*Official* Denon 5308 Thread - Page 153

Keep in mind that all of the "features" added as part of 1.4a are optional. In other words, 1.4a includes 3D, ARC, 4K and a few other items (including the never-yet implemented Ethernet over HDMI). None of those have to be included for a device to have a 1.4a chipset. In other words a TV does not have to include 3D and yet can be considered a 1.4a device.

All of that is irrelevent since Denon officially considers the 5308A with upgrade to be a 1.3c device with 3D passthru. If I understand correctly, the HDMI chipset is still at a 1.3c level but the firmware allows it to pass the 3D video thru and decode the 3D audio, which is in a different part of the HDMI stream than 2D audio (even though the audio has the same capabilities and formats).

So, no ARC, no 4K and certainly no Ethernet over HDMI.

This is why the HDMI Org is trying to get away from listing the version number but instead have manufacturers list what capabilities are supported.

Thanks for the info jd and alk

Hi all, Is Denon selling the 5308ciA with the upgrade already installed. I just got off e-bay to check out what the 5308 is going for. The way it sounds the 3D and all the goodies are installed. That would have to be the case if he said the box is unopened and factory sealed .

^ caution:
1. To my read, nothing in the ebay ad indicates the $1K upgrade has been done. Rather, it seems to be all about the "A" version. And I don't recall anyone posting in the US that they are available with XT32 done already in the box, from Denon.
2. Confirm with Denon that this guy is an authorized dealer or there is NO OEM warranty.

(BTW, the 4311 is about 1.4K from authorized e-resellers)

^^^

iirc, no, the newies (or refurbs, ftm) don't come with the upgrade... the "latest version" refers to the "a"...

if they did, i'd have a HARD time not pulling the trigger on one... although hopefully you'd talk me down...

Denon isn't, no. But in some regions of the world, individual authorized resellers will take your order for a 3D upgraded model and either install the upgrade themselves or ship it to a facility that will upgrade the AVR to 3D. If you are referring to the 5308 on sale by atomspapa, then no, as a factory sealed box, it most likely hasn't had the $1000 upgrade installed, otherwise he'd be selling a brand new 5308 for only $3100. His title is misleading indicating it is 3D.

The 3D part got me looking.

I dropped mine off at Panurgy in NJ and got it back same day. Maybe later tonight I'll have some time to set it up again.

So, it looks like XT32 is afraid to make any low frequency adjustments. Good thing I have a MiniDSP to EQ my subs. This is before and after running XT32.

More graphs from XT32 vs XT testing here:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...5#post21801515

I'm not really impressed with how it handles my subs, XT did better. It handles the other speakers better though.

I thought it did a much better job with the subs than the previous version. I have three subs, two SSW-212s (Infinity Kappa) and one Infinity Intermezzeo sub. The system had me first balance each individually. Sort of like using a sound meter and setting the volume to 72 dbs. I then went through the process and I feel it made a big difference. Everything seems much more in tune.
Manny

If you have a denon 5308 with XT32, I'd be curious to see your before and after graphs for your subwoofer range.

I went back into the Denon and cannot find the curves for the subs. I find the right and left and center but not the subs. Am I not looking correctly?

The subwoofer curves aren't available in that view due to lack of memory in the receiver for the Audyssey programming. That is normal. I meant viewing in room response plotted with something like REW though.

So not sure what you mean by plot via REW. Can you provide some information.
Thanks,
Manny

^^
REW ---> http://www.hometheatershack.com/roomeq/

Well I purchased my AVR-5308A (new) and had it shipped directly to Pyramid Audio for the upgrade. Unfortunately Pyramid Audio could not fulfill their end of the contract and find a way to ship it back to my house. So, we're in the credit card dispute phase. I certainly won't use them again for anything.

However, once my wife retrieves the AVR-5308A is there anything I should watch out for concerning first-time setup?

Why can't Pyramid do the update? Call/send it to Darvish Systems in Richardson, TX. They updated my AVP in one day. They know exactly what they're doing there.

Huh? If your wife is driving up to retrieve the AVR (instead of return shipping), why not just have them install the upgrade first?

