Hello All! I'm new to this forum, but not to What Hi-Fi.
I know the PowerNode is primarily a piece of audio equipment but I need some input about the HDMI aspect and not many reviewers say much about it other than "It has HDMI ARC."
I'm trying to get my home office desk set up the way I need start working from home 3 or more days a week. So let me tell you what I'm working with: 2017 13" MBPr (closed) with HDMI to a 43" 4K LG UM7300PUA as a monitor. Audio out is being handled from optical out of the TV to an SMSL AD18 to a pair of Kef Q100s on Soundrise Pro stands and a SVS SB12-NSD sub tucked under the back corner of my desk.
The SMSL is largely crap. While it does workwith audio from the Mac through the TV, there are occasional millisecond skips in audio, just enough to take me out of the music. More problematic for whatever reason when I change over to the TVs smart apps for Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, or Netflix the only audio I get sounds like binary static. I have had two AD18s, the other one ran my garage workshop system and it couldn't handle USB with occasional static.
So for my desk I was recommended a Peachtree Integrated DAC/Amp, but that would still use the optical out, which until recently I was a fan of, as I don't really care for surround sound. I was also recommended the, highly reviewed, PowerNode 2i, and since my TV has an HDMI ARC port this seems perfect, but as stated above there is little mentioned in the reviews about the performance with HDMI ARC. As a note, I have looked at the NAD M10 as well, but I'm not sure I can justify the cost for what I'm trying to do.
Can anyone here comment on this aspect of the PowerNode 2i, please?
If I need to move this question somewhere else just let me know.
Thanks for any info in advance.
I know the PowerNode is primarily a piece of audio equipment but I need some input about the HDMI aspect and not many reviewers say much about it other than "It has HDMI ARC."
I'm trying to get my home office desk set up the way I need start working from home 3 or more days a week. So let me tell you what I'm working with: 2017 13" MBPr (closed) with HDMI to a 43" 4K LG UM7300PUA as a monitor. Audio out is being handled from optical out of the TV to an SMSL AD18 to a pair of Kef Q100s on Soundrise Pro stands and a SVS SB12-NSD sub tucked under the back corner of my desk.
The SMSL is largely crap. While it does workwith audio from the Mac through the TV, there are occasional millisecond skips in audio, just enough to take me out of the music. More problematic for whatever reason when I change over to the TVs smart apps for Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, or Netflix the only audio I get sounds like binary static. I have had two AD18s, the other one ran my garage workshop system and it couldn't handle USB with occasional static.
So for my desk I was recommended a Peachtree Integrated DAC/Amp, but that would still use the optical out, which until recently I was a fan of, as I don't really care for surround sound. I was also recommended the, highly reviewed, PowerNode 2i, and since my TV has an HDMI ARC port this seems perfect, but as stated above there is little mentioned in the reviews about the performance with HDMI ARC. As a note, I have looked at the NAD M10 as well, but I'm not sure I can justify the cost for what I'm trying to do.
Can anyone here comment on this aspect of the PowerNode 2i, please?
If I need to move this question somewhere else just let me know.
Thanks for any info in advance.
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