45TX and dvd-a/sacd connection - D'OH! (1 Viewer)

[Brian Burgoyne]

Maybe this was obvious to some of you out there, but for me, I just had a Homer Simpson moment.
I have had my Pioneer Elite 45TX for a couple of weeks now and have been mainly playing with movies and music dvds. Last night I was just going to chill and listen to a DVD-A. I have a 7.1 channel set-up with di-poles as side surrounds and bookshelves in the back. The way I had hooked up my DVD-A player to the multi channel inputs had me listening to the di-pole side surrounds instead of the surround backs, which would be fine, I suppose, if you liked it that way. I wanted the surrounds to come out of the rear backs, so sure enough, when I actually looked at the manual (I don't have a wife now to tell me "I told you to read the manual", so feel free to chime in here), there are inputs right there with the other multi channel inputs for surround back. Of course I didn't even need the manual to tell me that. I could have logically deduced that myself when I was first hooking things up if I had just thought about it for a moment. I guess I was just anxious to get the thing up and running.
So for those who haven't already discovered this, when you hook up a DVD-A or a SACD player to the multi channel inputs, you can choose to use your side surrounds or rear back surrounds just by plugging the analog cables into the corresponding inputs. DUH to me!

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Brian,

You should also be able to setup the 45TX to send the rear surround channels from the 5.1 analog inputs to the rear centers via the receiver's setup menu, instead of swapping cables. My 47TX allows three settings -- (1) to the left/right rears, (2) to the rear centers, or (3) to both the left/right and rear center surrounds. For my setup, I prefer using the left/right rears only.

 

[Brian Burgoyne]

Thanks Scott. I tried to read the manual and figure that out, but I think your 47TX may have more options than the 45 for the speaker selection. I could be wrong though.

By the way, I've read your posts before and noticed you're from Michigan. What part? I grew up around Saginaw and went to school at WMU.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Brian,

On my 47TX, you can change the way the speakers are configured for the 5.1 analog inputs under the "Expert Setup" menu, "Multi-Ch In Select" submenu. Your options are "Through", "S->SB" or "S->S&SB". I would be surprised if your 45TX did not have a similar setup option.

By the way, I've read your posts before and noticed you're from Michigan. What part? I grew up around Saginaw and went to school at WMU.

I live in the western part of the Metro Detroit area, about 15-20 minutes from Ann Arbor.

 

[Brae]

Scott, for the 45TX the only Sub-Menu Items listed are:
Crossover Network
Fine Channel Level
Fine Channel Delay
Acoustic Cal EQ
Bass Peak Level
D-Range Control
The only thing I can find that is 'assignable' are the digital audio inputs (otical) and the component video inputs. I think the feature you are describnig on your 47TX are availble on it and the 49TX models (45TXers, such as myself, have been shafted, hehe).
BTW, Scott, do you ever get over to Windsor, Ontario?

 

[Scott Merryfield]

That's too bad, Brae. I tried my 47TX set to "S->S&SB", but preferred the "Through" setting for multi-channel DVD-Audio music. The rear soundfield lost the definition I prefer with multi-channel music when all four surround speakers were being used. Since my rear centers are close together, I didn't see much point in using the "S->SB" option.

BTW, Scott, do you ever get over to Windsor, Ontario?

We get over there occasionally, but not as often since the September 11 attacks. The long lines at the border crossing now makes it a lot less convenient. Border crossing took only a few minutes before the attacks, but now with the added security the waits are very unpredictable (anywhere from 30 minutes to a couple of hours).