*Official* Denon AVR-1911/791 & AVR-2311CI/891 Owner's Thread - Page 162

cool thanks

Thanks for the input guys, will try to nab it.

Snell

batpig, you were right, the SNES isn't compatible with the conversion. I tried my STB and it worked no probs. I just ran a component cable that I had laying around from my receiver to the tv, program the good 'ol Harmony to switch the tv input and voila! my wife can play Donkey Kong!

thanks again for your help

cheers
Edited by jproy13 - 3/13/13 at 3:34am

Question- I was searching through Denon's FAQ site and came across this. Everything I have read says to set speakers to small and LFE. This article seems to suggest set to small, then LFE+ Main? Am I missing something?


What settings should I choose when using a powered subwoofer in my 5.1 speaker system?

In the Speaker Configuration menu, make sure that all speakers are set to "Small" and the Bass Setting or *Subwoofer Mode menu is set to "LFE + Main."

If your speakers are set to "Large" you may want to set the Bass Setting or *Subwoofer Mode set to "LFE."

LFE (Low Frequency Effect) - When the speaker channels are set to "Large," the LFE (.1) discrete content is sent to the subwoofer only and the other channels will output full range frequency. (20 Hz to 20 kHz)

LFE + Main - The low range signal of all speaker channels set to "Small" is added to the LFE signal output to the subwoofer.

*Some older models use the term "Subwoofer Mode" instead of "Bass Setting" for that menu option.

^^ Not sure what you saw in the FAQs, but here's the deal with LFE + Main:

It only comes into play with speakers set to Large. (The line in your post re: LFE + Main and Small speakers is incorrect. Well, not incorrect, but out of place as Small speakers are not affected by that setting.) LFE + Main means frequencies below the crossover for speakers configured as Large are sent to the sub and played by the speaker, too. That's why it's often called double bass. While not a recommended configuration, use it if you like it.

This appears to have come from Denon UK's FAQ and as noted above is not written well.

With all speakers set to SMALL (as is recommended by Audyssey), it doesn't matter whether the sub is set to LFE or LFE+MAIN as all lower frequencies below the speaker crossover points are passed to the sub. With FL/FR speakers set to LARGE, the setting LFE+MAIN is recommended for stereo 2.0 listening if you want the sub to power otherwise it will only power on with audio that has a dedicated LFE (0.1) track (eg. DD/DTS 5.1)..

LFE = LFE (0.1) sent to sub

LFE+Main = LFE (0.1) + frequencies < crossover setting of FL/FR speakers set LARGE sent to the sub

It's still double bass if the L/R mains are set to Large and low frequencies are also sent to the sub. If you want to activate the sub with stereo sources, set the mains to Small.

Thanks for the replys. I have always set it up as small and LFE, but this article had me doubting that I had my system setup correctly. Appreciate the responses.

Does anyone know how to set up the Denon (2311) in my case to provide the correct video/audio information? I go into "Menu", then "Information" and then "HDMI information" and it seems to give the correct information for my TiVo source at 1080i. I have the TiVo video set to 1080i only. However, on my blu-ray player, it shows 1080p for everything even DVD source material that I know is only 480p. It's like the blu-ray player is upconverting everything. I have the video set to "Auto" on the player so I thought this would mean that the player will use the actual source resolution and not do any upconverting? My player is a Panasonic DMP-BDT500.

Very few players do what is called source direct, which means outputting the resolution on the source rather than a fixed resolution. As far as I know, Panasonics do not support source direct. So, the 1080p output your Denon reports for DVDs is likely correct.

Thanks BIslander, I suppose I could try my LG player to see if it supports "source direct"?

Really basic, probably dumb question here.

I swapped a 3312ci for this because I wanted to get a ZVOX soundbar which only has optical and coaxial digital audio in.

The 3312ci doesn't have digital audio out other than HDMI, so I found someone to trade his 2311ci to me for it (a step back I know but I don't need the extra features or power).

I connected the soundbar to the avr via optical cable but no sound is coming out of it, even from sources like the hd radio.

Are ONLY optical digital inputs passed through to the optical out? Or should I be hearing sound from e.g. the radio through the optical out?

