Surround Sound suggestions for PS3.

[BoardBonobo]

A friend of mine is selling a Pioneer VSX-AX3 audio/video multi channel reciever. I'm just wondering whether anybody has any idea as to whether this would be any good for the PS3?

If not what's a good setup for home cinema using the PS3?

I must confess that I have very little knowledge in this area!!

 

[manux]

For best possible audio experience with ps3 you would want to have audio transferred via hdmi to amplifier. Via spdif one can only get legacy dd/dts soundtracks from blu-ray movies. I personally would get Onkyo 605 or 705 amplifier. I guess sony str-dg710 is one of the cheapest amplifiers supporting audio from hdmi. That pioneer doesn't seem to have hdmi so I would say no to that amplifier.

I recommend reading this avsforum thread

 

[BoardBonobo]

Thanks for that!

 

[kyleb]

I'd likely take that old Pioneer over some of the lower end models with HDMI. But if your display supports HDMI and you've got some respectable speakers to work with, then a receiver which supports multichannel PCM over HDMI is the way to go.

 

[Danalys]

For best possible audio experience with ps3 you would want to have audio transferred via hdmi to amplifier. Via spdif one can only get legacy dd/dts soundtracks from blu-ray movies. I personally would get Onkyo 605 or 705 amplifier. I guess sony str-dg710 is one of the cheapest amplifiers supporting audio from hdmi. That pioneer doesn't seem to have hdmi so I would say no to that amplifier.

I recommend reading this avsforum thread

i've been investigating this and it turns out that the str-dg710 wont do 5.1lpcm.

since then i've discovered the sony ht-sf2000 which will do 5.1lpcm only problem with that is that i'm not sure if it's out in the uk properly yet amason has it but with a 1 to 2 months shipping delay. and it comes with it's own speakers which is bad for those with nice speaker systems already.

 

[manux]

i've been investigating this and it turns out that the str-dg710 wont do 5.1lpcm.

since then i've discovered the sony ht-sf2000 which will do 5.1lpcm only problem with that is that i'm not sure if it's out in the uk properly yet amason has it but with a 1 to 2 months shipping delay. and it comes with it's own speakers which is bad for those with nice speaker systems already.

Are you sure? it does say lpcm supported via hdmi in the specification and also user's are reporting working 5.1lpcm sound... One friend of mine has str-dg710 and said audio worked as expcected.

This guy had some problems with audio due to dvi connector but in the end managed to get working 5.1 lpcm with that sony.

 

[Danalys]

maybe i got confused with another model. been reading about alot of them in a short period of time. but then even in the thread you linked there seems to be some argument about whether it will actually do 5.1lpcm or just 2.0

 

[Danalys]

gorthocar 04-07-07 01:34 PM

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by bajaguy
I just bought the new sony str-dg710 receiver and am trying to set it up to play 5.1 uncompressed. I changed the settings on the ps3 bd/dvd output to lpcm and in the audio output setting switched it to HDMI and had it automatically detect the output format. In the auto detected output formats it detects dd 5.1, dts 5.1, and only lpcm 2 channels. It does not detect any of the lpcm 5.1 khz, if I manually select the lpcm 5.1 khz and try to play a Blu ray disc with 5.1 uncompressed I still only get sound from two channels but their is no speech audio since the center channel is not working. What are those with a PS3 and a receiver capable of decoding the 5.1 pcm doing to set it up? I am assuming that the receiver should automatically detect the 5.1 lpcm. Thanks for the help.
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As we recently discovered, the Sony STR-DG710 does not support 5.1 PCM over HDMI; it is limited to 2 channels of PCM. For me, this eliminates it as being an acceptable new receiver. I need one that can handle 5.1 PCM from my blu-ray player (PS3). I have an RMA# and am sending it back. My old receiver could handle 2 channel PCM over optical.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/printthread.php?t=738511&page=47&pp=30

also this thread surports the same information.
http://boardsus.playstation.com/playstation/board/message?board.id=ps3media&thread.id=68953

i think some people might get confused by the 2.0pcm being converted to surround by pro logic. thinking they are getting a standard of sound that they really aren't.

