BKA-1

What Is the BKA-1 and What Does It Do?

The BKA-1 is a 48Gbps HDMI Audio De-embedder designed to extract audio from an HDMI source device or an ARC-compatible TV while passing high-resolution video directly to your display.

It allows you to:

• Send video to your TV or gaming monitor (up to 8K@60Hz or 4K@120Hz).

• Extract digital audio via Optical (S/PDIF) to a soundbar or AVR.

• Extract analog stereo audio via L/R output to headphones, hearing aids, or small speakers.

The BKA-1 supports HDMI 2.1 and HDCP 2.3, making it ideal for modern gaming consoles such as PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, as well as high-bandwidth media players. It also supports advanced HDMI features such as VRR, ALLM, QMS, and QFT for smooth gaming performance.

According to the manual’s introduction, the BKA-1 can extract audio from either an HDMI source or an ARC-compatible TV and output both analog stereo and digital audio while maintaining buffered HDMI video output and advanced EDID management.

Available Ports and Their Description

The BKA-1 includes multiple ports to support flexible audio and video routing.

SOURCE IN (HDMI IN)

• Connect your media source here.

• Examples:

  • Gaming console (PS5, Xbox)

  • Streaming device (Apple TV, Fire TV, Nvidia Shield)

  • Blu-ray player

  • Computer

OUT TV (ARC/eARC)

• Connect this port to your TV or monitor.

• If your TV supports ARC/eARC, this port can also receive audio back from the TV when ARC/eARC is enabled.

The rear panel diagram on page 11 shows this port labeled as TV (ARC) OUT.

Optical OUT (S/PDIF)

• Connect this port to:

  • Soundbar

  • AVR

  • Digital audio receiver

• Supports PCM stereo and Dolby/DTS 5.1 audio output.

Audio breakout specifications are listed on page 7 of the manual.

L/R OUT (Analog Stereo)

• Connect this port to:

  • Headphones

  • Hearing aids

  • Small speakers

  • Analog audio devices

• Outputs 2-channel PCM stereo audio only.

Who Should Purchase the BKA-1?

Scenario 1

You have an ARC/eARC TV and want digital audio output to your soundbar using Optical.

The BKA-1 can extract audio from the TV’s ARC channel and send it to your soundbar through the Optical output.

This is useful if:

• Your soundbar only has Optical input.

• You want to keep HDMI video directly connected to the TV.

Scenario 2

You have a soundbar or AVR with Optical input and a non-ARC TV, and you also want audio for headphones or hearing aids.

The BKA-1 allows:

• Optical output → Soundbar or AVR (digital audio)

• L/R output → Headphones or hearing aids (analog stereo)

• HDMI output → TV or monitor (video only)

This enables dual audio output (digital + analog) at the same time. 

Please Note: This unit does not automatically downmix audio. If you are using Dolby Digital via optical/SPDIF and need stereo sound for headphones or hearing aids, you must use an audio extractor with downmixing capabilities (such as the HDA-939 or HDA-913). Alternatively, set your media source to 'Stereo' to get audio from both the optical and L/R outputs.

Ideal for Gamers

The BKA-1 is an excellent choice for gamers who need:

• 4K@120Hz gaming performance

• HDMI 2.1 features such as:

  • VRR (Variable Refresh Rate)

  • ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode)

  • QFT (Quick Frame Transport)

• Surround sound audio via Optical output

The features list on page 5 confirms HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, VRR, ALLM, QMS, QFT support, and advanced audio pass-through.

Things to Consider Before Purchasing

Your media device must support the audio format you want to use.
Your soundbar or AVR must support the same audio format.
Optical output supports:

• PCM stereo

• Dolby Digital / DTS 5.1

L/R output supports:

• PCM 2-channel stereo only

If you are using ARC from the TV:

• The TV must support the desired audio format.

• ARC compatibility depends on TV manufacturer and firmware.

If you are NOT using ARC:

• The media source must output the desired audio format directly.

ARC LED behavior:

• ARC LED ON → ARC is enabled and audio is returned from TV.

• ARC LED OFF → ARC is disabled and audio is extracted from source.

ARC indicator behavior is described on page 9 of the manual.

Alternate Option

If you have a standard HDMI AVR or amplifier with a non-ARC TV, and you do not require HDMI 2.1 gaming features, please consider:

HDA-912 – [Link to HDA-912 article]