diff --git a/apps/decoder.c b/apps/decoder.c
index c2d49eb68d964db8cdb2d73435dc7ea7fa260262..50c8b043e94fe205bf3259bc0bb2f97cc6970c2c 100644
--- a/apps/decoder.c
+++ b/apps/decoder.c
@@ -298,7 +298,11 @@ int main(
     if ( arg.hrtfReaderEnabled )
     {
         /* sanity check */
+#ifdef NONBE_1293_SR_HRTF
+        if ( arg.outputConfig != IVAS_AUDIO_CONFIG_BINAURAL && arg.outputConfig != IVAS_AUDIO_CONFIG_BINAURAL_ROOM_IR && arg.outputConfig != IVAS_AUDIO_CONFIG_BINAURAL_ROOM_REVERB && arg.outputConfig != IVAS_AUDIO_CONFIG_BINAURAL_SPLIT_CODED && arg.outputConfig != IVAS_AUDIO_CONFIG_BINAURAL_SPLIT_PCM )
+#else
         if ( arg.outputConfig != IVAS_AUDIO_CONFIG_BINAURAL && arg.outputConfig != IVAS_AUDIO_CONFIG_BINAURAL_ROOM_IR && arg.outputConfig != IVAS_AUDIO_CONFIG_BINAURAL_ROOM_REVERB )
+#endif
         {
             arg.hrtfReaderEnabled = false;
             fprintf( stderr, "\nError: HRTF binary file cannot be used in this output configuration.\n\n" );
diff --git a/lib_com/options.h b/lib_com/options.h
index 904e462921b017897641630066290f06d3d987be..dc1b88d11db2b3a435f4102746666d6ecbd9e4a7 100644
--- a/lib_com/options.h
+++ b/lib_com/options.h
@@ -173,6 +173,7 @@
 #define NONBE_1244_FIX_SWB_BWE_MEMORY                   /* VA: issue 1244: fix to SWB BWE memory in case of switching from FB coding - pending a review by Huawei */ 
 #define NONBE_1122_KEEP_EVS_MODE_UNCHANGED              /* FhG: Disables fix for issue 1122 in EVS mode to keep BE tests green. This switch should be removed once the 1122 fix is added to EVS via a CR.  */
 #define NONBE_1300_TDREND_LARGE_ITD                     /* Eri: issue 1300: There was a bug feeding 1.25 ms frames to the TD renderer, causing out-of-buffer access. This was resolved. However, it is still possible that modeled HRTF with large ITDs could trigger out-of-buffer access. This adds a check to prevent this.*/
+#define NONBE_1293_SR_HRTF                              /* VA: issue 1293: add support of external HRTFs in split rendering */
 
 /* ##################### End NON-BE switches ########################### */
 
diff --git a/scripts/pyaudio3dtools/audioarray.py b/scripts/pyaudio3dtools/audioarray.py
index f548622242c0cab1dae59c21c2709a34c0788e39..7ebc12e2b00bc179867d6ed264b58d3838b4611a 100644
--- a/scripts/pyaudio3dtools/audioarray.py
+++ b/scripts/pyaudio3dtools/audioarray.py
@@ -379,8 +379,8 @@ def compare(
                 wavfile.write(str(tmpfile_test), 48000, test_tmp)
                 del test_tmp
             else:
-                wavfile.write(str(tmpfile_ref), 48000, ref)
-                wavfile.write(str(tmpfile_test), 48000, test)
+                wavfile.write(str(tmpfile_ref), 48000, ref.astype(np.int16))
+                wavfile.write(str(tmpfile_test), 48000, test.astype(np.int16))
 
             cmd = [
                 str(wdiff),