pass thru sound

[jjclecky]

hello all,My onkyo receiver is pass thru only so I need a fiber optic cable and hdmi, will I get better sound with a new receiver yhat has true hd and dolby decoding built in I am happy with my receiver (onkyo506) but if a new receiver would actually make a difference in sound I am taking the plunge.I just invested in all new 5.1 infinity primus speakers which sound awesome.thanks for any advice

 

[jostenmeat]

hello all,My onkyo receiver is pass thru only so I need a fiber optic cable and hdmi, will I get better sound with a new receiver yhat has true hd and dolby decoding built in I am happy with my receiver (onkyo506) but if a new receiver would actually make a difference in sound I am taking the plunge.I just invested in all new 5.1 infinity primus speakers which sound awesome.thanks for any advice

Even with a player that has onboard decoding, you still don't have access to those codecs with your receiver, because you still need the ability to accept mch PCM over HDMI, or at least have mch analog inputs. (Does your receiver have them?).

If your receiver has mch analog inputs, you can have the player decode, but you are at the mercy of the player's bass mgmt (often extremely inflexible), and furthermore, if I remember correctly you're thinking 7.1, or maybe height channels, and that will become an impossibility if you're looking to matrix 5.1 sources.

 

[jjclecky]

I guess what I am trying to ask is I purchased the onkyo tx-sr 607 and I am thinking that I am going to have to keep my theater room at 5.1 not 7.1 due to the size and layout "which I am ok because the 5.1 setup I have really kicks ***" so if I really wouldnt notice a difference in sound with a new receiver I would save the $440 and return it,but my old receiver is a pass thru onkyo 506 receiver that came from a htib s5100 I upgraded all the speakers,but my old receiver doesnt decode trueHD and iI also have a panasonic blueray player .thank you

 

[jostenmeat]

I guess what I am trying to ask is I purchased the onkyo tx-sr 607 and I am thinking that I am going to have to keep my theater room at 5.1 not 7.1 due to the size and layout "which I am ok because the 5.1 setup I have really kicks ***" so if I really wouldnt notice a difference in sound with a new receiver I would save the $440 and return it,but my old receiver is a pass thru onkyo 506 receiver that came from a htib s5100 I upgraded all the speakers,but my old receiver doesnt decode trueHD and iI also have a panasonic blueray player .thank you

Hm.

Welp, it depends who you ask. In my experiences, with movies, I don't see that much of a difference, not nearly what I was hoping for, except in the certain cases where I truly suspect a different master/mix was being used. That one instance that has happened with me is the The Dark Knight. Other titles seem to sound identically to me. That's Just Me, and for many others, they hear a big difference. For me, movies are mostly about dynamic capability and dialogue intelligibility.

In any case, if your overall budget was $10,000, sure I'd say upgrade the receiver. However, with what my guess is at your overall budget, I'm thinking $440 could be better applied in other places, if only for the time being.

If you got nothing else better to spend it on, do it. If otherwise you could get a better sub, or room treatments, bluray player, etc, well those will have much greater impact overall, IMHO.

 

[jjclecky]

Jostenmeat I really appreciate all your help with my questions,thanks for taking the time.