Audio vs Video Quality

[rsway]

I'm thinking about upgrade to a receiver that can take advantage of lossless audio. My question to everyone is:

What is a bigger difference? (Blu-ray vs upscaled DVD) or (lossy DD/DTS vs lossless audio ie PCM or DTS MA)

Thanks.

[Pelican170]

This is apples to oranges. It has alot to do with what equipment you have bought and what if you prefer audio over video or video over audio...

[Slec]

Originally Posted by Pelican170

This is apples to oranges. It has alot to do with what equipment you have bought and what if you prefer audio over video or video over audio...

Hit the nail on the head... OP, What is your current setup?

[rsway]

Player: PS3
TV: Sony 50A2020, 1080P SXRD
Amp: Onkyo, lower end. Has only DTS and DD
Speakers: Polk audio, satellite speakers.

I know it's apples to oranges, but I was asking about how big of a difference it was between lossless audio vs lossy audio? I guess it's a poor question without knowing the setup. Just like blu-ray wouldn't look appreciably better on a non HD CRT. But above is my set up. You think it would be worth it to upgrade to a Onkyo 605 or 705.?

[DutchBoy]

Originally Posted by rsway

Player: PS3
TV: Sony 50A2020, 1080P SXRD
Amp: Onkyo, lower end. Has only DTS and DD
Speakers: Polk audio, satellite speakers.

I know it's apples to oranges, but I was asking about how big of a difference it was between lossless audio vs lossy audio? I guess it's a poor question without knowing the setup. Just like blu-ray wouldn't look appreciably better on a non HD CRT. But above is my set up. You think it would be worth it to upgrade to a Onkyo 605 or 705.?

The difference between the two is night and day.

[Slec]

Originally Posted by DutchBoy

The difference between the two is night and day.

^ I'm still after you

And he's absolutely right. It's a major difference in audio difference. It's one of those things where you can't help but smile the first time you hear it.

[rsway]

Big difference even with my speaker setup?

[DutchBoy]

Originally Posted by Slec

^ I'm still after you

And he's absolutely right. It's a major difference in audio difference. It's one of those things where you can't help but smile the first time you hear it.

Leave me alooooonnneeee...

Yeah -- I threw Cars in the other day with PCM on and cranked up my new receiver. Even on a system with speakers that aren't the class of any field (they're just satellite/shelf speakers) it was like I was having a concert in my living room.

[Lucy Diamond]

The imaging is crazy now.

Wheras with your basic DTS track, you will have things panning left and right and swooshing around you; you will now have things hanging in the air directly in front of you and to the right.

You have to experience it to get what I'm talking about and it takes a lot of tweaking and dialing to get to that level, but it's crazy insane.

[Slec]

One of the really good things is that you can realize the difference even without top quality speakers. When I upgraded to better fronts there was marked improvement, but just swapping out my receiver to an Onkyo 605 made a tremendous difference.

[DutchBoy]

Originally Posted by Slec

One of the really good things is that you can realize the difference even without top quality speakers. When I upgraded to better fronts there was marked improvement, but just swapping out my receiver to an Onkyo 605 made a tremendous difference.

+1

[beavis667]

Video can be upscaled, audio can't.

[SDon1969]

These folks are right, just upgrading my receiver to a 605 and keeping my 7 old Sony crapolie speakers made a world of difference, no regrets whatsoever.

[musicman1999]

Imagine how good it would be with good speakers. An audio system is like a chain, only as good as the weakest link.

bill

[welwynnick]

Originally Posted by beavis667

Video can be upscaled, audio can't.

Well, actually, you can.

It's called up-sampling and over-sampling.

Nick

[jkwest]

I tell people who ask about Blu-ray that visually is only half of the upgrade...if you are willing to make the investment into HiDef, then, you need to make the whole step and make sure you can "hear" the upgrade as well.

[Gojdo]

I have an Onkyo 605 on the way, my question is:
If I go from my PS3 with HDMI cable to the receiver, then go with HDMI to my HDTV, the receiver pass the signal (audio/video) to the HDTV even with the receiver turn Off or not?

[jkwest]

Originally Posted by Gojdo

I have an Onkyo 605 on the way, my question is:
If I go from my PS3 with HDMI cable to the receiver, then go with HDMI to my HDTV, the receiver pass the signal (audio/video) to the HDTV even with the receiver turn Off or not?

Nope.

Receiver must be powered on.

The receiver has two HDMI inputs. So it acts like a switcher. It needs power to know which signal to send through.

[JimSD]

Originally Posted by rsway

Player: PS3
TV: Sony 50A2020, 1080P SXRD
Amp: Onkyo, lower end. Has only DTS and DD
Speakers: Polk audio, satellite speakers.

I know it's apples to oranges, but I was asking about how big of a difference it was between lossless audio vs lossy audio? I guess it's a poor question without knowing the setup. Just like blu-ray wouldn't look appreciably better on a non HD CRT. But above is my set up. You think it would be worth it to upgrade to a Onkyo 605 or 705.?

I'll go against the grain and say the audio improvement for you will be more subtle in many cases than the difference between Blu-ray and upconverted DVD. I had a similar audio setup as you - an Onkyo TX-SR500 (or 501?) receiver and Polk satellite speakers. First I upgraded to an Onkyo 705 receiver a few months ago. I did notice an improvement with lossless audio, but it wasn't as obvious to me as the video improvement that Blu-ray provides. That said, the lossless audio was very noticeable on a movie like Cars or Pirates of the Caribbean:AWE. You can play them at louder volumes without fatiguing your ears. I recently upgraded the Polk satellites because I felt they were the limiting factor for me, but haven't really had a chance to listen to a lossless track all the way through yet. Expect to hear a difference, but maybe not a 'not and day' difference.