[Rob Gillespie]

The audio setup menu allows you to stipulate whether a subwoofer is used or not and has large/small settings for the other speakers. It would stand to reason that if the sub was set to NO, then the LFE signal would be fed through to the main speakers - just like any other 5.1 processor would do.


However with this configuration, the LFE signal is gone completely. I'm getting none of the LFE signal coming through the analogue outputs at all.


I had to sell my sub a few months ago as I now live in a flat. What this basically means is that I cannot use the analogue audio connects from the DVD-2900, relying instead on the digital connection to my Denon AVC-A1 amp. The AVC-A1 is quite happy to downmix LFE but obviously the 2900's analogue audio sounds better.


Anyone managed to get this working or is it just another addition to my list of 2900 disappointments?

 

[Q of BanditZ]

I'd be curious to read your entire list of 2900 disapointments as I am fooling with the idea of getting a refurbed one.... thanks.

 

[Rob Gillespie]

More mechanical noise than the £100 Pioneer player I bought for my girlfriend last Christmas.


Sub-par RGB output via SCART which looks worse than S-Video (European model only)


Cannot downmix LFE channel so useless for people without a subwoofer.


Crap, crap user ergonomics


Oh - and I'm now on my third 2900, by the way. First one had even more mechanical noise. Second one had completely duff SCART output.


I'm seriously contemplating selling it and going for another Pioneer. I really miss my old DV-09.

 

[YvesC]

Hi Rob,


check this thread: Quick 5900 BM Question


Like I stated there, a Dutch guy got the reply from Denon Europe that indeed the 2900 cannot redirect the .1 to the mains, because no DSP processor

I do believe though that this inability was only present for SACD, don't know about DVD-A/-V, can you confirm this?


From the thread above it seems that the DVD-A11 may have the same issue

I wished DenonJeff could pop in and clarify this point!

It really surprises me that Denon managed to offer Time Delay in the DSD-domain, but at the expense of Bass Management (which even first generation players could offer... )


I'm holding off to buy the upcoming 3910, but I wish this LFE problem will be solved, because I also have 5 full range speakers but no sub (neighbours + don't feel the need for it with my speaker configuration)


Anyway, this is very, very disappointing. Why the hell the option of setting Subwoofer to NO??? To they mention anything about it in the manual???

I really would like a proper explanation for this tremendous shortcoming!

 

[Rob Gillespie]

>> "Why the hell the option of setting Subwoofer to NO??? To they mention anything about it in the manual??? "


I cannot see any point to the option.


The manual is terrible. Translated by some guy who learned English last week.

 

[catapult]

Quote:

>> "Why the hell the option of setting Subwoofer to NO??? To they mention anything about it in the manual??? "

That's so bass from the center and surrounds can be redirected to the mains. You usually don't want to play the LFE track of DVD-A/SACD disks anyway if you have full range speakers and/or good bass management. There aren't any real standards but the most common way to record those disks is with all the bass you "need" in the 5 channels. The .1 channel duplicates all that bass for those with small speakers and no bass management. So, if you play all 5.1 channels, you're actually getting double bass.

http://www.telarc.com/surround/sacd.asp


"Your surround receiver or preamplifier may have "Bass Management." This circuit, when used with main speakers of limited bass response (as in satellite + sub-woofer systems), shifts the low frequencies from the main channels to the sub-woofer channel. In such a setup, do not use the signal from the ".1" or LFE track output — rather, set the Bass Management system to derive the subwoofer signal from the front left/right tracks. The performance of the subwoofer will improve following this guideline. "