronization problems? Is there a delay adjustment on the vanitypro?

Hi fabry660,
Good question! Allow me to elaborate on the latency added by the Vanity^PRO.

The total added latency of the Vanity^PRO has two parts. The first is the HDMI interface latency, which would be similar to any other HDMI splitter/repeater and is expected to be in the range of 1-3ms. The second part is the audio subsystem latency. For PCM signals this would be around 65 samples which is circa 0.3-1.5ms depending on the sampling rate (48kHz-192kHz). For DSD signals there is an additional 0.2ms delay required for DSD to PCM conversion. The total delay should be below 5ms. This added delay is due to the technologies and algorithms used and it cannot be changed (lowered). On the other hand, it is definitely low enough not to cause any audio/video synchronization (lip sync) issues. Please keep in mind that additional (an much larger) delay can be caused by DA conversion of the digital audio signal.

At the moment, there is no audio delay adjustment in the Vanity^PRO. But, we are optimizing the FPGA code at the moment to free up some resources and add more functionality in the future via firmware updates. It seems to be possible to implement per-channel delay line to adjust delay of all the channels individually and independently for speaker placement compensation. We will provide more details when the new firmware is ready to be released.

Best Regards,
Pavel

Hi, can the Vanity Pro. Out put Raw DSD (DSF, DFF) stereo or multi Ch. from (Oppo 203) out of the Vanity Pro's HDMI outputs??
no conversions and no dop no down sampling. (Only native out)

thanks a bunch

Hi yuryzorin2,
Thank you for your question. To be honest, I am not sure if I understand correctly. The HDMI output of the Vanity^PRO is just a video pass-through, the audio has been stripped down to be processed in the DSP section of the unit. If you are asking about raw and native DSD output, but no DoP, the only alternative that comes to my mind is SDIF-2 or SDIF-3 interface which then has nothing to do with HDMI. Can you please clarify your question?
Best regards,
Pavel

What are the differences between the vanity for oppo and this hdmi product?

Hi fabry660,
apart from the obvious things such as the Vanity^PRO being a stand alone product with HDMI input and different output options, there are a few less obvious differences. First, being an external product, it is not restricted by the quality of OPPO's internal power supply. There is also the dielectric barrier to isolate the noisy environment of the OPPO player. The signal processing flow of the Vanity^PRO is similar to the VanityHD cards for the OPPO players, but it has been optimized to make room for new functionality coming soon via software updates. So, all and all the ^VanityPRO is much more universal product with eventually more features for multichannel audio, but if you still have an OPPO player with the VanityHD card there are a few less reasons to upgrade.
Regards,
Pavel

I am currently using a Lynx AES16e PC card for multi-channel digital out into 3 external dacs. This approach is limited to XLR connections, and I'd like to use BNC. Switching to your product would allow me to use BNC connections. I use Dirac live in my HTPC. I would like to output multi-channel LPCM after it has been processed with Dirac over HDMI into your device. Does hte device have any issues interacing with a PC?

I am currently using a Berkeley Alpha USB as well. The Lynx AES16e does not provide the sound quality of the Berkeley convertor. I would hope your device would be better than the Lynx for jitter.

Hi Karl,
Thank you for your question. I think you can easily see the Vanity^PRO as a high quality multichannel PC Audio interface. We have tested it with multiple PCs, desktops as well as laptops with mostly good results. But, to be completely honest, sometimes we experienced issues with the Windows HDMI Audio drivers. For instance, the sampling rate was limited to 48kHz only, in some other cases multiples of 48kHz (up to 192kHz), channel count limited to stereo only and similar things. There was no general rule that AMD was good and NVidia bad or the other way around. In general, branded computers such as Dell were usually OK out of the box, some other computers needed experimenting with different driver versions, etc. We would be certainly grateful for more feedback from the field with different HDMI devices and configurations.
I would suggest to contact the distributor to arrange a demo so you can try it with your system and make sure it will work to your complete satisfaction. Should you have more questions, don't hesitate to ask here or contact us via the web contact form.
Best Regards,
Pavel

I will be using Jriver and it's driver to output audio. Also, I found that if you use an ASUS GPU as your HDMI output, all sample rates your device outputs can be transmitted. I have encountered these issues before and using the ASUS GPU solved the issue. Thanks.

