DVD Audio and Denon 3805

[jimgoings]

I just purchased a Denon 3805 and a Denon 2910 DVD player. Everything sounds great. DD 5.1 works, DTS 5.1 works, stereo, DSP, etc. all seem to work just fine.

However, when I play a DVD Audio disc (Metallica Black album), I get no sound at all. I tried both stereo PCM and DD 5.1 tracks. Pop it out and put it a DVD concert of the Dixie Chicks and it works fine in stereo or 5.1. It just seems to have a problem with the DVD Audio format specifically.

The 2910 player audio output type is set to "normal" (which should be bitstream). If I set it to PCM, I can get stereo sound to work.

I have yet to figure out how to play DVD Audio with mutli-channel working.

The sad thing is that my old receiver and DVD player (combined $450) played this same DVD like a charm. I'm *sure* I must have a setting screwed up somewhere. Any suggestions?

 

[MACCA350]

First off, you will need the 6 analogue outs from the 2910 to the analogue ins on the 3805 connected and then select Analogue Input mode on the 3805 to listen to the Hi-Res DVD-Audio.

The Hi-Res DVD Audio will not pass over a Digital Coax or Optical connection (copyright laws prohibit this), but it will pass over the Denon Link 2nd or 3rd Edition which the 2910 does not have although the 3805 does.

If your old dvd player wasn't a DVD-Audio player you would have been listening to the Dolby Digital or DTS tracks on the DVD-Video section of the disc. If you want to listen to these track through the Digital connection you need to select these in the DVD's menu or set the 2910 to play DVD-Audio discs as DVD-Video ( in OTHER SETUP change PLAYER MODE to VIDEO). but doing this you will not hear the Hi-Res DVD Audio(which i believe defeats the purpose of buying DVD-Audio.

Hope this helps
Cheers

 

[MACCA350]

I tried both stereo PCM and DD 5.1 tracks

Sorry I missed this part

 

[Wyngdh]

I've listened to DVD-A using this method (6 outs from 2910 to 3805, selecting Ext In) and found the sound to be probably 2/3 the level of a DVD-Video or CD. Is this normal, or am I missing something (and don't tell me a D-Link!)?

 

[3beanlimit]

I've listened to DVD-A using this method (6 outs from 2910 to 3805, selecting Ext In) and found the sound to be probably 2/3 the level of a DVD-Video or CD. Is this normal, or am I missing something (and don't tell me a D-Link!)?

It's more or less dependent on how you set your levels up in your speaker setting menu on your player.

For me? Yes, either DVD-A or SA-CD does not have the same volume. This isn't really a bad thing.

 

[MACCA350]

Remember DVD-A has a much highter dynamic range (140db from memory) than CD and DD DTS etc. Many are mixed to use all the dynamics unlike CD and many DTS tracks which tend to use the high end of their dynamic range therefore sounding louder.

I have two of Queens DVD-A's and found them to have a full sound and more than loud enough in their climax, I've found DVD-A's best listened to at night when ambient sound is at a minimum this way you hear the complete dynamic range. Miss E's DVD-A uses the higher end of the dynamic range.

cheers

 

[jimgoings]

If you want to listen to these track through the Digital connection you need to select these in the DVD's menu or set the 2910 to play DVD-Audio discs as DVD-Video ( in OTHER SETUP change PLAYER MODE to VIDEO).QUOTE]

When I try to do this, the option to change the player mode is grayed out and I can't select it. I've looked through the menus and I haven't figured it out yet. (pouring through manual now...)

 

[rgriffin25]

Check the ETC settings in the set-up mode. Make sure the Player mode is set to audio. If it is set to video it will only play back the Dolby Digital portion of the disc.

You really should use a SPL meter and test disc to calibrate your multi-channel output. After I did there was a night and day difference in the output of sound.

 

[MarieonCape]

Sounds like the way my set up works.

What are the menu selections when the disc is inserted in the player?

I have Denon DVD-2200 and the 3805 and have listened to DVD-audio discs and what I found is that my player seems to be "smart" enough to know that I have a DVD-audio disc in the player (or I am too dumb to select settings on the player to give me something else) and the only choices it offers me are "high resolution 5.1" or "high resolution stereo" on the menu. Since these are the programs I want to hear anyway that is good for me. But to hear these programs I must select Ext. In on the 3805 using the 6 analog audio out connections from 2200 to the 3805. Selecting any other input source yields the sounds of silence. (Same as SACD).

Now, if I take that same disc to my upstairs player which isn't DVD-A or SACD capable and I put in the player the menu that is presented is DD 5.1 or Stereo sound using standard DVD tracks.

I suppose we should both go out and trade in on the 3910 to get the Denon Link connection.

Marie

 

[jimgoings]

It was the mode setting for sure. I had to take the disc out to change the setting (lame), but once I did, I was able to play the DD 5.1 tracks.

I will hook up the analogue lines later.

Thanks so much for the help!!

 

[genesis471]

Not sure if you were aware of this Jim, but without the Analogue connections, you are not going to get the hi-rez track off the DVD-A disc! They may have put a DD 5.1 on it, but it passes over the Denon Link fine but at a lower resolution.

Mike

 

[jimgoings]

Yep, that's what I learned thanks to this thread. Makes sense... I'll hook it up soon!

 

[PENG]

I suppose we should both go out and trade in on the 3910 to get the Denon Link connection.

If you did you would not regret it. That link is nice and small. Aside from the high resolution sound, it tidy things up too.