wtf am I missing with the set up.....Denon AVR-4200

[hextall27]

Just hooked up my 4200 receiver to my Sony XBR65-930D TV. The Audussey set up went flawlessly. When it came time to set up the tv through the receiver is when I began having issues.

Initially it kept defaulting to the tv speakers, finally got that issue worked out. Then it started playing but only to the front left and right, no center, rears or sub even though they are calibrated and corrected for the room. Stepped away and let the receiver do an update. Started over and the "info" button listed only the front left and right speakers. IDK what I did, but now the center and rears are working still not the sub.

The wires are all connected, with a HDMI cable running from the sat/cable box (AT&T) directly to the sat/cab HDMI connection in the receiver. I have a 4k HDMI cable running from the ARC connection from the TV to the ARC connection to the receiver. Another 4k HDMI cable from the UHD blue ray to the blue ray HDMI connection to the receiver. The problem is the sound is weak. I have to turn to volume up to high 50's just to hear anything. My old Sony STR-DN840 I had at 7 and it was loud. WHAT AM I MISSING????

 

[lovinthehd]

If you have a 2.0 source it will likely default to that until you tell the avr you'd rather use another sound mode like Dolby Surround or the DTS sound modes to matrix the 2.0 into multi-ch sound. Some tvs will only output 2.0 over ARC, too altho I think Sonys do pass on multi-ch audio (but over ARC you're limited to lossy 5.1 in any case, just as you would be with an optical connection). Sounds like you've already had some fun with HDMI-CEC oddities. Spend some time with your tv and avr manuals....

You're trying to compare two very different volume scales. The Denon uses a dB logarithmic scale, sounds like you're using the absolute rather than relative scale (many of us for comparison use the relative scale). 50 isn't particularly loud, it's about 30dB down from reference. If you've run Audyssey you have a calibrated volume scale (for movies at least) whereas Sony doesn't. Try this article http://denon.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/136/~/relative-and-absolute-volume-ranges

 

[hextall27]

If you have a 2.0 source it will likely default to that until you tell the avr you'd rather use another sound mode like Dolby Surround or the DTS sound modes to matrix the 2.0 into multi-ch sound. Some tvs will only output 2.0 over ARC, too altho I think Sonys do pass on multi-ch audio (but over ARC you're limited to lossy 5.1 in any case, just as you would be with an optical connection). Sounds like you've already had some fun with HDMI-CEC oddities. Spend some time with your tv and avr manuals....

You're trying to compare two very different volume scales. The Denon uses a dB logarithmic scale, sounds like you're using the absolute rather than relative scale (many of us for comparison use the relative scale). 50 isn't particularly loud, it's about 30dB down from reference. If you've run Audyssey you have a calibrated volume scale (for movies at least) whereas Sony doesn't. Try this article http://denon.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/136/~/relative-and-absolute-volume-ranges

I'd have better luck if the receiver came with a manual I'm kinda limited as far as my knowledge on avr's. It's on Dolby surround right now. The volume is at 58 which looks to be halfway on the volume display. I'm definitely missing something. The other receiver was MUCH louder at low volumes. I can barely hear Andy thing from the surrounds

 

[lovinthehd]

I'd have better luck if the receiver came with a manual I'm kinda limited as far as my knowledge on avr's. It's on Dolby surround right now. The volume is at 58 which looks to be halfway on the volume display. I'm definitely missing something. The other receiver was MUCH louder at low volumes. I can barely hear Andy thing from the surrounds

You really have no way of comparing the volume levels between the two receivers, so don't get too worked up about it. dB scale is logarithmic, not linear, too. 58 would be down a little more than 20dB (pretty much an average level for me). Surrounds aren't supposed to be as loud as mains, you may have had the Sony setup incorrectly as well. You can always raise individual channel levels to your liking, too. Takes a while to get comfortable with the receiver tech and know what all your options are....

