Just Bought The Pioneer Elite VSX-94TX HDMI 1.3a Receiver!

[marine92104]

I just bought the new receiver today & heard my 1st uncompressed PCM soundtrack thru HDMI. Boy what a difference! I listened to parts of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.

I then put in the last Matrix movie to listen to Dolby TrueHD & I was switching back & forth between the Dolby Digital soundtrack & the Dolby TrueHD & somehow the Dolby Digital soundtrack sounded a little better & brighter.

I remember reading that Warner does some type of equalization on Dolby TrueHD tracks. Is there someway to correct this so the Dolby TrueHD track sound better? I don't have any equalization or anything else on hindering the track on my receiver or HD DVD player (Toshiba HD-XA1).

By the way the receiver is awesome. 140 watts per 7.1 channels. It also came with an IPOD cord to plug my IPOD into the receiver. The name of the song comes up on the display.

If anyone has any info or anything for me to try on the Dolby TrueHD soundtracks let me know. They don't sound bad but the Dolby Digital sounds a little brighter & better & I know it should be the other way around.

Uncompressed PCM on Blu-ray sounds great!

I definitely would recommend this receiver. It's replacing my Pioneer Elite flagship VSX-49TXI which was 165 watts per 7.1 channel but no HDMI inputs.

I was using the analogs on that one & had to keep switching the cords when I went from Blu-ray to HD DVD. Now with my new receiver it's the touch of a button to switch. Thank goodness.

[Hobbun]

Yes, I have the exact same receiver and I love it so far.

When I try out a Dolby TrueHD movie, I'll let you know how it sounds. I don't have a movie yet that has it.

[TheWrathofBambi]

from what ive read, louder dosent always mean better.. so maybe you should play with the volume a bit

[pat00139]

The range and detail on a Dolby TrueHD track is a lot higher than a standard DD track. What happens it that maybe most of the track is at a lower volume because it can handle smaller sounds. The smaller sounds on a TrueHD track don't have to be boosted to accomodate the compressed (DD) track. This, I gather, would make the DD track generally louder, but with less imaging and range. I'm sure if you listen to an action sequence with TrueHD, it'll sound a lot better than DD. Just my guess, though...

[jamen4]

Just bought this reciever.....and i have the pioneer bd player...but i can't get it to play the dolby true hd track...someone just told me that no player is able to send out the signal yet for true-hd...but you're saying it does? I'm so confused right now....fyi on my bd box it does say "DOLBY TRUE-HD"

[LastSonOfKrypton]

Just bought this reciever.....and i have the pioneer bd player...but i can't get it to play the dolby true hd track...someone just told me that no player is able to send out the signal yet for true-hd...but you're saying it does? I'm so confused right now....fyi on my bd box it does say "DOLBY TRUE-HD"

Your BR player decodes the TrueHD track and sends it to your reciever as multi-channel PCM or LPCM. It makes no difference which does the decoding you'll get the same sound.

[marine92104]

Your BR player decodes the TrueHD track and sends it to your reciever as multi-channel PCM or LPCM. It makes no difference which does the decoding you'll get the same sound.

Correct this is what I've learned from reading various forums on the new HDMI 1.3a receivers that decode Dolby TrueHD & DTS-HD MA by bitstream.

It's all in the authoring of the disc. Currently no HD DVDs can send Dolby True HD by bitstream because of the interactivity profile that includes PIP. It will send it as PCM & the HD DVD player will do the decoding of the Dolby TrueHD.

Pioneer Elite will release a HDMI 1.3a Blu-ray player in October that will allow Dolby TrueHD & DTS-HD MA to be sent to the receiver by bitstream & allow the 94TX receiver to do the decoding. The reason Blu-ray discs currently allow for Dolby TrueHD & DTS-HD MA to be sent by bitstream is because Profile 1.1 hasn't been implemented yet.

When they move up to the Profile 1.1 interactivity then those discs will not allow bitstream advanced codecs.

The bitstream advanced codecs are for movie watching only & you would not be able to hear menu sounds or PIP sounds.

It does get confusing. I hope I haven't confused anyone & if wants to give a simpler explanation feel free or if I'm wrong on any of these points let me know. It's just information I've gathered from different forums.

As far as the Dolby TrueHD replies. Thanks for the explanation. The bass sounded the same on the Dolby TrueHD soundtrack but it sounded like the highs weren't as bright as the Dolby Digital soundtrack. It was like a thin veil was over the highs.

I didn't notice this at all on the uncompressed soundtrack on the Pirates discs on Blu-ray. Uncompressed sound by HDMI is about the best sound I've heard so far.