Hi Karl,
You are welcome. In that case you should be fine!
Best Regards,
Pavel

The Vanity Pro requires two USB C connections for power. Some single linear power supplies have dual USB C outputs. Should you use separate power supplies for each side for isolation or is one supply that can power both sides OK?

Hi Karl,
In general, using a power supply with dual output should be fine. There can be special situations (ground potential difference between the HDMI domain and the audio domain) when having isolated power supplies would be beneficial for the system performance. The rule of thumb is, if all the AV equipment is powered from a single wall socket (or gang of sockets on a single phase) one shouldn't worry about the isolated power supplies. Also, listening tests can reveal if using isolated power supplies has any influence on the resulting audio quality.
Regards,
Pavel

Hello there.
I just bought a VanityPro.
I want it to feed a DCX2496 for FR and FL and a DEQ2496 for central channel and front bass.
It seems that the XLR AES EBU outputs of the Vanity which I could read functionning on the set is not recognized by the AES EBU inputs of the Behringers.
Could you help me ?

Hi Ecess,
Please email us on the ap@ email or use the web form to send us a detailed description of your setup and the issue you experience. We would like to know which version of the VPro you have, how it is connected to the DEQ2496 and what HDMI audio source you use. I am sure we will get to the bottom of your problem.
Regards,
Pavel

Hi, is DSD to PCM conversion involved in the DSD 4.0 downmix? Also will firmware upgrades be supported for macOS ( I asked this on the AudioScienceReview forum but asking here as well for the benefit of others who are not on that forum).
Thanks!

thanks AP.
I use either a Zappiti Pro 4K HD for video source or an Oppo 103EU which I connect in HDMI alternatively to the Vanitypro, model with 4 AES EBU digital outputs.
The first AES EBU of the Vanitypro is connected to the digital AES EBU of the DCX2496 which drive, as a digital crossover, the amps of the front left and right speakers;
The second AES EBU of the Vanitypro drives a DEQ2496 which in turn drives the center chanel and the front sub woofer;
The third AES EBU drives a SRC2496 for the lateral channels.
The fourth drives the rear channels.
The DCX and DEQ sets have been extensively tweaked for power supply, clocks, and analog output stages in Nelson Pass fashion. The SRC2496 has not been tweaked.
The output screen of the Vanitypro shows signals on the 8 channels.
At start I thought that the tweaked clock of the DCX and DEQ might be the problem. So I connected only the SRC2496 and tried to have some digital reception. I got nothing.
The SRC is a fantastic digital signal conversion tool. Getting nothing means the problem is elsewhere, but where ?

Hi Ozymandias,
The 4.0 DSD downmix is only available with DSD to PCM conversion. There is no easy way to mix raw DSD signals.
We are looking into the options for the firmware loader. So far it runs well under Windows, but I appreciate not everyone uses it.
The new firmware is nearly finished testing and should be released soon.
Best regards,
Pavel

Ozymandias Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hi, is DSD to PCM conversion involved in the DSD
> 4.0 downmix? Also will firmware upgrades be
> supported for macOS ( I asked this on the
> AudioScienceReview forum but asking here as well
> for the benefit of others who are not on that
> forum).
> Thanks!

Thanks for the response Pavel! I look forward to more options for the firmware loader.

Following problems of Ecess. Problem is solved.
Working meters on the Vanity Pro with no AES EBU output was due to connexion between the 4 XLR board with the main board. To solve the problem I unscrewed the back plate carrying the 4 XLR plugs.
Then I unscrewed the 4 plugs from the back plate. Without the back plate I inserted the 4 XLR circuit board into the multi connector of the main circuit board. This is easy because without the back plate I could see the multi connector inside. Then I checked the Vanity Pro and it did work with the Behringers.

