Can your wife/gf tell the diff b/n Optical & HD audio?

[awongus]

Hi all. Fairly new to this awesome site and am currently debating whether to upgrade my old non-HDMI receiver (a Denon 1802) to a newer one with HDMI inputs/outputs so I can enjoy Dolby and DTS HD sound. I'm not a major audiophile, so I'm pretty happy with DD and DTS as it is now (thru my optical cable), but I keep reading on this site about the joys & wonders of "lossless" audio and would like to experience it for myself.

My question is this: will my wife (who knows/cares next to nothing about audio tech) really notice a difference b/n optical and HDMI audio? Does yours? My thinking is that if the wife notices a difference, then I definitely will...and the decision to upgrade will be a no brainer.

[Uniquely]

Originally Posted by awongus

Hi all. Fairly new to this awesome site and am currently debating whether to upgrade my old non-HDMI receiver (a Denon 1802) to a newer one with HDMI inputs/outputs so I can enjoy Dolby and DTS HD sound. I'm not a major audiophile, so I'm pretty happy with DD and DTS as it is now (thru my optical cable), but I keep reading on this site about the joys & wonders of "lossless" audio and would like to experience it for myself.

My question is this: will my wife (who knows/cares next to nothing about audio tech) really notice a difference b/n optical and HDMI audio? Does yours? My thinking is that if the wife notices a difference, then I definitely will...and the decision to upgrade will be a no brainer.

My wife does not... but then she has hearing problems. I just say "doesn't that sound great?" or "wow that sounds like crap!" and she agrees.

[kingofgrills]

My wife can't tell the difference, but to be honest, I've never asked. Heck, she doesn't even notice when I change out components or speakers.

She does think the system sounds great though. She knows this is a hobby of mine, so she's okay with the home theater project that's underway.

[Zman2k2]

My wife notices that it's louder. Not necessarily the addition of detail, but the power. Does that help?

[Deadset]

All I hear is "Turn it down, it's too loud" or translated "wooowaahhh waaahhowhooo"

[DeadDog]

I won't say my wife really notices. However, just the other day we were watching a blu-ray (I believe it was WB title withouy HD-audio) and part way into the movie she says "Does this sound bad to you? It seems quiet and far away". The volume was at the same level, actually a little higher than normal, and I just told her it's only DD and she's used to the better clarity of HD-Audio. See agreed.

It was the same going from DVD PQ to Blu-ray PQ. At first she didn't notice a "huge" difference. But now that we pretty much only watch blu-rays, if I ever put in a DVD she always mentions how bad it looks.

So the jump "up" wasn't really noticable to her, but steping back down is a whole other story.

[Johnny Vinyl]

Originally Posted by awongus

Hi all. Fairly new to this awesome site and am currently debating whether to upgrade my old non-HDMI receiver (a Denon 1802) to a newer one with HDMI inputs/outputs so I can enjoy Dolby and DTS HD sound. I'm not a major audiophile, so I'm pretty happy with DD and DTS as it is now (thru my optical cable), but I keep reading on this site about the joys & wonders of "lossless" audio and would like to experience it for myself.

My question is this: will my wife (who knows/cares next to nothing about audio tech) really notice a difference b/n optical and HDMI audio? Does yours? My thinking is that if the wife notices a difference, then I definitely will...and the decision to upgrade will be a no brainer.

What makes you so sure that YOU will?

John

[curse]

this is kind of funny using wifes/gfs as test bunnies. Although i agree!

Unfortunatly mine agrees with everything i say even if its a lie so tests are inconclusive.

[Suntory_Times]

I don't have a wife or g/f, so tests can not be conducted.

[HAMP]

Originally Posted by John72953

What makes you so sure that YOU will?

John

lol!!!!!!!!!

Mine does, sometimes she will ask when watching a DVD "Why doesn't it sound as clear" and I tell her it's a DVD and not a blu-ray. She then goes why didn't you rent it on blu-ray, I saw you standing in front of the blu-ray section.

"It wasn't in dear"

[Beta Man]

My wife doesn't notice the difference between lossy/lossless, but does comment on how good movies sound in general.

