6.1 receiver questions (1 Viewer)

[John-Miles]

I am planning to upgrade my receiver at the same time i get a new dvd player, and I plan right now to get a receiver which will do DD EX and DTS ES. discrete no matrix here.

To this end I am looking at a Marantz 5300 i believe, and a yamaha 1200 (might be 1300 im not sure) i can get the marantz for 730 canadian, and the Yamaha for 1100.

Now my first question is.... is it worth it to get the 6.1? i wont be hooking up a 6th speaker to it as i dont ahve one, and there is no room in my current set up, but once i upgrade i dont plan to change this part for a number of years, so when i move in a year or so i will likely add the 6th speaker.

Basically I am looking for any oinions on good receivers to get, my biggest priority is Component inputs ... the marantz dosent have this so i am leaning toward the Yamaha.

Oh eya i thought i should mention its sues will be about 70% HT and Gaming.... maybe 30% music (depends on how my DVD-A SACD collection goes.)

and one other question, i know its unlikely but..... is there a receiver that would allow multiples inputs to overlap eachother? what im refering to is well I ahve my computer hooked up to my receiver, and 95% of the time the only sound to come from my computer is a beep or noise when i get a instant emssage... i dont like missing these noises, but if im playing a game or watchign a movie i ahve the monitor off and i cant hear the sound cause im using a different input.

or is my only option to go out and hook up crappy speakers to my computer?

also 1200 or so is my max price canadian or well thereabouts, i WILL NOT go over 3000 for a new receiver Universal DVD player and conenctions, so i figure about 1200 or so per component, and then cables and taxes will put me at 3000.

 

[Jesse Blacklow]

First of all, DD-EX is a matrixed solution, as is non-Discrete DTS-ES (which is on most ES titles).

Second, 6.1 is worth it if you definitely plan on it soon, but not if you're not sure. It's not leaps and bounds beyond 5.1, but it does make a difference.

Third, if this is a long-term component, make sure that the receiver is capable of High-Definition bandwidth (higher than 30hz) video switching.

Finally, I would go get a $10 pair of speakers for the PC, and switch to those when you're not using your PC.

There are plenty of receivers that you can find online for decent prices. Other than the Yamaha, I'm sure that receivers like the Denon 1803 or 2803, and HK 325 or 525 might fit your bill. Onkyo and some of the mid-level Sony stuff might also be good. Check all of them out in stores if you can.

 

[AaronBatiuk]

First of all, DD-EX is a matrixed solution, as is non-Discrete DTS-ES (which is on most ES titles).

Acutally, most dts-ES titles are discrete. You can view a list as of 1 January 2003 at dts' website.

DD-EX is always matrixed due to Dolby's short-sightedness in limiting DD (AC-3) to 3/2+.1 channels. dts-ES discrete is made possible by dts' allowing "extension" data in the datastream, which is ignored by players that don't need or can't use it. Both dts-ES discrete and dts 96/24 use extension data.

I would add that although you may not have the room/budget/inclination to add a speaker (or pair) for the surround-back channel, there may still be additional benefit to getting a receiver that can decode the extended surround formats. Sony's receivers for example, will use psychoacoutic tricks to create a phantom rear speaker if you don't have one. Many people, myself included, like this effect, and I would recommend it if you will not be using an actual speaker(s) there.

I have a Sony 4ES which I purchased for CDN $1225 (list is $1500). I got it from the Sony Store. That kind of discount is not easy to negotiate, but evidently it is possible. I even got them to throw in another 1 year of warranty (Sony ES in Canada is only 3 years normally vs. 5 years in the USA).

Since you are considering DVD-A and SACD, the Sony 4ES is a good choice, with two multi-channel inputs: one 5.1 and one 7.1. It will also mix the sub input into the front L/R channels if you do not use a sub (like me), and will do the same for the centre channel if you don't use one, all while keeping everything in the analog domain. It also allows you to adjust the levels of each speaker for the multi-channel inputs, which is something that a lot of receivers will not do.

 

[John-Miles]

Hmm this gives me alot more to consider.

But I thought that DD EX was the discrete 6.1 I am positive i ahve seen it mentioned on some receivers a discrete and matrix DD. and I thought the DTS neo was the matrix 6.1 while ES was the discrete. I was also under the impression that if a dvd title was DTS ES or DD EX then it had to be discrete, the matrix was for when you wanted to use 6.1 channels and the title only had 5.1 decoding.

I will have to consider the Sony..... although I have never been overly pleased with the sony receiver i ahve now, granted it is a lower end one. Also I am pretty sure I am going to go with a universal player..... so i may not need the two sets of analog inputs... but that does open opportunities.

any other infor you guys ahve would be appreciated.

 

[DonT]

john, you are incorrect. dd-ex is ONLY matrix. you can read about it on the dolbydigital web site. dts-es is either matrix or discrete. if your receiver is set up for 6.1 channel surround, it will correctly determine whether or not your disc is matrix or discrete and will always sense the rear channel. dolby garbageal has turned of the rear channel flag in most of its dd-ex bitstreams, and some dvd's that actually have it dont SAY that they do, so you have to guess or go to dolby's website. for example, toy story 2 is dd-ex (thx-ex) but it doesnt say that ANYWHERE on the disc or box. you just have to know it or go look at dolbys website for movies released on dvd in dd-ex. nice, huh?

 

[Michael Reuben]

Acutally, most dts-ES titles are discrete. You can view a list as of 1 January 2003 at dts' website.

That list doesn't seem to indicate all of the DTS-ES Matrix titles (for example, The Bone Collector). A more up-to-date list can be found in this thread, which lists 23 discrete titles and 39 matrix. (Of course, all of the discrete titles also appear on the matrixed; so you're right that more than half of the ES titles are discrete.)

M.

 

[ChrisWiggles]

I'd go with the Marantz all they way. 5300 is a nice unit IMO.

 

[JimC_A]

I have the Yamaha 1300. 6.1 is very nice indeed. I guess liking it more than 5.1 depends on your room, speakers, and movies. I've had both and prefer 6.1.