oh boy do I need some help or what

[DejayT]

I've tried to read as much as poss on here about HDMI and connections to AV amps. I'm no technophobe but the sheer amount of audio/video formats is pretty daunting, particularly the audio.

I would like to connect by PC/Blu-ray to TV through an AV amp with at least 5.1 outputs... here's what kit I have:

Panasonic TH50PX70 720p plasma
1. PC with LG HDDVD/BluRay rom drive through an Nvidia 9600GT with HDMI out & SPDIF audio out
2. A PS3
3. Virgin HD box

After much consideration, for the AV amp I'm looking at the Onkyo TX SR576 as it has 3 hdmi inputs. But... I cannot figure out exactly what it will and won't do with my setup with regard to the many video and audio formats etc.

Could some kind soul please let me know what limitations, if any, this amp will impose on my components. I don't think by the way that the hdmi on my 9600gt vid card carries audio. Currently sound comes through the PC sound card but I would rather use the SPDIF on the Vid card I guess.

Or maybe there's a better amp choice for under £300? I only need 5.1 really.

 

[davepuma]

The 576 will suit you fine as it can handle audio over HDMI, in LPCM format from your PS3 using the PS's built in decoder to decode all formats including HD audio. It will cope with bitstream audio over HDMI from your cable box and also optical (spdif) from your PC's soundcard. I think the only current model around that can do what you want at a similar price with the same (or more) HDMI inputs is the Sony 820. I don't think any of the budget Yamaha or Denons have the required number of inputs. Yamaha's new budget models can handle LPCM but are limited to 2 and Denon's new budget 09 models (below the 1909) can't do LPCM IIRC. I'm not sure about Pioneer's latest stuff as I don't think it's been launched yet.

 

[DejayT]

Thanks very much for your opinion DP, much appreciated!

 

[DejayT]

ok I got the Onkyo 576 and it is an awesome piece of kit for the price. Definitely recommended!

One thing I didn't realise though, the sub output is line only and I have a passive subwoofer. Then I remembered I had an old NAD 3020 in the loft I could use to drive the sub box. The NAD is 30 or 35w rms per channel, but of course the sub out is mono and using just one channel of this amp isn't really cutting it with the 300w max sub.

My question is... is it ok to split the sub out on the 576 into 2 phono's in order to use both channels of the amp? I would also need to wire both speaker outs into the single sub input. I'm concerned that doing this might amage the amp, the 576 or both but I'm more worried about the 576 than the NAD.

If I can't do that, since I don't need a high quality amp for the sub, is there anywhere I could get a cheap mono amp for it for under £75, 75-100w rms should do it. I spent an about searching the web and couldn't find anything.

 

[dwhite]

Why don't you just get an active sub? Ask in the subwoofer forum, they can probably advise.

 

[DejayT]

well I just bought the 576, plus a Tosh hdmi dvd player, plus an LG bluray/hddvd rom drive for the pc.... you get the idea.
so it would be cool if I could use the sub and amp I have.