 

[hextall27]

Yeah I just have to fiddle with it or find a manual through Denon. It's seems I'm going one step forward and two back

 

[lovinthehd]

Yeah I just have to fiddle with it or find a manual through Denon. It's seems I'm going one step forward and two back

It's the internet man http://manuals.denon.com/AVRX4200W/na/en/ I'd download and save the pdf manual on the left side there....easier to search pdf manuals than paper ones!

 

[hextall27]

It's the internet man http://manuals.denon.com/AVRX4200W/na/en/ I'd download and save the pdf manual on the left side there....easier to search pdf manuals than paper ones!

Thanks for the link!!!

 

[little wing]

I'd have better luck if the receiver came with a manual I'm kinda limited as far as my knowledge on avr's. It's on Dolby surround right now. The volume is at 58 which looks to be halfway on the volume display. I'm definitely missing something. The other receiver was MUCH louder at low volumes. I can barely hear Andy thing from the surrounds

-58db is not that loud at all. In addition to lovinthehd's advice, turn it up a bit.

 

[lovinthehd]

-58db is not that loud at all. In addition to lovinthehd's advice, turn it up a bit.

Think he's rather on the absolute scale rather than relative and is at 58, not -58. -58 on the relative scale would be faint background level except perhaps in the quietest of rooms and even then not loud at all....

 

[hextall27]

Ok it's definitely nott 58 db's. It's so faint, hardly anything is coming from the fronts or rears its all center channel. The 58 is the volume listed on the tv, not the receiver's scale. Without the receiver hooked up, 58 was (is) the sound level from the internal tv speakers! I am missing something for sure

 

[little wing]

ok, sorry about that

 

[hextall27]

Should I be running a regular hdmi cable from the arc slot in the tv to the arc slot in the receiver. I have a 4K hdmi cable on there now. Not sure if that makes any difference?!!?!?

 

[vsound5150]

A 4K cable should work and be backwards compatible to the ARC hdmi v1.3 spec., could be a defective cable you can try swapping with another. Have you checked the HDMI Control setting on the Denon?

 

[hextall27]

A 4K cable should work and be backwards compatible to the ARC hdmi v1.3 spec., could be a defective cable you can try swapping with another. Have you checked the HDMI Control setting on the Denon?

Yeah I got on denons website and I'll have to go in and look at the settings when I get home

 

[vsound5150]

I believe the HDMI Control setting is Off by default, at least on my Marantz it is. I think ARC is also Off by default but usually the HDMI Control turns on ARC.

Check both settings and then power off all devices and power back on and you should be good as gold.

 

[lovinthehd]

Ok it's definitely nott 58 db's. It's so faint, hardly anything is coming from the fronts or rears its all center channel. The 58 is the volume listed on the tv, not the receiver's scale. Without the receiver hooked up, 58 was (is) the sound level from the internal tv speakers! I am missing something for sure

I'm maybe missing something, are you talking about the tv's own volume (you're not using its speakers now in regards to your current issues, are you?) or just the tv displaying the avr's volume? If you're playing something recorded in 5.1 and it's dialog heavy then most of it will come out of the center....

ps Try flipping the avr over to the relative scale and see if the tv still displays 58

 

[lovinthehd]

Should I be running a regular hdmi cable from the arc slot in the tv to the arc slot in the receiver. I have a 4K hdmi cable on there now. Not sure if that makes any difference?!!?!?

As was mentioned if you're using ARC you'll need to enable HDMI-CEC in both the tv and avr. Shouldn't make any difference to your audio issues; ARC is limited in bandwidth, though (same as an optical cable).

 

[lovinthehd]

You did run Audyssey to set the avr up?

 

[hextall27]

Yeah I got on denons website and I'll have to go in and look at the settings when I get home

 

[hextall27]

I did run it and everything went well with that. I messed with the settings and got that figured out for the most part. Now the sub isn't working at all. When I Bluetooth Apple Music it only plays thru the center channel