One of our "routines" is to often listen to some jazz etc. in the dark after watching a film....

[Sussudio]

Originally Posted by robinandtami

My wife does not...I just say [insert anything here] and she agrees.

and THAT's the mark of a good wife!!

I kid, I kid..

[awongus]

Originally Posted by John72953

What makes you so sure that YOU will?

John

Well, her ears can only differentiate b/n 2 settings: acceptable and too loud. I, on the other hand, can appreciate a wider range.

BTW, thx for all the comments guys. Can't say this has made the decision any easier...but I think I already had my mind made up anyway.

[1blufan]

My girlfriend gave me crap for going and purchasing a new receiver, thought she might not notice. Thought I could get by telling her why there's a new remote was because it was a universal one. Didn't work.
We've watched several movies using the HD audio source, and I would ask her if she could notice the difference, her reply no.
The other night we watched Into the blue,( so-so film,good underwater shots) it had a dolby digital 5.1 and a pcm uncompressed track. We watched the first few minutes with the plane crash at the beginning in DD then rewatched it in pcm. She instantly could tell the difference with the pcm,better sound direction, better sound detail, a wider sound field and she also picked up smaller more discrete sounds she didn't notice in the DD track.
For me this was the best way to have her believe there was a good reason for buying a new receiver. She's still gets a little pissed that I thought she wouldn't notice a new one.

[HiDefRev]

As "Uncle Louis" stated in CHRISTMAS VACATION, " She couldn't hear a dump truck crashing through a nitroglycerin factory ". Just as long as she gets to watch "her shows" and Crimson Tide football ( yes, she loves the Tide's football ), she is happy. But I am very fortunate. She knows nothing of our HT setup, and doesn't notice nor care when something new is added !!

[Psychonaut]

Not from the kitchen she can't!

[Silo5]

The only difference my wife can see is Hi-Def TV over Standard Def-TV. As far as HD sound and blu-ray, she could care less. But at least she doesn't stop me from enjoying my hobby.


*EDIT* FWIW, I just became a Senior Member with this post

[Mubbly]

@1-17

[Sciatti]

Originally Posted by awongus

Hi all. Fairly new to this awesome site and am currently debating whether to upgrade my old non-HDMI receiver (a Denon 1802) to a newer one with HDMI inputs/outputs so I can enjoy Dolby and DTS HD sound. I'm not a major audiophile, so I'm pretty happy with DD and DTS as it is now (thru my optical cable), but I keep reading on this site about the joys & wonders of "lossless" audio and would like to experience it for myself.

My question is this: will my wife (who knows/cares next to nothing about audio tech) really notice a difference b/n optical and HDMI audio? Does yours? My thinking is that if the wife notices a difference, then I definitely will...and the decision to upgrade will be a no brainer.

awongus, welcome to the site. Question: What player do you have? If its one that can internally decode lossless audio, you may not need a new receiver right away to experience losseless HD audio. Read this thread by crackinhedz:

Have an old school receiver (non-HDMI) and want Lossless audio??
https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=17648

Your Denon 1802 has multichannel analog inputs (as does my Denon 3803). I've been enjoying lossless HD audio in the analog realm ever since I read that thread. You'll hear a difference right away.

As for the topic of the thread, I don't have a wife or g/f, but my 16 year old son says "losseless audiio rules".

[tilallr1]

Originally Posted by HAMP

lol!!!!!!!!!

Mine does, sometimes she will ask when watching a DVD "Why doesn't it sound as clear" and I tell her it's a DVD and not a blu-ray. She then goes why didn't you rent it on blu-ray, I saw you standing in front of the blu-ray section.

"It wasn't in dear"

Yeah I hear you. If she can't tell she is watching a blu-ray vs a DVD, then don't expect she'll hear a difference between Lossy and Lossless.

IMO, the difference is not as night and day as the difference between picture quality of blu and dvd. For me personally, sound improved much more via a speaker upgrade then my receiver upgrade. I would spend the money there first, if you haven't already. Also, going from 5.1 to 7.1 also helped a lot.