 

[manux]

I still believe str-dg710 supports 5 channel lpcm. Most likely some people are just not setting the system up correctly like that one guy who mangled the audio via hdmi->dvi connector. Or there is some difference to str-dg710 sold in different continents.

edit

Yet another pointless link

 

[Danalys]

even comparing the blurb on sony style for the 810 and 710 seems to show a difference.

Optimized for Blu-ray Disc™ and most HD Sources
Sony’s A/V Receivers are engineered to be the ideal Blu-ray Disc A/V receiver, fully compatible with the Sony® BDP-S1 Blu-ray Disc™ Player. Superior video switching and audio performance ensure seamless compatibility with today’s demanding HD sources. The STR-DG710 has two High Definition Media Interface™ (HDMI™) inputs that are capable of accepting resolutions up to 1080p, offering the full video quality that Blu-ray Disc format can deliver.

Optimized for Blu-ray Disc™ and most HD Sources
Sony’s A/V Receivers are engineered to be the ideal Blu-ray Disc A/V receiver, fully compatible with the Sony® BDP-S1 Blu-ray Disc™ Player. Superior video switching and audio performance ensure seamless compatibility with today’s demanding HD sources. The STR-DG810 supports Linear PCM and has two High Definition Media Interface™ (HDMI™) inputs that are capable of accepting resolutions up to 1080p, offering the full video quality that Blu-ray Disc format can deliver.

 

[manux]

Check manual for 710, says linear pcm supported.

http://www.superfi.co.uk/index.cfm/page/moreinfo.cfm/Product_ID/3622

But this is pointless as I believe my friend who has that amp+ps3 and says pcm 5.1 sound works.(as say many other on bulletin boards that the amp works).

 

[D3v0ur3r]

You can still get 5.1 sound with the optical out yes?

 

[Danalys]

You can still get 5.1 sound with the optical out yes?

you can get everything but for 5.1 or 7.1 lpcm and DTS HD MA and Dolby TrueHD out of an optical out. DTS MA and Dolby TruHD are normally converted to 5.1 or 7.1 lpcm by the player be that a blu-ray, ps3 or HD-DVD player. so it only really matters if a reciever can handle 5.1 or 7.1 lpcm for the nextgen audio formats.

 

[manux]

You can still get 5.1 sound with the optical out yes?

You get legacy dd(640kbps) or dts(1500kbps) usually from blu-ray via spdif. There are some movies that have only lpcm soundtrack(kungfu hustle) and for those you get only 2 channel output via spdif on PS3.

The main question then is that how good listening environment, speakers and amplifier one must have to hear the difference between legacy dd/dts core and the new higher quality codecs.

 

[Danalys]

well if you can hear a difference between a CD and an mp3 then you'll notice the same difference for the new codecs.

 

[D3v0ur3r]

So how about this. I have the sound going through the HDMI cable to my Monitor. The monitor has an HDMI audio out which I am assuming its just a pass through. I have the HDMI audio out going to my X-Fi sound card on the comp & using my Sennheiser headphones. Should the BD/DVD audio out format be set to Bitstream or Linear PCM?

Also the X-Fi. Should I use the built in decoder or the Dolby Digital, & lastly should the Digital output (PCM) rate be 48 or 96?

Sorry for the lack of knowledge in this area & thanks for the help.

 

[kyleb]

I'd say skip the soundcard and hook your headphones to your monitor.

 

[D3v0ur3r]

I was getting forced to two channel LPCM that way, so I tried the SPDIF into the digital in. The only thing about bout hooking the headphones directly to the monitor is I would have to switch the jack constantly.

 

[zealotonous]

I have a PS3 connected to a an Onkyo605 and it just flat out rocks. Not a single issue this far. And it does support 5.1 pcm. The only dislike I have with the Onkyo605 was the poor documentation on set up. It took me a couple of hours longer than I had hoped to set up. Once set up though, it has been great.

FYI, I am connecting the PS3 to the 605 via HDMI and outputting the signal to a Mitsubishi HD1000u projector via HDMI. Using Orb 5.1 speaker system. Hope this helps.