Hooking up a SACD Player

[Leslie]

I thought I had the new Sony 555ES properly hooked up to the RDC-7 until I discovered that I wasn't getting any multichannel sound at all. 2-channel sounds terrific. But, when I run white noise test tones, only the L&R fronts are outputting sound.

I've got the 6 cables coming from the 555ES' output to the RDC-7's DB-25 analog bypass. I've also attached audio interconnects for 2-channel sound. Finally, I have digital coax running to the correct digital input on the RDC-7.

I've set the OSD to multichannel sound and correctly indicated the digital input. There's not much in the manual about SACD players, but I thought I had it right.

I don't know what else to do. Of course, there's always a possibility that I've got a dud SACD player, but I'm afraid it's my inability to hook up components properly. Help!
Leslie

[danyu]

Sounds bizarre. Have you tried disconnecting the 2-channel analog inputs? I don't think these are really necessary as my understanding is that the 5.1ch inputs already incorporate 2-channel signals. Maybe the 2-channel inputs somehow fool the processor into thinking that you don't have multichannel inputs connected. A long shot, for sure, but easy to check.

By the way, are you using the DB25-6RCAFemale adapter that came with the RDC-7, or did you purchase a single DB25-6RCAMale cable?

Dan

[Leslie]

I'm using the adapter than came with the RDC-7 into which my audio interconnects fit.

I was told by another 555ES owner that I had to have cables both for the L&R stereo as well as for the multichannel. That's why I have both. Plus the digital coax (which seems strange on the face of it, I'll grant). However, I followed his instructions.

I've gotten another post which has directed me to another activation thing I apparently have to do. Will try that. Here's hoping that fixes it.

I feel really, really dumb about now being able to get the thing working (and my husband is giving me The Look).
Leslie

[Leslie]

1. You HAVE to have the two-channel audio interconnects connected or there's absolutely no sound at all from the L&R fronts. I've verified this by unhooking these cables.

2. The multichannel button is lit when a multichannel disc is in the machine.

3. Still NO multi-channel test tones.
Leslie

[Burke Strickland]

Leslie -

If you HAVE to have the two channel audio interconnect cables connected to get any sound at at all from the L/R front channels, then it would appear that you are not getting any signal at all from the multi channel connection. That does not necessarily mean the connection is defective, it may just mean that at another "multi channel" option needs to be invoked.

You have an "upgraded" RDC-7, right? (Includes Dolby Prologic II, among other features.) Check out page 11 of the "Instruction Manual for upgraded unit". By inference, the "Audio" button is the ultimate control of the multi channel input. The "Audio" button is at teh center on the left edge of the remote just below the control "ring" segment marked "CH" and to the left of the segment marked "EXIT RETURN".

Press the AUDIO button on the remote controller to change the audio mode. Each time the button is
pressed, the mode changes from “AUTO” → “Multichannel” → “Analog” and back to “AUTO.” The “AUTO” audio mode is recommended for normal circumstances.

AUTO (automatic detection): With this setting, this unit automatically detects whether the input signal is digital or analog. When a digital signal is not input, then the analog signal is played. This setting is effective when the input source is assigned to Digital Input in Audio Setup.

Multichannel: Select this setting to play back the input from the component connected to the MULTI CHANNEL INPUT port. This setting is effective when the Multichannel setting in “2-2. Multichannel Setup” is set to “Yes.”

Analog: Select this setting to play back the input from a source component connected to an analog audio input jacks. With this setting, even if a digital signal is input from the same component, only the analog signal will be
output.

So, be sure to toggle the "Audio" button on the remote, and make sure that "multichannel" is the option that is displayed... note that "Auto" mode switches between "digital" and "analog" -- but does NOT pay any attention to the "multichannel" connection. (IOW, if you MUST have this set to "multichannel" to get "multichannel" sound.)

Good luck!

Burke

[Leslie]

Thanks, Burke. Another poster had led me to the RDC-7 page in the addendum which explained the toggle use of the audio button. Did it and I got sound from the left, right, center and subwoofer channels. However, I still cannot get test tones or sound out of the surrounds. At the moment, my side surrounds are in boxes, along with the new 2-channel amp, in the guest room awaiting installation. To cheat, I connected my rear surrounds into the side surround analogy bypass connection (just to make certain I was getting sound until the new stuff was up and running).

Don't understand WHY I'm not getting sound out of these two speakers when I'm getting it out of the others! Thanks so much for reminding me to look in the addendum (and thanks to the other guy who sent me there). I thought I'd read EVERY thing about multichannel selection on the RDC-7, but had overlooked these key paragraphs.
Leslie

[Burke Strickland]

Another poster had led me to the RDC-7 page in the addendum which explained the toggle use of the audio button.

It's a shame they didn't share that with us here! :>) Glad you are making some incremental progress with this...

Burke

[Leslie]

Still no sound out of the surrounds. I called IR this morning and the tech couldn't solve it immediately either. I'm waiting on the next higher level of tech support (it's been 4.5 hours so far -- glad I haven't been holding my breath).
Leslie

[Leslie]

Good thing I didn't hold my breath waiting for Integra to call back. They never did.

Today two new Martin Logan Cinemas were finally installed, along with the Proceed BPA2 amp. I revisited all the settings (I thought) and am getting white noise when testing both through the RDC-7 AND a through a separate test on the Sony SACD player. So, the multichannel hookup is working.

The bad news is that I can't get sound out of the side surrounds when I'm playing multi-channel SACD discs. I've set the multi-channel input to Yes; and I've used that teeny, little audio button. Aarrgghh. Obviously, there's some blasted software input/whatever that I haven't configured propertly, but I've really gone through that multi-page manual until it's nearly worn out. I just can't figure out what I've done wrong!
A very cranky, irritable Leslie (also poorer)

[Leslie]

VICTORY!! I got help today and everything is working. I'm still not completely certain WHY, although I was taking notes and trying to watch the pro flying fingers.

The Sound is Glorious in multichannel playing Sacred Feast (all I have right now encoded in multichannel). Don't worry, Burke, the sides are not obtrusive, but add to the ambience of being in a huge cathedral.

In addition, we significantly improved the overall sound of all the speakers by making some major listening mode changes. I really, really LOVE this pre-amp. So did my 'savior' who sold me the speakers and one amp, but NOT the RDC-7. He thinks it's amazing.
Leslie

[jakermc]

What listening mode changes did you make? Please share the wealth....

[Leslie]

One of the more interesting changes made has to do with DVD sound. We found that changing the listening mode presets (p. 39 in manual) to Enhanced 7 for DTS, DD and MPEG signals made a HUGE difference in the overall sound quality. Naturally, we didn't use Enhanced 7 on any of the other modes. But we did make a change in the Enhanced 7 setup by setting the reflect level to +5 and the room size to Large (which is where it should've been set originally).

With my particular setup, we found that kicking up the sound effect sub-menu bass to +6 and Treble to +2 added a lot. We reset the speaker level calibrations), as well as making some changes in the speaker distance sub-menu - all required by my room (with all its hard surfaces and high ceiling. On the Bass Peak Level sub-menu, we set the peak level to -24. We set the REL Storm III crossover to 34 cycles.

The sound is just fabulous now. I can hardly believe the difference. What I hadn't counted on was the need to calibrate stuff again once the side surrounds were added. We used Jurassic Park as the DVD source and Sacred Feast as the multichannel SACD source (only multichannel disc I have) and Miles Davis 'Kind of Blue' for the plain vanilla CD source, but I think I understand enough now to make changes in the sub IF required for other music.
Leslie