Getting the Sony S370 to decode HD and send via LPCM

[Walter Sobchak]

Morning all, I have an older amp that does not decode HD but accepts HD audio via LPCM.

Is this the correct procedure for the S370 to decode HD and send via LPCM:-

Audio(HDMI) changed to PCM

BD Audio MIX Setting to OFF

Audio DRC to Wide Range

Thanks 🙂

 

[sta99y]

Hi there I'm not sure my answer will resolve your issue but my understanding of it is that if you Sony is connected to your amp via HDMI?? then your amp will decode the HD formats. If it's connected via coax or digital you will only get DD as such.

 

[Ronald Archiebald]

Walter Sobchak:
Is this the correct procedure for the S370 to decode HD and send via LPCM:-

Audio(HDMI) changed to PCM

Yes.

 

[Walter Sobchak]

Hi sta99y, thanks for the reply, I understand that but my amp does not decode HD formats.

 

[Walter Sobchak]

Ronald Archiebald:Walter Sobchak:
Is this the correct procedure for the S370 to decode HD and send via LPCM:-

Audio(HDMI) changed to PCM

Yes.

Thanks, do you know what/when the BD Audio mix setting is for?

 

[sta99y]

Hi mate, if your amp does not decode HD I guess it's connected via coax or digital?? Would this mean that you only hear DD?? I don't quite understand PCM or lpcm. My amp does not decode HD Audio however being a high end (ish) Yamaha I connected it via multi ch out on BD to amp so the BD does the decoding and amp just amplifies it. For DVD it's connected via coax so the amp decodes the old style audio DTS/DD etc.

 

[kinda]

Hello,

sta99y, in a similar way to youe BluRay player decoding the HD audio and sending over the multi-channel outputs, players can also decode to 7.1 channels of LPCM audio, delivered over HDMI.

In this case the amp does not need to be able to decode HD audio as this has already been done at the player, and the LPCM is the raw HD digital audio. It just does the digital to analogue conversion and amplifies it, (whereas in your case the player does the digital to analogue conversion and your Yamaha is being used purely as an amplifier).

The alternative to either of these is sending the losslessly compressed, (Dolby True HD or DTS-HD MA bitstream), HD audio to the amp over HDMI, where the amp decodes it to LPCM, does the digital to analogue conversion, and amplifies it.

Any of the above is HD audio, it's just where the various processes involved happen that is different.

Digital electrical or optical connections can only carry the compressed non-HD DD or DTS, or a couple of channels of raw LPCM, (my Sonos for example is connected to my amp like this and sends stereo LPCM to my amp). They thus can't support HD audio for BluRays.

 

[sta99y]

Cheers Kinda,
I think I now understand. When you say losslessy compressed I guess it's the raw digital sound that's been compressed into smaller data without loosing any information??

Sorry for high jacking the thread..

 

[axman]

kinda:

Hello,

The alternative to either of these is sending the losslessly compressed, (Dolby True HD or DTS-HD MA bitstream), HD audio to the amp over HDMI, where the amp decodes it to LPCM, does the digital to analogue conversion, and amplifies it.

And so how do I set up my Sony 370 to do this? I mean, I want to do it the other way around, i.e., let my amp decode the HD audio?

 

[sta99y]

Hi axeman, I do believe that you connect hdmi to amp then from monitor out on amp to tv. Set BD player to output audio to bitstream. If I'm wrong some nice chap here will correct my quote.

 

[axman]

sta99y:Hi axeman, I do believe that you connect hdmi to amp then from monitor out on amp to tv. Set BD player to output audio to bitstream. If I'm wrong some nice chap here will correct my quote.

There is no mention of "bitstream" in the manual or menus. This is why I am asking the question.

 

[sta99y]

Hi page 23 manual. BD AUDIO MIX setting to "off" this will allow your amp to do the decoding of HD AUDIO.

 

[axman]

sta99y:Hi page 23 manual. BD AUDIO MIX setting to "off" this will allow your amp to do the decoding of HD AUDIO.

Err... thanks, but looking at the first post, it should be "off" for PCM as well. Seems that I should also set "audio (HDMI)" to "auto". I am going to try it out later, and you are probably pulling your hair out because of me, but as you can see from the manual, there is really no mention of how I can get it to bitstream!