Best 4K HDR AVR (Audio Video Receivers) for Consoles [2017-2019]

Does Windows Sonic Surround work for non-headphones?
I asked the same question a while back, the answer I got was no. Mcorbo can provide a more detailed answer, but I was asking because I have 2 towers and wondered if it would work, but only headphones will.
 
I asked the same question a while back, the answer I got was no. Mcorbo can provide a more detailed answer, but I was asking because I have 2 towers and wondered if it would work, but only headphones will.

HRTFs work by manipulating the timing and volume of the sounds that reach each ear to simulate sounds coming at you from different positions in space. Headphones make this much easier to do by isolating what is heard in each ear (you don't hear what comes out of the left earphone in the right ear) and placing the drivers right next to each ear so their is no timing variation caused by distance or additional echoes from reflection off of room surfaces.
 
Does Windows Sonic Surround work for non-headphones?

Yeah it only works with headphones.

Non headphone still stuck with the very old windows virtual surround that can emulate more speakers than what physically there.

It needs a mic for calibration, and its not always appears in the sound option for unknown reasons
 
Windows Sonic can support a 8.1.4.4 setup– Left, Right, Center, Side Left, Side Right, Back Left, Back Right, and Back Center; 1 low frequency effects channel; 4 channels above the listener; 4 channels below the listener). And it supports dynamic sound objects, which can be arbitrarily positioned in 3D space.

The actual output format is selected by the user, and can be abstracted from Windows Sonic implementations; audio will be presented to existing speakers, headphones, and home theater receivers without needing any code or content changes. The platform fully supports real-time Dolby Atmos encoding for both HDMI and stereo headphone output, as well as Windows Sonic for Headphones encoding for stereo headphones. Finally, Windows Sonic apps abide by the system mixing policy, and their audio will also be mixed with non-spatially aware apps. Windows Sonic support is also integrated into Media Foundation; apps that use media foundation can successfully play Dolby Atmos content with no additional implementation.

Spatial sound with Windows Sonic supports TVs, home theaters, and sound bars that support Dolby Atmos. Spatial sound can also be used with any pair of headphones the consumer may own, with audio rendered by the platform using Windows Sonic for Headphones or Dolby Atmos for Headphones.

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/mt807491(v=vs.85).aspx
 
@dobwal thanks for sharing the additional details. If only Windows Sonic was available back in the 90's.
 
Hmm. This thread lit an unexpected fire in me. I want to buy a sound bar for TV downstairs and Move my 2 towers back upstairs to my vinyl player. Are the Dolby atmos sound bars connect Direct to TV? How are the setups in this case?
Consoles -> TV -> sound bar?
 
Nope. Console -> bar -> TV
So there is an HDMI out on the sound bar that will go to the TV?
hmmm... this makes the case for the earlier statements about HDMI 2.1 with the VRR, sound bar won't pass it through then... hmm
 
So there is an HDMI out on the sound bar that will go to the TV?
hmmm... this makes the case for the earlier statements about HDMI 2.1 with the VRR, sound bar won't pass it through then... hmm

Well, as far as today's technology is available, my HT-ST5000 can pass through 4k HDR and that's all you need right now. So you plug everything to the bar, then there's an hdmi out to the TV which is also ARC so that you can get sound from the TV back to the bar when you watch TV.
By plugging PS4/Bluray to the TV directly and then TV to the bar, you lose all the lossless formats and Atmos too.
 
Well, as far as today's technology is available, my HT-ST5000 can pass through 4k HDR and that's all you need right now. So you plug everything to the bar, then there's an hdmi out to the TV which is also ARC so that you can get sound from the TV back to the bar when you watch TV.
By plugging PS4/Bluray to the TV directly and then TV to the bar, you lose all the lossless formats and Atmos too.
Nice alright. $2000 CAD for your sound bar. If the price is right on BF, I'm buying in lol.

65" LG B6 with HT-ST5000 with 1X looks to be an expensive November LOL
 
Does all brands have video pass through (which should mean that the receivers does not touch the video signal at all, only sends it to the display)? How do you people minimize receiver input lag?
 
Does all brands have video pass through (which should mean that the receivers does not touch the video signal at all, only sends it to the display)? How do you people minimize receiver input lag?

I haven't noticed any change with input lag with my setup.
 
I suspect pass through should not increase the lag interval. My assumption here is that the signal is being copied and the original passes through. The copied signal is then processed/stripped for audio.

The simple way to test this is to see if the TV can still have audio after pass through. If yes the signal was copied. If no, the signal was stripped of audio and only video pass through.
 
hmmm... this makes the case for the earlier statements about HDMI 2.1 with the VRR, sound bar won't pass it through then... hmm
With HDMI 2.1 you don't need the soundbar to pass-through VRR.
The new eARC functionality from HDMI 2.1 supports object-based sound, meaning you can get that Console -> TV -> soundbar setup with Dolby Atmos.
Just another of the several reasons why people should wait for HDMI 2.1 or alternatively why purchasing a HDMI 2.0a sound device right now would be a big mistake, unless you're content with a very small lifespan like 2 years.
 
