I have all Bang Olufsen speaker equipment. All speakers come with amplifiers built in. I've been running directly from the HDTV. Do home theater receivers exist that provide line level output? I'd prefer the receiver didn't include amplifiers as it's a waste of my money.
Do receivers with line level only output exist?
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Thanks Scott.
If you or anybody else could give me some advice for best setting up my home theater I would appreciate it.
Here's what i'm working with:
-Sony HX929 55", which only has HDMI/HDMI with ARC/Optical Out/3.5mm Out
-Four B&O 6000 towers that accept RCA
-One B&O center channel
-Playstation 3
Here's what i'd like to accomplish:
-Utilize the best TV output to take advantage of 5.1 audio (ARC or Optical)
-Possibly take advantage of HD audio if I can? I've heard Optical has a limitation for HD Audio, but i'm not sure if the PS3 would even give out HD Audio through HDMI.
-Utilize a pre-amp to build out 5.1.
If you or anybody else could give me some advice for best setting up my home theater I would appreciate it.
Here's what i'm working with:
-Sony HX929 55", which only has HDMI/HDMI with ARC/Optical Out/3.5mm Out
-Four B&O 6000 towers that accept RCA
-One B&O center channel
-Playstation 3
Here's what i'd like to accomplish:
-Utilize the best TV output to take advantage of 5.1 audio (ARC or Optical)
-Possibly take advantage of HD audio if I can? I've heard Optical has a limitation for HD Audio, but i'm not sure if the PS3 would even give out HD Audio through HDMI.
-Utilize a pre-amp to build out 5.1.
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HD audio is available only through the HDMI signal. Your PS3 should be able to provide that depending on the model - thin or fat. Most current AVRs that have preamp outs will likely have HD audio over HDMI. Some do not but they probably won't have preamp output either. Optical carries surround sound DD and DTS among other formats but not HD audio. FWIW I hear very little differences between any of them.
The cheapest pre/pro I know of is the Emotiva UMC-1. I guess they've ironed out the bugs - or at least thats Emotiva's story. For $499 on closeout it might be worth trying it. I don't know of any current models of pre/pros that are 5.1.
The cheapest pre/pro I know of is the Emotiva UMC-1. I guess they've ironed out the bugs - or at least thats Emotiva's story. For $499 on closeout it might be worth trying it. I don't know of any current models of pre/pros that are 5.1.
I bought my PS3 about 5 years ago. It's the PS3 Fat. Is HD Audio possible with that?
Looking at the output specs on my TV, it doesn't even look like the HDMI ports even support HD Audio, or am I misreading something?
HDMI IN 1/2/3/4
-------------------------------
HDMI: Video: 480i, 480p, 720p, 720/24p/30p, 1080i, 1080p, 1080/24p/30p
HDMI: Audio: Two channel linear PCM 32, 44.1 and 48 kHz, 16, 20 and 24 bits, Dolby Digital
Analog audio input (minijack) (HDMI IN 4 only)
ARC (Audio Return Channel) (HDMI IN 1 only)
AUDIO OUT/Headphones
-------------------------------
500 mVrms (typical)
Stereo mini jack / Impedance: ≥ 16 ohms
DIGITAL AUDIO OUT (OPTICAL)
-------------------------------
PCM/Dolby Digital optical signal
Looking at the output specs on my TV, it doesn't even look like the HDMI ports even support HD Audio, or am I misreading something?
HDMI IN 1/2/3/4
-------------------------------
HDMI: Video: 480i, 480p, 720p, 720/24p/30p, 1080i, 1080p, 1080/24p/30p
HDMI: Audio: Two channel linear PCM 32, 44.1 and 48 kHz, 16, 20 and 24 bits, Dolby Digital
Analog audio input (minijack) (HDMI IN 4 only)
ARC (Audio Return Channel) (HDMI IN 1 only)
AUDIO OUT/Headphones
-------------------------------
500 mVrms (typical)
Stereo mini jack / Impedance: ≥ 16 ohms
DIGITAL AUDIO OUT (OPTICAL)
-------------------------------
PCM/Dolby Digital optical signal
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Another option is to get an AVR with pre-outs (i.e. just don't use the amp section in the AVR) - gives you more options to consider, depending on the features they have that are important to you. An example is the Pioneer VSX-1120 / 1121. The 1120 was selling for $500 or less a few months ago, not sure about now, or the 1121 price.
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I don't know if that PS3 is HD audio capable - I don't think it is. Your TV is almost certainly not HD audio capable - the only audio outputs are 2 channel stereo and optical/coax which are often stereo only from a TV - neither of those are HD capable. You'll need an AVR or PrePro with HD audio HDMI. HD audio isn't the end-all and be-all of home theater however - and there aren't that many movies recorded in HD audio - or coded for it. Yet.
As for AVRs - Brad Horstkotte mentioned two good ones - and you might consider buying refurbished from accessories4less.com for some very good buys on Onkyo and Marantz AVRs. ShopOnkyo.com also sells at very good prices at times. Harman Kardon routinely sells their surplus refurbished AVRs on ebay for very good prices. As a general guide to HK the three digit models of a 2xx, 3xx, 5xx etc all have preamp outputs. Their four digit models like the 1600, 2600 and 3600 do not all have preamp outs - only the 3600 has them.
