Need Help With Processing Choices

[gcmarshall]

Hi,
I am using the Yamaha HTR-5990. I have a 5.1 setup, with my surround speakers plugged into the "surround" jacks (I'm not using the "surround back" speaker jacks at all). Is THX select2 processing only available if I use the "surround backs" as well? Currently, I only see a choice for "THX Cinema". As a test, I removed the surround speakers from the "surround" jacks and put them in the "surround back" jacks. It appears that THX Select2 was then an option for processing. What is the determining factor(s) for which processing I can use? Is it the DVD itself and its encoding, is it the surround jacks being utilized by the surround speakers, etc. or a combination? Need help understanding all this and how to get the best possible THX processing out of this receiver.
Thanks,
GCMarshall (pop quiz -- anyone know who GC Marshall is/was?)

 

[MDS]

Which processing modes are available is dependent on the number of speakers. PLIIx would also not be available if you tell the receiver there are only 5.1 speakers.

If you simply go into the setup and set surround back to Small instead of 'none' (or no or off - whatever terminology the Yamaha uses), then the THX processing should be available. You won't hear the sound that gets routed to the surround backs, because obviously they don't exist, but you'll be able to hear the difference in the other channels.

 

[gcmarshall]

Thanks. If I set the "surround back" speakers to small (even though I don't have any surround back speakers, does that in any way diminish the sound/power sent to the speakers that I actually do have installed? Also, should I use the "Auto-Setup" feature of this product? I have only done some very basic manual setup things for the speakers (small) and subwoofer, but have not done a formal manual or auto setup. It sounded fine out of the box, so I was fearful of running an autosetup and creating problems for no good reason.

 

[MDS]

The receiver will be wasting its time amplifying channels that produce no sound (due to no speakers there). Unless you turn the volume up very high, I doubt you will notice any difference. I was just pointing out that you can 'lie' to the receiver and tell it you have speakers there so you can play with THX and see if the processing makes any difference to your ears. To get the full benefit of it, you need at least 6 speakers.

I would definitely run the auto setup. The purpose of auto-setup or doing it manually with the test tones and an SPL meter is to balance the levels of each channel so they all produce about the same level of sound. If you haven't adjusted anything yet, then the channel levels are all set at 0. You can easily go back to that if you don't like the results of the auto-setup.