Denon PMA-600NE AAC question

[corbetta]

Hi folks. I’ve just set up a brand new Denon PMA600NE integrated amp. This has Bluetooth and digital inputs, and I noticed in the manual that for the digital inputs it states: “Do not input non-PCM signals, such as Dolby Digital, DTS and AAC. This causes noise and could damage the speakers.”

Now I don’t currently have any digital inputs, but I have tried Bluetooth, sending from iTunes on my Mac to the amplifier.

Now I thought AAC was a fairly standard music file format, similar to MP3, and I can’t see how it would cause issues. I have ripped some of my CDs into iTunes using AAC format.

Can anyone say why it might cause issues and damage speakers, and would this be purely via the digital inputs or would it mean Bluetooth as well?

The only issue I had, that a couple of tracks when streamed via Bluetooth caused an horrendous screeching noise for a few seconds, I mean really loud and nasty sound like fingers down a blackboard, and this was an .m4a file which I believe is Apple AAC.

I haven’t connected anything digitally yet (I dont have any digital devices) as my CD, turntable and tape deck are all analogue via RCA.

any advice is appreciated!

thanks

andy

 

[muljao]

There is a dolby 5 chanel aac. I'm guessing it's that. Your apple rips will be fine

 

[corbetta]

There is a dolby 5 chanel aac. I'm guessing it's that. Your apple rips will be fine

Thanks for that advice, I'll read up on it and try and work out why I'm getting that shrieking sound via Bluetooth from the iMac. I've tried the same track(s) from my iPad and there is no shriek. Hopefully I've isolated it to the iMac.

thanks again.

 

[avwizard]

I am also facing the same exact problem while connecting to Denon PMA-600NE from my Mac via Bluetooth. The screeching noise was so loud and shrieking that I thought my speakers are completely damaged. It had happened a couple of times now. Other inputs work completely fine. For now, I disconnected my Mac from the amplifier. If you have found any solution to this problem, please do share. Thanks!

 

[corbetta]

I am also facing the same exact problem while connecting to Denon PMA-600NE from my Mac via Bluetooth. The screeching noise was so loud and shrieking that I thought my speakers are completely damaged. It had happened a couple of times now. Other inputs work completely fine. For now, I disconnected my Mac from the amplifier. If you have found any solution to this problem, please do share. Thanks!

Ah, so It's not just me! I have given up on the iMac streaming to the Denon using Bluetooth as it is not worth the risk. I have been using Spotify on my mobile phone to stream and connect to Bluetooth on the Denon, and had no problems at all. The only thing I am missing out on is playing previously-ripped CDs, but of course these days they can all be played through streaming services, or even play the CDs direct! Things go round in circles don't they!

 

[Ivanhoe1953]

One solution is to disable the use of the AAC codec on the MacBook Pro using the Bluetooth Explorer tool (see "Audio Options..." under the "Tools" menu pull-down of the app) and restart the Bluetooth connection with the Denon.

The mac will revert to using the SBC codec, but no more shrieking noise between tracks!

 

[avwizard]

One solution is to disable the use of the AAC codec on the MacBook Pro using the Bluetooth Explorer tool (see "Audio Options..." under the "Tools" menu pull-down of the app) and restart the Bluetooth connection with the Denon.

The mac will revert to using the SBC codec, but no more shrieking noise between tracks!

Thanks for the solution. It worked! I was able to install "Bluetooth Explorer" after downloading "Additional Tools for Xcode 11.4" as Apple removed it from 12. I disabled AAC and reconnected to Denon. No more shrieks!

 

[corbetta]

One solution is to disable the use of the AAC codec on the MacBook Pro using the Bluetooth Explorer tool (see "Audio Options..." under the "Tools" menu pull-down of the app) and restart the Bluetooth connection with the Denon.

The mac will revert to using the SBC codec, but no more shrieking noise between tracks!

Thank you friend. Mine is an iMac 2012 but I expect it will have that Bluetooth Explorer somewhere!

 

[Ivanhoe1953]

Thank you friend. Mine is an iMac 2012 but I expect it will have that Bluetooth Explorer somewhere!

The Bluetooth Explorer app is not part of the normal macOS distribution. It can be downloaded from the Apple Developer website:

Sign In - Apple

developer.apple.com

Non-developers can sign on using their Apple ID. Look for the "Additional Tools for Xcode 11.4" package (using the Search field).

The following online article provides guidance to the process:

How to Enable the Optimal Audio Codec for Your Bluetooth Headphones in macOS

How good your digital music sounds often comes down to which file format it's encoded in. Be that as it may, every Mac audio setup is only as...

www.macrumors.com

 

[josefahelen]

La aplicación Bluetooth Explorer no forma parte de la distribución normal de macOS. Se puede descargar del sitio web de desarrolladores de Apple:

[URL unfurl = "true"] Sign In - Apple [/ URL]

Los no desarrolladores pueden iniciar sesión con su ID de Apple. Busque el paquete "Herramientas adicionales para Xcode 11.4" (usando el campo de búsqueda).

El siguiente artículo en línea proporciona una guía para el proceso:

[URL unfurl = "true"] How to Enable the Optimal Audio Codec for Your Bluetooth Headphones in macOS [/ URL]

MUCHÍSIMAS GRACIAS .

 

[Ivanhoe1953]

For the curious mind out there, I want to offer the following theory regarding the source of the noise generated between tracks when using the AAC codec. It seems related to a flaw in the Denon Bluetooth implementation of the AAC codec when processing prolonged track segments with no recorded sound ( I would surmise a problem in processing the signal buffering for the DAC as the source of the noise).

When I pair the Macbook with a Bluetooth DAC (i.e., Raspberry Pi with HifiBerry DAC2 Pro) connected to the Denon analog inputs, I cannot reproduce the noise from the same tracks with the AAC codec.

I doubt the problem will ever be fixed by Denon, although there is a USB service port at the back of the Denon through which an eventual software fix could be implemented. For me, the workaround of using the SBC coding works fine. But it could be an annoyance if you have to pair your MacBook with other Bluetooth devices and want to toggle between enabling and disabling the AAC codec.

Otherwise the Denon PMA-600NE is a wonderful device.