Question Yamaha RX-A780. How to stream audio to PC

scarborofun

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Hi, I just got this receiver and it does most of what I want and more.
However, I want to digitize my vinyls and would like to have a wireless connection to my PC.
I tried Bluetooth and can't get it working. Sending music to the Yamaha works fine, but not the other way.
There is a send Bluetooth function for wireless speakers/headphones but it would not connect to my PC.
No idea what I am doing wrong here.
I also can't find any way to use WiFi. Everything is geared up to stream music in but not out.
Any ideas?
 
Can I just check what you plan to do with the audio once your PC has received it?
 
The AV receiver isn't intended as a source for other device to access audio from. It can transmit 2 channel audio in assciation with some sources connected to it via Bluetooth, but that ability is basically intended to allow users to send said audio to Bluetooth speakers ot headphones as opposed to having the signal transmitted to an external processor of some description.

If wanting to use Audacity then you'd need to access the audio files via other sources as opposed to using the Yamaha AV receiver as the access point.

Connect you turntable to your PC via an external phono stage rather than trying to use the AV receiver's phono satage and the AV receiver as an intermediary between the turntable and the PC.
 
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Thanks for the reply. I can see that what I need to do may not be very common. However, the fact that it would be handy for me makes it very likely to be handy for some other users. Obviously, I could be using other means of digitizing the records, but it would be a shame not to be able to utilize what's already there, and of quite high quality too.

So, if the Bluetooth Out function works for wireless speakers or headphones there must be a way to get it going with other Bluetooth receivers. The only drawback might be the volume control.

So I was hoping that someone has done this before, or at least can tell me that for whatever reason it can't work. The Yamaha Bluetooth send function finds my PC in the set up search menu, but it won't connect. Why not? My Dell XPS 15 7590 has Bluetooth 5.0. I don't see why it shouldn't work. Cheers.
 
Do you have an audio input into your PC, I guess that would be a capture card? Does it take analog or digital inputs?
 
The PC has no analogue input. If I'd capture with the PC I'd get a gadget like this one (|UFO202|Behringer|P0A12), phono to usb. It would do the job. But I'd hate not to use the Yamaha. The DAC has 384kHz/32bit, can't find the ADC specs but expect similar.
 
BTW, the Yamaha sends Bluetooth just fine to my headphones. The volume is controlled by the headphones only, which would be different if it were speakers I assume. So how can I make the PC pretend to be headphones? I have no idea how the Bluetooth protocol works. I am sure someone has, so I don't have to re-invent the wheel. There could be some driver hacking involved.
 
The Yamaha has a zone 2 stereo analogue output. So if you had a stereo analogue audio capture device in your PC, that might work.
 
Does your laptop not see the Yamaha's Bluetooth output at all?
There are 3 x Bluetooth transmission stacks you can use within the MusicCast app, so this may help?

BUT - if your PC won't see it, then your PC won't see it...
 
Does your laptop not see the Yamaha's Bluetooth output at all?
There are 3 x Bluetooth transmission stacks you can use within the MusicCast app, so this may help?

BUT - if your PC won't see it, then your PC won't see it...
The PC is seeing the Yamaha as it is streaming music to Yamaha Bluetooth just fine. Just the other way around it does not connect. On the Yamaha screen the PC is visible when I try to connect sending BT to the PC but it times out.

I also tried to send BT from other BT sending devices and the PC never connects in receiving mode. So I am lead to believe that it's not the Yamaha's fault but the PC's. It doesn't seem to have the right BT profile for receiving streams. I may need to find a suitable driver. It's getting a bit too hard for my skill level.
 
The Yamaha has a zone 2 stereo analogue output. So if you had a stereo analogue audio capture device in your PC, that might work.
Strangely, neither the Zone 2 nor the Pre Amp outputs have any signal. I wonder what trick I need to get them activated.
 
Switch on Zone 2 audio in the AVR settings.
That's the thing. It is switched on. Lots of adversities with this issue. Not that it would make a difference if it worked, as the PC has no analogue input. Just to prove a point and investigate an alternative. Plugging the same connector in the head phones out the signal is present.
 