If this is the case, should I look for a soundbar with an hdmi in or will that not solve my issue (as analog audio will not be passed through the hdmi output?)

I've tested with headphones and all sources are audible that way...

Why on earth did you buy an AVR if you are going to plug into a self powered soundbar? Square peg round hole..,,

To answer the question, only optical will pass out. If you want to use a soundbar with a receiver get a unpowered soundbar with speaker inputs and let the AVR power it.

Or if you like your current soundbar sell the AVR. It's a total waste with that setup. You are just using it as a very expensive audio switch. Just run all your sources to the TV and feed the soundbar from the optical out from the TV.

I guess I thought these AVRs worked differently than they do, that is, allowing all inputs, no matter what the type, to be passed through any of the outputs.

One thing that's confusing me is that even using the analog RCA outs, HDMI inputs are not passed through the analog outs. It's already converting their audio to analog to go through the speaker outs, why not the line outs as well?

To answer your question, I bought the avr mostly for connectivity (I wanted a lot of HDMI inputs as well as flexibility to add analog), radio (I know), and when I got it I was doing a standard 5.1 setup (in a tiny place).

I bought the "virtual surround" rhetoric for this soundbar and thought I could simplify, save a little space, while not losing much in the way of sound quality. I was lax in my research on the compatibility between the avr and the soundbar and thought "ah earlier denon AVRs have the optical out, there's a fit there".

Your advice about getting a passive soundbar is well taken.

In the meantime (until I can return the ZVOX), do either of the analog outs pass through audio from all of the inputs?

No, unfortunately audio isn't cross converted.

Didn't mean to be harsh, just trying to save you money and hassle the key thing is to understand the difference between the two types of sound bars. The type you bought is totally self powered and intended to simply be an extension of the TV speakers, allowing the TV to be the core component for source connection and switching. Whether it has optical or HDMI inputs, it takes the digital input directly and decodes/processes the signal, amplifies the signal internally and plays it on its built in speakers. It's effectively intended to be a fully self contained unit, as a *replacement* for a receiver, so makes the receiver itself useless. So if you stick with what you have, sell the receiver.

On the contrary, a passive sound bar is intended to function like a traditional speaker (powered by the receiver) just with the convenience of the smaller form factor. So it is designed specifically to mate with a traditional AVR for someone who doesn't want a full speaker setup, but wants to utilize the processing / switching / decoding functions of the AVR itself.

Just purchased pair salk songtowers w song center, My 791, which I really like and have owned w out any probs for 3 yrs, is running them along w some kef 301s flat panels for surround. My Q is, and I have already read that you can't, but worth asking again. I feel the STs need more power, is there anything I can do to add an amp to this 791 unit. If not, which basic unit do you recommend w Pre pros?

No, there is no way to add an external amp on the 791. There is also no "basic unit" with pre-outs because Denon restricts this feature to higher level models. Your best bet to find an affordable unit with pre-outs is a used/refurb 33xx model, like the 3311ci from the same model year.

When u say "from the same model year" what do you mean and why?

the 3311 is from the same year as your 791. Their model numbers both end in "1". Nothing more than that

I have a AVR-2311CI and I've had this problem for a very long time now but I'm going insane and I need to resolve it.

When I turn on the receiver from a cold start, it makes very loud popping/static for about 20 seconds, trailing off until it eventually stops. Muting the receiver does not stop the sound from coming through and it happens regardless of what input I'm on, so I know that this is coming from the receiver, not the input devices. What does temporarily stop it from making the noise is switching between inputs, but once it finishes switching it will continue.

After it stops, it never makes the noise again until the next cold start.

Have any of you heard of this issue? I'll try to take a recording of the sound if it's needed to clarify, but basically it's similar to the sound a blender would make if you tried to blend a hard object. It frequently clips and makes harsh noise through the speakers, and the volume rocker makes no impact on the sound level.

Sounds like it may be an amp issue. The unit should still be under warranty if you purchased from an authorized reseller so repair would likely be your best option after trying a microprocessor reset.

Interesting, I've never heard of a microprocessor reset. I'll try to find where it specifies how to do that in the manual. I really hope this doesn't involve repair. I was originally thinking this has something to do with the HDMI handshake going a bit wrong.