With HDMI 2.1 you don't need the soundbar to pass-through VRR.
The new eARC functionality from HDMI 2.1 supports object-based sound, meaning you can get that Console -> TV -> soundbar setup with Dolby Atmos.
Just another of the several reasons why people should wait for HDMI 2.1 or alternatively why purchasing a HDMI 2.0a sound device right now would be a big mistake, unless you're content with a very small lifespan like 2 years.
Uhh... do you have preferred reading material on this? Sigh, I'm really just catching up on the everything now both video and audio. i suppose I can wait. Shit is killing me though lol.
 
Uhh... do you have preferred reading material on this? Sigh, I'm really just catching up on the everything now both video and audio. i suppose I can wait. Shit is killing me though lol.
ARC = Audio Return Channel
http://www.hdmi.org/manufacturer/hdmi_1_4/arc.aspx

Up to HDMI 1.3, if you had a sound receiver->TV setup and you wanted to watch normal DVB from the TV's tuner, you'd need to connect some sound output from the TV to the receiver, needing 2 cables in the process: HDMI for receiver ->TV and optical/analog for TV -> receiver.
HDMI 1.4 brought ARC, which allows the TV to send a sound signal back to the receiver and have the later reproduce the sound.

BwbEVPQ.jpg



This functionality later came in handy for people (like me) with older HDMI 1.4 receivers who eventually upgraded to 4K TVs. Since HDMI pre-2.0 receivers won't passthrough 4K60 video streams, to get 4K + surround sound from e.g. the PS4 Pro I need to do PS4Pro -> TV and then TV -> receiver.
Now the problem with ARC in HDMI 1.4 - 2.0 is that it only supports the same formats as the 20+ year-old SPDIF, meaning you get either the old 5.1 compressed+lossy Dolby Digital and DTS, or 2.0 uncompressed PCM.

So while I got a relatively large upgrade in image quality (1080p->4K, SDR -> HDR) in all the PS4 titles I got a downgrade in sound quality because I used to have the console sending uncompressed/lossless 24bit 5.1 LPCM but now everything must go through the lossy+compressed 16bit Dolby Digital format.




HDMI 2.1 brings eARC (enhanced ARC) which not only supports the lossless 7.1 formats like Dolby Digital TrueHD and DTS:HD, but also extends support for the latest object-based audio formats like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.
If you're using a PC as a source, eARC also supports LPCM (at least up to 8 channels but it's probably more), whereas the old ARC only supports 2 (two) channels.


Pair this with VRR and support for resolution increases at least up to some 8-10 years down the road and it should be obvious that people who want their equipment to last should definitely wait for HDMI 2.1 devices.
 
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ARC = Audio Return Channel
http://www.hdmi.org/manufacturer/hdmi_1_4/arc.aspx

Up to HDMI 1.3, if you had a sound receiver->TV setup and you wanted to watch normal DVB from the TV's tuner, you'd need to connect some sound output from the TV to the receiver, needing 2 cables in the process: HDMI for receiver ->TV and optical/analog for TV -> receiver.
HDMI 1.4 brought ARC, which allows the TV to send a sound signal back to the receiver and have the later reproduce the sound.

BwbEVPQ.jpg



This functionality later came in handy for people (like me) with older HDMI 1.4 receivers who eventually upgraded to 4K TVs. Since HDMI pre-2.0 receivers won't passthrough 4K60 video streams, to get 4K + surround sound from e.g. the PS4 Pro I need to do PS4Pro -> TV and then TV -> receiver.
Now the problem with ARC in HDMI 1.4 - 2.0 is that it only supports the same formats as the 20+ year-old SPDIF, meaning you get either the old 5.1 compressed+lossy Dolby Digital and DTS, or 2.0 uncompressed PCM.

So while I got a relatively large upgrade in image quality (1080p->4K, SDR -> HDR) in all the PS4 titles I got a downgrade in sound quality because I used to have the console sending uncompressed/lossless 24bit 5.1 LPCM but now everything must go through the lossy+compressed 16bit Dolby Digital format.




HDMI 2.1 brings eARC (enhanced ARC) which not only supports the lossless 7.1 formats like Dolby Digital TrueHD and DTS:HD, but also extends support for the latest object-based audio formats like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.
If you're using a PC as a source, eARC also supports LPCM (at least up to 8 channels but it's probably more), whereas the old ARC only supports 2 (two) channels.


Pair this with VRR and support for resolution increases at least up to some 8-10 years down the road and it should be obvious that people who want their equipment to last should definitely wait for HDMI 2.1 devices.
holy crap. Well I have to thank you for posting this, I don't think I would have avoided this cow pie.
Yea it makes sense to wait, all signs point to waiting.

sigh, I guess I'll have to do with DSR for the time being.
 
I'm definitely looking at Dolby Atmos Headphones to tide me over until proper HDMI 2.1 equipment is out. It's that or make due with my current setup and not be able to take advantage of any of the newer protocols and advancements.

I have that new tech-toy itch, but not enough of an itch to purchase stop-gap equipment. Looks like this year isn't going to be as costly as I thought it would be. Perhaps next year is looking to be the costly one, what with a new 4K HDR TV and AVR.
 
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