As for AVRs - Brad Horstkotte mentioned two good ones - and you might consider buying refurbished from accessories4less.com for some very good buys on Onkyo and Marantz AVRs. ShopOnkyo.com also sells at very good prices at times. Harman Kardon routinely sells their surplus refurbished AVRs on ebay for very good prices. As a general guide to HK the three digit models of a 2xx, 3xx, 5xx etc all have preamp outputs. Their four digit models like the 1600, 2600 and 3600 do not all have preamp outs - only the 3600 has them.
Of course it is capable. Every PS3 ever made is capable of HD audio. The first couple of models can only uncompress the lossless compressed audio formats such as Dolby True HD and DTS-HD-Ma and send them as PCM through HDMI. The later PS3s can do the above as well as send the compressed bitstream as-is to let the AVR uncompress it. Either way, lossless stays lossless.
bommai it looks like you are correct. my mistake my ps3 is only 2 years old. i found a snippet off another posting about this:
----with the old "fat" PS3, when you select "bitstream" from the triangle menu, you are not getting DTS HD audio, only DTS. this is because the old PS3 can't send the HD signal via bitstream. On the old PS3, to listen to HD audio, you have to allow the PS3 to decode the audio, not send it to the receiver to be decoded. This means that you select "linear PCM"....you should see a PCM light on your 308 receiver. Your listening mode should be set to "multichannel".----
It looks like my tv is not HD Audio capable but definitely pushes 5.1 in DD and DTS. http://store.sony.com/webapp/wcs/sto...specifications
Based on my setup. I'm still wondering how to properly wire everything up. Should I connect a pre-amp up to the HDMI ARC off the TV and branch out to the PS3 and other HDMI devices from there? My concern is if I do that I am not sure if audio is feed out to thru ARC while i'm in CATV mode watching cable which is connected to the TV or using Pandora or whatever built into the TV in CATV mode.
----with the old "fat" PS3, when you select "bitstream" from the triangle menu, you are not getting DTS HD audio, only DTS. this is because the old PS3 can't send the HD signal via bitstream. On the old PS3, to listen to HD audio, you have to allow the PS3 to decode the audio, not send it to the receiver to be decoded. This means that you select "linear PCM"....you should see a PCM light on your 308 receiver. Your listening mode should be set to "multichannel".----
It looks like my tv is not HD Audio capable but definitely pushes 5.1 in DD and DTS. http://store.sony.com/webapp/wcs/sto...specifications
Based on my setup. I'm still wondering how to properly wire everything up. Should I connect a pre-amp up to the HDMI ARC off the TV and branch out to the PS3 and other HDMI devices from there? My concern is if I do that I am not sure if audio is feed out to thru ARC while i'm in CATV mode watching cable which is connected to the TV or using Pandora or whatever built into the TV in CATV mode.
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You are going about it all wrong. Try to input everything into the avr, not the tv. Then send video only to the tv. If using the tv to stream then just connect a digital audio from the tv back into the receiver. But connect everything else to the receiver only. Or run the video to the tv and audio to the stereo. Don't force other audio inputs to pass through tv.
You are going about it all wrong. Try to input everything into the avr, not the tv. Then send video only to the tv. If using the tv to stream then just connect a digital audio from the tv back into the receiver. But connect everything else to the receiver only. Or run the video to the tv and audio to the stereo. Don't force other audio inputs to pass through tv.
Thanks kikkenit2. Appreciate the advice.
I had one final question. I am honestly overly impressed with what my Sony HX929 and PS3 do for me already without adding in more video processing. I was thinking of simply tapping into the Optical and processing audio out into 5.1 from there.
I'm wondering:
-Do Pre-Pros exist for audio only?
-Besides not getting possible advantages of HD Audio, are there any downsides to setting things up this way in regards to quality, A/V sync issues, etc?
I had one final question. I am honestly overly impressed with what my Sony HX929 and PS3 do for me already without adding in more video processing. I was thinking of simply tapping into the Optical and processing audio out into 5.1 from there.
I'm wondering:
-Do Pre-Pros exist for audio only?
-Besides not getting possible advantages of HD Audio, are there any downsides to setting things up this way in regards to quality, A/V sync issues, etc?
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3,297 Posts
Honestly when watching high def I prefer no preamp/processor or avr mess with the video. Running video straight to the tv is usually a good thing. I run all hdmi into receiver for convenience mainly. And very convenient it is. And I get way better sound than anything coming out of a tv. Most receivers won't degrade video that much. The main thing is avoid putting the tv in the audio path.
Honestly when watching high def I prefer no preamp/processor or avr mess with the video. Running video straight to the tv is usually a good thing. I run all hdmi into receiver for convenience mainly. And very convenient it is. And I get way better sound than anything coming out of a tv. Most receivers won't degrade video that much. The main thing is avoid putting the tv in the audio path.
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