I think you missunderstood me. They did the upgrade and then shipped it by a carrier who wouldn't deliver to our house (they chose the freight shipper). Pyramid Audio refused to accept responsibility for that. So, I'll let the credit card company handle that. My wife picked up the unit (60+ miles trip) from the freight shipper.

Anyway, now that I have an upgraded AVR-5308A, anything I should be watching for during my first setup?

^^
As is the case with any unit that is not "new" in the box, you'll want to do a microprocessor reset (p. 75) before starting the Audyssey AUTO SETUP. You'll also want to review the Audyssey Setup Guide linked in my sig for more detailed information to ensure proper Audyssey setup.

Thank you. I'll do that and get ready to hear the difference between the old 5803A and the 5308A.

Sam S, thanks for the referral to Darvish Systems. I have to make a few trips to Dallas every year, so if repairs are ever needed, I can use someone who can be trusted.

Ya, too bad you couldn't use them initially, totally nice fellas there.

I think you'll like the upgrade. The XT32 update made everything sound better on my AVP, not just Audyssey implementation. I think the updated decoders really do provide a sonic benefit.

Hi, sorry to change the subject, I just pick up Sony Digital headphones. With these phones I got a optical digital cabe. I have been using the the doby5.1 plug on the front of the denon.I do have a audio hook up on the phones that I can run to the headphone jack plug. What is better the digital audio on the back or the headphone plug on the front the receiver. I do use HDMI runs

^^
With only HDMI runs, you'll only get audio via the headphone jack.

Any way to get the digital to work on the back optical connectors in the back and still have HDMI runs. And what is better the digital or the analog.

^^
Sure. Connect an optical cable from the source device to OPT2,3, or 4 IN and connect the headphones to the corresponding OPT2,3, or 4 OUT jack. DD 5.1 would likely sound better than analog stereo 2.0, but that's for you to decide.

OK, now back to technical stuff...

I found an interesting bug yesterday (besides the cockroach in the box). It turns out that if you hook-up an older Denon DVD-5910A (still a great DVD-Video/DVD-Audio player) by DenonLink3 and HDMI to the AVR-5308A, the DVD-5910A can't handle it and starts playing random 5.1-channels in two channel mode over DenonLink.

I did a little research, but what finally bypassed the problem was to hook-up a two-channel TV directly to HDMI so it forced two-channel mode and allow multichannel out of the DenonLink. I have to conclude that the DVD-5910A (at least my batch of that model) could not handle sending multichannel output through both the HDMI and the DenonLink. Interestingly disabling the HDMI audio or setting it to two-channel in the 5910 menu did not change anything. Only attaching a 2-channel sink to HDMI fixed the problem

I plan to use a spare matrix switcher and set the EDID to 2-channel and then take the matrix switcher output to the 5308A. That should bypass the problem and keep the DVD-5910A going for a few more years (hopefully).

Interestingly the above work-around did not work. I had the matrix switcher (with one input - the DVD-5910A) in between the DVD-5910A and the AVR-5308A. I set and confirmed that the audio setting on the matrix switcher was set to 2-channel PCM audio only (EDID setting #3).

When I then used the DVD-5910A, the matrix switcher and the AVR-5308A, DenonLink performed exactly as before with a random selection of 2 of the 5.1 channels being output through the two front speakers. However, if I set the AVR-5308A to pass the HDMI audio through to the stereo TV (not "amp"), the DenonLink returns to proper 5.1-channel output without touching a 5910A menu. Of course that changes all of the AVR-5308A HDMI inputs, so that isn't a good workaround.

So, for right now I'm back to using the AVR-5803A component video inputs for the DVD-5910A.

Anybody have any idea why the matrix switcher which can modify the EDID didn't work?

Not really following what it is you're trying to do, but my setup with a 5910ci and a 5805mk2 receiver is that DenonLink3 does the sound and HDMI does the video. You shouldn't need to do any of that other stuff if your settings are geared toward that goal. (Make sure the 5910 is set to output DL3 and your 5803 has DenonLink set as its audio input and your HDMI as its video input (I don't know how that's done on a 5803.) I do switch all of my HDMI thru the 5805mk2 to a single HDMI hookup in my TV (and have my TV audio turned off, fwiw.)