To be sure that the back plate will push completely the 4 XLR board in place I installed on each XLR plug a mechanical retaining ring of 1,5 mm thickness before screwing the back plate on each XLR plug.

I have not yet installed the full 7/1 system but sound is already great !

Pavel,

I've had my VP since February and have been plagued by high rez dropouts from day one. I was a little concerned, when I saw in the owners manual, that some DAC's can be prone to dropouts with the VP. I've been told that my Berkeley Alpha DAC 3 shouldn't be an issue. Still, the dropouts continue. Recently I had one with a CD from my Oppo 203, the first one I've had that wasn't a high rez signal The dropouts are random, I can go hours without one or get multiple in a few minutes. With my GeerFab I never had any dropouts.

I've been told you are aware of this problem and that a fix is in the works. Still, I have two concerns. First, I haven't seen any comments from other owners that they're having this problem. Are they? Could the Berkeley/VP combo simply be incompatible? Second, I've been told the fix will be available in a few days. I've been told that for almost two months. Is the fix being elusive?

Finally, any idea why the display on my Berkeley occasionally shows 95.9 instead of 96 when the source is 24/96? I can eject the disc, hit play and it will then show 96. It's really odd.

Hi egradyh,
Thank you for your post. We are aware of the dropouts you have been having with your Berkeley Alpha through JVB. The DAC should not be susceptible to small frequency variations of the VanityPRO. I haven't heard about any other VanitPRO user with the Berkeley DAC, but we would only hear from those requiring some assistance. What is a little bit suspicious in your case is the irregularity of the dropouts, which does not help to identify the root cause. The improvements in the new firmware will either solve your problem or help us to better diagnose where the dropouts are coming from.
The new firmware uses larger buffer and smaller frequency steps, so even most ESS DACs should be ok now. The development took a little longer than expected because of some other improvements and tweaks, apologies for that. Now we are just testing the firmware loader on various configurations and Windows versions to make sure the software upgrade is a smooth process.
Thank you for your patience.
Why your DAC indicates 95.9kHz is hard to explain, because I have no knowledge how the DAC measures the incoming sampling frequency. The way the VanityPRO synchronizes with the incoming HDMI stream cannot explain over 1000ppm error in frequency measurement. Maybe it would be a good idea to raise that questions with Berkeley. There might be a little chance that this related to the dropouts and their irregularity.
You will hear from JVB with regards to the new firmware very soon. Thanks again.

Best Regards,
Pavel

Pavel,

Do you think there is any chance my VP has a glitch? If I am the only VP owner, regardless of the type of DAC, having high rez drop outs, then maybe I should try a second VP?

Hi Egradyh,
Although nothing can be ruled out I would say it is unlikely that there is anything wrong with the VanityPRO itself. On the other hand, feel free to get in touch with JVB if you wish to try a second unit. We have the beta of the new firmware with our field tester, if everything is ok you can expect to have the new firmware in a day or two. So maybe it would be worth to try the new firmware first.
Best Regards,
Pavel

Ok, I'll wait for the FW update.

Hi Pavel,
For those of us Mac users who won’t have firmware update capability in the short-term, when the updated firmware is released will there be units available for purchase that will ship with the updated firmware?

Hi Ozymandias,
All units sold after the firmware update release will naturally have the latest version installed. We have the release candidate in field with a few testers and so far no issues found. If you are waiting with your purchase for the new firmware release, please get in touch with JVB so you can get a notification as soon as the units with the new fw are ready.
Best Regards,
Pavel

Thanks Pavel! Yes, I’ve been waiting . I’ll reach out to JVB as you recommended.

Hi Pavel.
I have a problem. Yesterday the Vanity Pro wont boot. It is always going to a screen : Device Status with a flashing red led.
It says reboot the device.
I tried different reboot with and without audio power. Nothing change, I always get the Device status screen of which I cannot get out without un plugging the power supply.
Could you help me ?

Hi Ecess,
I have replied to your PM. Once we identify the issue we can post an update here.
Regards,
Pavel