Do repairs on these receivers tend to involve replacement with refurbished units? Or actual physical repair on the unit itself?

p. 84 Owner's manual. Depending on the issue and availability of parts, repair.

Anyone know of any good source direct blu-ray players out there that are reasonably priced? I did contact Oppo and they say all of their players offer source direct but they are $499 and above.

Ironically with the Oppo you wouldn't even want to use it as its video scaling is going to be superior to what the receiver can do.

Very few players offer this as most consumers don't even know or think about it. It's easier to find a good player that scales to 1080p for you. But regardless you will have better luck asking in the blu ray forum than in a Denon receiver thread.

Hi. I have two questions. One in regards to the subwoofer and one in regard to channel level adjustments.

The system I have is this:

TV: Panasonic VT20 Plasma
Blu-ray/DVD Player: Panasonic DMP-BDT100
Receiver: Denon 1911
Speakers:
FL/FR: Energy CF-50
Center: Energy CC-10
L/R Surrounds: Energy CB-5
Subwoofer: Energy ESW-C10

The Sub question: I ran the Audyssey set-up with the sub volume set to 12 o’clock and the low-pass set to 120Hz, phase at ‘0’, and power mode at auto. After calibration it set the sub channel to -8db. Is this a valid setting or is -8 too close to max, and/or too far from 0db? If so then I should run the set-up again? And if I need to run the set-up again what should I do differently next time?

Also, do I keep the low-pass knob on the subwoofer set at 120Hz after set-up is complete? If no, then do I turn the low-pass knob to 80Hz, or to something else?

Second Question: I like the sound of my system after running Audyssey, except I want to bump up the center channel a little to hear dialogue better. Problem is when I hit the channel level button on my remote only three speakers show up on the screen: FL, FR, and the sub. The center channel and surrounds aren’t even on the screen to be adjusted. I’m pretty sure the receiver recognizes them since all speakers were acknowledged during set-up and all speakers were given valuations in the parameter check. So my question is why won’t the center channel and surrounds show up on the channel level screen to be adjusted, and what can I do about it?

I hope the way I phrased these questions kind of makes sense. I’m very far from being an expert in the field of home theater.

Any help and/or advice on this would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

1. The reading of -8 is perfectly fine, the only potential downside is if the auto-on circuit of the sub doesn't trigger at lower volumes because the voltage of the sub pre-out is too low. If the sub doesn't have any problem turning on, then you are fine. The only other reason that the -8 level may be an issue is if you want to have more room for downward adjustment to turn down the sub, since you only have 4dB left to lower it before you hit the wall at -12. But there is nothing inherently wrong with a -8 setting.

2. Do not touch the knobs on the subwoofer after auto setup. Any adjustments should be made in the receiver.

3. If only FR/FR/SW are showing up on the channel level screen, you are listening in STEREO surround mode. Check the input signal and surround mode info.

batpig, thanks a thousand times, mate! Thanks for your advice about the subwoofer, both in terms of the set-up and the knobs, since both of those were a little confusing to me. The sub seems to turn on without issue and gives out good base for the room, so I guess it's all good there.

Thank you so much for your help with the channel level question. What I was doing was trying to adjust the level with only the receiver on, which I guess defaults into stereo mode. So I made sure, this time, to have a Dolby digital source playing when I adjusted the level and sure enough all the speakers showed up to be adjusted.

Again, can't thank you enough!

Looks like my refurb'd 2311 wasn't checked thoroughly. I'm getting the "caution, mic or speaker:none" error right at the beginning of running audyssey. I can hear the tone just fine, but the mic doesn't pick it up. I tried the mic from my 1712 (same model mic) and the error repeated. I substituted a totally different speaker, error repeated. Only source of ambient noise was my dlp tv's cooling fan, so I unplugged it and ran the test without video. Still got the error. Can anyone think of something else I can try? Oh, and I've already done a processor reset. Any ideas are appreciated.

Other than ensuring there is a good connection between the mic cable and the AVR, you might want to try resetting the microprocessor a few more times, otherwise looks like it may have to be returned.