BenF

Sound processing questions

I have a few questions about my Denon 3803's sound processing options.

Currently I only have two front tower speakers. On many DVDs there is the option of DTS 5.1 and Stereo. To my ears, the DTS sounds cleaner with a higher SQ. The stereo seems to sound more full, picking up bass that the DTS mix doesn't seem to have.

Can anyone explain to me what my receiver is doing to the sound when it knows I only have the 2 front speakers? Which mode should I be in to make things sound the best?

I am mainly interested in music and concert DVDs. This, along with a lack of $$, is why I've only got 2 speakers right now.

Thanks in advance for any help and education you could provide me!

ScottCHI

if you use your receiver to dither a dvd's 5.1 mix down to 2 speakers, it's doing just that: a relatively crude downmix of the 5.1 info into 2 channels.

however, the stereo mix on dvds is SPECIFICALLY mixed for 2 speaker playback. that's probably why the stereo track sounds better. as long as you have 2 speakers, you should use the stereo-specific track whenever there is one available on the dvd.

(i think that's what you're asking about)

"All men are frauds. The only difference between them is that some admit it. I myself deny it."

BenF

Scott, that is what I had originally been doing. But then I started listening to some stuff in DTS 5.1, and the sound quality seems to be a good bit better. Sometimes you loose some bass over the stereo mix, but to my ears it sounds cleaner.

Is this just my untrained ears deceiving me or what?

Is it a general rule to not use the receiver to downprocess sound like that?

Thanks!

Michael Reuben

What does your manual say on the subject? There is no standardized behavior among receivers for playback of fewer than all the channels in a 5.1 mix, particularly with DTS. The most likely two possibilities are:[list=1][*]The receiver is downmixing the 5.1 tracks to stereo;[*]The receiver is simply giving you the front left and right channels and you're not hearing what's in the center or rears.[/list=1]
BTW, how is your DVD player connected to the receiver? The discussion to date assumes a digital connection, but maybe not.


It's always preferable not to downmix.

M.

"Most people never have to face the fact that, at the right time and the right place, they're capable of anything." -- Chinatown

"What kind of movies would there be if everyone in them had to do what we thought they should do?" -- Roger Ebert

HTF Beginner's Primer and FAQ

ScottCHI

well, are you comparing DTS 5.1 tracks to DTS 2.0 stereo tracks or not?

"All men are frauds. The only difference between them is that some admit it. I myself deny it."

BenF

There is a single digital connection b/w the DVD and AVR.

The disk I have been listening to is the Elton John, One Night Only DVD. I have heard that this is an excellent recording. I am comparing 5.1 DTS to (non DTS) Stereo.

Thanks.