AV Receiver needed with YSP-40D?

[DjP]

Hi,

After reading the awards issue of the mag, I'm v tempted by the "no-wires" speakers option of the YSP-40D sound bar. I'm planning to team this with my Pana DMP-BD30 and Sony 40W4000 screen. Will I need to stick an AV receiver in there too to get the best from the Blu Ray player in terms of sound, or will the DB30 be able to successfully decode the "fancy" (ie best sounding) audio?

Thanks,

DjP

 

[Andy Clough]

There are no multichannel analogue inputs on the YSP-40D so no, you won't be able to pass HD audio directly from the player to the soundbar. Unfortunately the YSP-D40's HDMI inputs don't recognise multichannel PCM or other forms of HD audio.

To get the best high-def audio from your Blu-ray player you'll need a separate AV amp or receiver, but there's no point having that as well as the soundbar as you'll be doubling up on amplification.

If you want the best audio surround sound from your Blu-rays I'd buy a separate amp or receiver, but that will require a full 5.1 speaker package.