That's the thing. It is switched on. Lots of adversities with this issue. Not that it would make a difference if it worked, as the PC has no analogue input. Just to prove a point and investigate an alternative. Plugging the same connector in the head phones out the signal is present.
There are different settings for zone 2. I don't know your AVR menu, but generally you can select what audio is sent to the zone 2 and whether it is a variable of fixed volume, and whether the internal amps are used to power that zone, or a separate amp. Manual Here:

 
You need to configure them in the 'Power Amp Assign' menu of the AVR.
Set it to 7.1+2Zone
 
Yup. You need to change the power amp assign, whether you're using the pre-outs or not.
 
Yup. You need to change the power amp assign, whether you're using the pre-outs or not.
I haven't pursued this issue for a while. Now I tried again and found that the Zone 2 signal is only present when the TV is switched on. How this makes any sense you tell me. This is independent on the power amp settings.
 
The PC is seeing the Yamaha as it is streaming music to Yamaha Bluetooth just fine. Just the other way around it does not connect. On the Yamaha screen the PC is visible when I try to connect sending BT to the PC but it times out.

I also tried to send BT from other BT sending devices and the PC never connects in receiving mode. So I am lead to believe that it's not the Yamaha's fault but the PC's. It doesn't seem to have the right BT profile for receiving streams. I may need to find a suitable driver. It's getting a bit too hard for my skill level.
My guess is that your PC has a bluetooth transmitter but not a receiver (my laptop is like that) or that you haven't enabled the incoming connection. So first off, check. Windows 10: In Settings - Bluetooth, click on More Bluetooth Options. In the Bluetooth Settings that appears, check "Allow Bluetooth devices to find this PC" and its suboptions. It's similar in earlier versions.

If your PC doesn't have a bluetooth receiver, get yourself a small USB bluetooth dongle. They're cheap and work well (I bought myself one for home office usage to communicate with a bluetooth headset).
 
My guess is that your PC has a bluetooth transmitter but not a receiver (my laptop is like that) or that you haven't enabled the incoming connection. So first off, check. Windows 10: In Settings - Bluetooth, click on More Bluetooth Options. In the Bluetooth Settings that appears, check "Allow Bluetooth devices to find this PC" and its suboptions. It's similar in earlier versions.

If your PC doesn't have a bluetooth receiver, get yourself a small USB bluetooth dongle. They're cheap and work well (I bought myself one for home office usage to communicate with a bluetooth headset).
Thanks, I've tried that too. I'll snoop around a bit more. The dongle idea is of course a logic step. I am still waiting for one to be delivered, giving up hope. I do have some very nice BT 5 transceivers but all of them seem to only output the audio in analogue, not the actual USB connection. Maybe I'm missing something. Lucky I am not in a hurry :)
 
I got myself a Hama 0053188 Bluetooth USB Adapter. I liked the small size and 100m transmission distance. Hama is probably more readily available here in CH than in UK (Hama is everywhere over here). As you say, there are also BT 5.0 versions available. In any case, there is no shortage of cheap little full-feature BT dongles.

Don't confuse a BT USB adapter with an analogue BT transmitter that uses the USB for power to transmit and analogue signal over BT. I have one of these too - useful for a TV without integrated BT, but not what you want on a PC.
 
I got myself a Hama 0053188 Bluetooth USB Adapter. I liked the small size and 100m transmission distance. Hama is probably more readily available here in CH than in UK (Hama is everywhere over here). As you say, there are also BT 5.0 versions available. In any case, there is no shortage of cheap little full-feature BT dongles.

Don't confuse a BT USB adapter with an analogue BT transmitter that uses the USB for power to transmit and analogue signal over BT. I have one of these too - useful for a TV without integrated BT, but not what you want on a PC.

An easy mistake to make as I couldn't find a defined technical term for each type of adapter. Thanks for the link. I was already thinking about making my own, using an ESP32. Though doing the coding may be a bit daunting for a novice :)
 

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