I have the 1st generation Toshiba HD-XA1 & have the sound set to auto. So as far as I know all my connections are correct. I had read that Dolby TrueHD was supposed to sound the same as uncompressed audio except it is at a lower volume but when you sound level matched it should sound the same.

Not so comparing the Matrix with the Pirate films. If anyone has any suggestions about settings let me know.

[glocks out]

It's a hell of a receiver. Congratulations.

[hotbeef]

congrats on the receiver! i was considering the upgrade,i currently have a 74 and i've always been a huge elite fan.I love all the new features,i just wish it had a little more power than mine.I'm also thinkin of upgrading to the SC-09TX but that's big money (even with an employee discount) Got a chance to hear it at cedia tho and it made a pretty big impression

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/cedia07/p...rse-297195.php

[marine92104]

congrats on the receiver! i was considering the upgrade,i currently have a 74 and i've always been a huge elite fan.I love all the new features,i just wish it had a little more power than mine.I'm also thinkin of upgrading to the SC-09TX but that's big money (even with an employee discount) Got a chance to hear it at cedia tho and it made a pretty big impression

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/cedia07/p...rse-297195.php

Thanks guys. I'm loving the uncompressed soundtracks by HDMI.

Also I found out today that it seems like alot of people were wrong about doing bitstream for the advanced codecs.

You can do bitstream as long as the receiver & player are HDMI 1.3a. Pioneer Elite is coming out with a new Blu-ray DVD player next month that when paired up with this receiver will allow bitstream for Dolby TrueHD & DTS-HD MA.

Also the new HD-A35 HD DVD player coming out next month will allow bitstream of advanced audio codecs.

I can't wait to finally hear DTS-HD MA. So looks like it's time to upgrade my Blu-ray & HD DVD player.

[glocks out]

It's the BDP-94HD that will finally decode DTS-HD:MA after a firmware update.

[Arkadin]

Yeah the bitstream deal will be interesting. But will it really sound substantially better, that's the real question? I guess we'll know soon enough. I feel people should put more $$$ into their speakers instead of worrying about bitstream output. I'm willing to bet most people that end up getting both 1.3 components don't even have near the quality of speakers they really need. Just a guess.

[jihzaman]

Yeah the bitstream deal will be interesting. But will it really sound substantially better, that's the real question? I guess we'll know soon enough. I feel people should put more $$$ into their speakers instead of worrying about bitstream output. I'm willing to bet most people that end up getting both 1.3 components don't even have near the quality of speakers they really need. Just a guess.

I tend to agree with you. I basically had a set budget to either purchase a new HDMI receiver(allowing me to get high def audio formats) or using the same money to upgrade my speakers. I figure I'm still watching enough DVD's (not to mention the fact I am already getting some lossless audio over analog 5.1), that upgrading my speakers would do more to improve my audio.

Btw I went with 5 Vienna Acoustic Weberns =)

[mossman72]

i just bought the vsx-91txh...im very happy with it. just thought i'd mention that on the samsung bdp-1400 thread on avs forum some users are sending bitsteam dthd & dtshd to new 1.3 receivers and reporting "better" sound letting the receiver decode the bitsteam audio then letting the hi def dvd player convert to pcm. no doubt this will be the basis of many many fights between dvd sent pcm and bitstream accepting receiver people....

[marine92104]

Just a quick update on the receiver. My HD-A35 HD DVD player arrived today that allows the bitstreaming of the advanced codecs.

Easy to hookup & setup. I set the HDMI for bitstream & popped in Batman Begins & selected the Dolby TrueHD & was floored at how great the soundtrack was thru bitstream. Next I popped in the last Matrix movie. Again the bass was blowing the blinds flat against the windows. You felt like you were in the movie.

My receiver showed the Dolby symbol with HD beside it on both movies. On a Dolby Digital Plus movie soundtrack it shows the Dolby symbol with a plus sign beside it. They sounded great also.

It was like going from listening to Dolby TrueHD thru analogs to HDMI. I know there isn't supposed to be a big difference but there is.

The same with going from PCM to bitstreaming the Dolby TrueHD. The highs sounded crisper & the bass was stronger. Now I see why people are raving about Dolby TrueHD. I can't wait to hear DTS-HD MA but unfortunately I don't have a HD DVD that has a DTS-HD MA soundtrack.

Now I can't wait to the new Pioneer Elite 95 Blu-ray player that allows bitstream so I can hear the DTS-HD MA soundtracks on the Fox discs.

Still loving my receiver.