[frankmcma]

I have the HT-SR800 7.1 and did the Audessey setup and its great, I have a PS3 and digital cable...what mode should I leave it on? I am running in via optical cables.


There are so many modes and options...Neo6..PLIIx...Dolby EX...etc. What is the standard mode to leave it on so?


Direct mode seems a little flat...Movie mode, PLIIx Movie, adds some punch so that is what I have it on now. Mainly want the best sound.


I also know that since I am not using HDMI and am using a PS3 for Blu-ray I cannot get all the sound modes..but very curious what you guys have your set to. Ideally a setting or combo of settings that automatically plays the best mode out. Thanks!


Frank

 

[hammong]

There is no "standard" mode to leave it on. You'll have to experiment and see what sounds best to your ears, in your room. Here is a brief run down:


Prologic IIx will take a Dolby Digital 5.1 audio soundtrack and "create" two back channels, effectively turning it into a 7.1 soundtrack. It does this by analyzing the content on the surround left and right tracks, and when it detects the same source coming from both the left and right channel, it applies it in the proper ratio across the back speakers. This will "fill-in" the back soundstage, and give you a more enveloping surround experience.


DTS:Neo-6 does almost exactly the same thing, but it turns a DTS 5.1 soundtrack into a 6.1 soundtrack with a single rear speaker. If you have two rear speakers connected, it plays the back channel data equally across them.


Movie, Sci-Fi, Action, Classical, and other DSP modes that are built into your receiver apply various amounts of reverb and equalization to enhance or alter your sound. Some purists won't use these modes, because they add reverb and equalization that wasn't intended by the movie's director, but they can and do have some appeal to many people.


Dolby Digital EX and DTS-ES are "standard definition" 7.1 audio soundtrack formats, much the same as Dolby Digital and DTS are 5.1 audio soundtrack formats.


For what it's worth, your PS3 decodes audio internally and sends it to your receiver as Linear PCM, which is a decompressed digital stream. The receiver won't detect a "Dolby Digital" or "DTS" signal in the LPCM, but you can still apply Prologic IIx, Neo:6 and the various DSP programs to the digital data. My own personal perference in such cases are to use PL IIx for sources that were orignally Dolby encoded, and Neo:6 for sources that were originally DTS encoded. Your mileage may vary!


Greg

 

[frankmcma]

I think I understand. I am testing with Ice Age The Meltdown, which interestingly has a dolby digital menu with a DTS soundtrack. So when I switch to the movie it goes into PLIIx and when I go back to the menu it switches to Neo-6. The other 7.1 modes I can't use use because the receiver is only HDMI pass through, plus the PS3 does not support some of the HD audio modes.


The confusion for me is the Onkyo remote.Which has four listening mode buttons:


LISTENING MODE


[stereo] [surround] [ ]


It is very unclear from the manual which button to hit to do the settings...the arrows do toggle through the modes..but I am not sure of the correlation between the stereo and surround buttons..any ideas?


F.

 

[hammong]

The "stereo" modes are 2-channel modes, and use the left/right main speakers (and subwoofer, if the speakers are configured as "small" as they should be).


The "surround" modes are everything else, e.g. PL IIx, Neo:6 etc.


I use the "stereo" modes for my iPod, playing CDs, and FM radio. I use the "surround" modes for DVD/Blu-Ray content only.


Greg

 

[frankmcma]

Ah! This makes sense. Forgetting about Stereo mode for a minute..it seems hitting the surround button repeatedly or hitting the left and right arrow buttons accomplishes the same thing..toggling through the (everything else) modes?


It's no wonder once in a while I play a movie and it seems to only be in the front speakers..I must have hit the stereo button. I'll know now to always hit surround and then click the arrow buttons to choose the mode (I really just use the system for movie surround sound)..does this make sense?


The manual..and the remote for that matter..do not make it obvious what buttons do what.


I still need to figure out and decide what mode i want..but at least now I know I need to hit surround (not stereo) before anything.