2. home-theater
  3. 1306518265

2.1 disability...

I am currently upgrading my system and am trying to do it slowly for financial reasons. For now, I am using a modified Pioneer 47ai universal player into an Audio Refinement Pre2DSP. I have a powered sub within my 5.1 speaker setup. For some reason, in order to listen to a 2 channel recording and add the sub (2.1) I must press a tape monitor button under the chassis in the preamp. This degrades the sound to some extent and I was wondering is anyone who still owns one of these dinosaurs can tell me a way around it? I have the universal also hooked up in analog 5.1 into the pre, as well as the 2 channel outs as this seemed to be the only way it would work. Should I just buy a new processor and be done with it? Basically I understand that 2 channel means 2 channel and I am asking the pre to add the sub to the 2 channel mix. Maybe it is just not capable of doing that? Help me!!
llippman

Showing 4 responses by mceljo

mceljo
1,348 posts
 
I don't know anything about your Audio Refinement gear specifically, but I looked up some specs on it and I have an idea that may at least a discussion started.

The listed audio inputs are: 5.1 analog (RCA), 3 analog 2-channel (RCA), 3 digital coaxial (RCA), 1 digital optical (TosLink)

The fact that it lists the 5.1 analog inputs seperately from the 2-channel inputs makes me think that they are not all connected equally internally.

I'm going to take a wild guess that you might have the left and right inputs connected via the 2-channel inputs and the subwoofer connected to the 5.1 channel input. I don't know how it works, but I read about people using the tape loop to trick equipment before so it may be connecting the two somehow.

If you have everything connected via the 5.1 channel inputs then I'm not sure unless you're in an audio mode that doesn't allow for a subwoofer. My receiver doesn't do bass management in Direct Mode so I must use another mode for 2 channel audio listening.
mceljo
1,348 posts
 
The best reason to upgrade would be to add a blu-ray player and HDMI connections for HD audio. This is a significant improvement in movie sound quality.

My wife has made me stop a movie and fix the output on the blu-ray player once because it wasn't sending the HD track and it sounded like poo poo compared to the first time we watched the movie.
mceljo
1,348 posts
 
Llippman - What do you have connected to the 5.1 inputs other than the subwoofer? If you connect the Pioneer completely to those inputs I would suspect that you'll get 2.1 sound.

I have the Integra 50.1 receiver that retails for $1,500 and am fairly happy with it. The 80.2 has four independent power supplies while the 70.2 only has two. I'd suspect this might make a difference in the sound quality.

What do you have for speakers and subwoofer?
mceljo
1,348 posts
 
I don't think that there's any benefit, as far as the universal player, for having both 5.1 and 2.0 outputs connected. I would suspect that this is true for the Audio Refinement.

Have you tried just disconnecting the 2.0 connection and see how it sounds for 2 channel audio listning. What I'm not sure about is if you'll be able to select the subwoofer on or off.
More to discover