I want to try to build a simple "digital preamp", something which can take an HDMI input (PCM only), split it into 8 separate channels, and send each to a Sabre32 Reference DAC running in mono mode, then have that output to balanced, XLR jacks.
I'd be happy to get it working with only a volume control. But I found my DSP code for a Linkwitz-Riley crossover, and I think I can get it to be phase coherent (that'll stop me from defending Pioneer's global crossover--got to run some simulations first). As long as I'm including a DSP chip, if it has enough buffer memory I can do time-alignment without any big deal. Plus at that point individual channel trims are almost free.
I've been reading design guides for these new, heavily integrated chips, and they actually seem easier to design with than the old ICs I used to play with in my teens (because everything is handled for you). Other than the sheer pin-count, and the fact that everything is surface-mount these days (both of which increase the difficulty of PCB design), I don't think it'll really be that hard.
In fact, if you didn't want volume control, and single-ended (unbalanced) outputs were good enough, you could actually connect a Silicon Image HDMI receiver directly to 4, stereo Sabre32 DACs, and just power the thing up without too many extra pieces.
