Surround Audio Problem - Pioneer LX500 And Denon X3400H

Dali007

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Hi all,

I wonder if someone can help. For surround audio, I am running a Pioneer LX500 Blu Ray player with a Denon X3400H running my centre and surrounds. The front speakers are run via an Arcam SA30 via the home theatre bypass system.

I don't know what I've done but now when playing music in surround (DTS / DTS MA) it sounds terrible - echoey, the drums sound distant and out of sync. I've tried adjusting settings on the Denon and Pioneer but there's not a great deal you can change, and I can't get to the bottom of it.

I also had my TV (Sony Bravia) linked so that I could play TV audio via the Denon amp, but that's not working now either.

I'm at a loss to know how to fix the surround issue. I have a feeling it should be an easy fix in some settings menu as no speakers have been unplugged or anything, but I'm stumped.

Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks.
 
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I'm a Pioneer LX500 owners so you can discount the LX500 for any problems. All that is doing via HDMI is passing the bitstreamed signal to be Denon to be converted. It could be timing problem between the Denon and the Arcam if you have run room calibration with both amps. You should run Audyssey with the Denon having the front left and right set to LR by-pass. Then run Dirac on the Arcam.

Apart from multichannel music such as SACD (at which the LX500 is superb) I wouldn't put any stereo signals at all through the Denon but use the analogue output straight to the Arcam.
 
@Dali007

I moved you question here as it will more than likely get more answers on this board.
 
Also have a LX500 and agree with Gibbsy.

Have you tried turning off all room correction, i.e. Audyssey and Dirac?
 
I've just tried running Audyssey and it's come up with a phase error for the front left, which is very odd because the speakers haven't been disconnected or moved.
 
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I've just tried running Audyssey and it's come up with a phase error for the front left, which is very off because the speakers haven't been disconnected or moved.

Do you have Dirac switched on for your Arcam? If so, what happens when you switch it off?
 
Do you have Dirac switched on for your Arcam? If so, what happens when you switch it off?

I've not used Drac as yet. It's something I'd like to do but as I understand it it has to be run via a PC. Unfortunately I have a Chromebook.
 
I've not used Drac as yet. It's something I'd like to do but as I understand it it has to be run via a PC. Unfortunately I have a Chromebook.

That's actually good at this point as it means you definitely don't have two room correction systems working in contention.

It appears it was all working before -- is this correct? If so, have you changed any connections? If not, it may just be a button you've pressed by mistake on your remote control. Try cycling through the various surround modes on your Denon AVR.
 
One other thing.....

When playing a DTS / DTS-MA track, is sound coming from all your speakers?
 
You need to activate direct mode for the input that you are using with the Denon.
Without direct mode SA30 will digitize it’s analog inputs and run the signal through DSP, which will cause slight delay and generally not sound good.
 
I've not used Drac as yet. It's something I'd like to do but as I understand it it has to be run via a PC.
That's actually good at this point as it means you definitely don't have two room correction systems working in contention.

It appears it was all working before -- is this correct? If so, have you changed any connections? If not, it may just be a button you've pressed by mistake on your remote control. Try cycling through the various surround modes on your Denon AVR.

The only thing that was changed is that the SA30 was disconnected and reconnected, but I checked the connections last night and everything looks as it should.

I think it may be a button I've pressed or something, but I haven't got to the bottom of it yet. Very strange,
 
The only thing that was changed is that the SA30 was disconnected and reconnected, but I checked the connections last night and everything looks as it should.

I think it may be a button I've pressed or something, but I haven't got to the bottom of it yet. Very strange,

Is it worth doing a factory reset of the SA30 and starting set up of it again?
 
I've run the set up wizzard on the Denon where it plays audio from each channel. The music that is supposed to play from the front left actually plays from the front right. Very strange because no wires on the speakers have been touched at all.
 
Having done some more investigating, I can only think there is a fault with the Denon. There's absolutely no signal from the front left, but it's not a speaker issue. I played a CD through my Arcam player earlier with no issues.
 

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