blu-ray audio help

[brikem05]

Hi all, new member here so I hope this is in the right forum.

I bought The Dark Knight on blu-ray and when I was watching it, the sound would get really low at certain parts (the most noticeable was the scene where the Joker blows up Gotham General Hospital). I have a surround sound system set up, but it doesn't have TrueHD or anything like that.

I've had similar problems watching other movies such as Casino Royale.

I use a PS3 as my blu-ray player and run the audio through a fiber-optic cable.

[Blu-ray Neo]

This is my set-up....


Samsung 46in 1080p LCD with 120hz. (Sam630)
Sony BDPS300 (Firmware 4.30)
Sony STR-DE925 DD 5.1/DTS 5.1 Receiver
Digital Coax connection.

No problems here.


It really sounds like your receiver is way underpowered or your speakers are not up to snuff.

Anybody else have any ideas?

[brikem05]

Originally Posted by Blu-ray Neo

This is my set-up....


Samsung 46in 1080p LCD with 120hz. (Sam630)
Sony BDPS300 (Firmware 4.30)
Sony STR-DE925 DD 5.1/DTS 5.1 Receiver
Digital Coax connection.

No problems here.


It really sounds like your receiver is way underpowered or your speakers are not up to snuff.

Anybody else have any ideas?

I have the Klipsch - Synergy Series Quintet III speaker set, and a Sony receiver (not sure which one, I'll look at it when I get home).

[Blu-ray Neo]

Oops!

As for my speaker set-up, I have an ordinary Sony speakers handling my sound.

Model # SS305

[Blu-ray Neo]

Originally Posted by brikem05

I have the Klipsch - Synergy Series Quintet III speaker set, and a Sony receiver (not sure which one, I'll look at it when I get home).

Give us the model number so we can find out exactly what kind of rated watts your receiver is putting out.

Like I said, it sounds as though the settings on your receiver may be screwed up or it's underpowered.

[brikem05]

I have the Sony STR-DE597 receiver

[Blu-Dog]

Originally Posted by brikem05

I have the Sony STR-DE597 receiver

Specs:

• 6 Channel Power Rating: 100WPer Channel x 6 (8 ohms 1 kHz, THD 0.7%)
• Dolby® Digital, Dolby® Digital EX, dts®, dts ES®, Dolby® Pro Logic® II Decoding

The fact that you have a rated 100 watts per channel, at a whopping .7% distortion level, means you have a lower quality output stage. It's weak, with distortion at the rated level close to 1%. That's not very good.

What happens isthat if you're trying to listen to sounds that are sustained - not pistol shots, but a building falling to the ground, or an airplane taking off or something - the receiver runs out of reserve power for those long passages.

Amplifiers use capacitors, (think of them like a temporary storage battery) to save up juice when it's needed. The cheaper the amplifier, the smaller and less efficient capacitors are installed. Sometimes even the pistol shots can drain small capacitors. So there's no "oomph" for loud sounds, and you're drawing juice directly from the transformer for sound - and the volume starts sinking to lower levels.

This receiver is fine if you're not turning it up for real home theater sound. At lower volume, it's also pretty clean - but when you crank it, it distorts, making sound fuzzy, and finally starts pooping out in volume.

To make sure, try playing the scene again at lower volume. If you don't get changes in volume level, it's the receiver that's giving you the problem.

[brikem05]

There is still a noticeable difference in audio level.

[brikem05]

I borrowed a standard DVD version from a friend and when I watch the same scene on that it sounds fine. There is no difference in audio and the explosion sounds alot better.

[brikem05]

I've been thinking about buying a new receiver and was looking at the Onkyo TX-SR606 7.1 receiver. Is that a good model?

[brikem05]

It's definitely something with the receiver. When I played the movie and ran the audio directly into the TV through HDMI the sound was perfect, no jump in sound and the explosion was not muted at all.

[callas01]

try the pioneer 1018 or the Sony 920 I was between them both when I was deciding, I got the 920 and it is great, the pioneer i liked just a smidge more, but either way they are awesome.

[brikem05]

Do you know anything about the Yamaha RX-V663BL?