HD Advisor the 13th

[Attebery]

Lots of good stuff as usual!

http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/sh..._the_13th/2781

[AndersT2]

About the HD sound on the Harman Kardon AV245.

He would be able to get HD sound if he buys a new BD player with internal dekoding and analog outs, something like the Sony S550 or Panasonic DMP-50 or 60.

These players decode all HD sound formats into analog, and I bet the H/K have a 5.1 or 7.1 analog input. Then he also will get HD sound, and on the plus side, better picture and sound quality than what the PS3 can give with it's HDMI output.

And it might be cheeper too.

[Josh Z]

Originally Posted by AndersT2

About the HD sound on the Harman Kardon AV245.

He would be able to get HD sound if he buys a new BD player with internal dekoding and analog outs, something like the Sony S550 or Panasonic DMP-50 or 60.

These players decode all HD sound formats into analog, and I bet the H/K have a 5.1 or 7.1 analog input. Then he also will get HD sound, and on the plus side, better picture and sound quality than what the PS3 can give with it's HDMI output.

You have a point about the analog outputs. However, I think the money would be better spent by investing in a new receiver. The PS3's video and audio over HDMI are as good as any other player's.

[AndersT2]

Of course the best is a new receiver, but not everybody can afford that, it cheeper with a player.

I have the PS3, Sony S300 and Samsung BD-1500, and the PS3 is by far the worst of them on both picture and sound quality.

[Josh Z]

Originally Posted by AndersT2

I have the PS3, Sony S300 and Samsung BD-1500, and the PS3 is by far the worst of them on both picture and sound quality.

Somehow, I doubt that would hold up to objective testing.

[jedi.master.dre]

Don't you think an edit explaining that the Harmon Kardon AVR 245 receiver could recieve HD audio over analog inputs is appropriate? I was set aback when I read your statement that a new reciever was his only option. That is just not true.

[Josh Z]

Since his Blu-ray player (the PS3) doesn't have analog audio outputs, I think that would only serve to confuse the issue. Honestly, in this case, I feel that the better advice is to tell him to buy a new receiver. A new Blu-ray player would be cheaper, but it's only a stop-gap solution. Over HDMI, the PS3 is as good a Blu-ray player as any, and Sony has shown a strong committment to constantly updating it with new firmware much more often than any standalone model.

A new receiver is a better long-term investment that will future-proof him for any other equipment he may want to buy down the road.

[jedi.master.dre]

Fair enough, keep up the good work Josh! I truly enjoy your work.

[ajmrowland]

Okay, so I'm upgrading my HTIB speakers, and I want to know if any are recommended. I already have a new center channel speaker. I'm looking at purchasing these:

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-SS-B1000-...pr_product_top

[SLARITY]

Originally Posted by ajmrowland

Okay, so I'm upgrading my HTIB speakers, and I want to know if any are recommended. I already have a new center channel speaker. I'm looking at purchasing these:

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-SS-B1000-...pr_product_top

Everyone will tell you those are probably just as bad as what you have.

I would look into some of these... I tried to sort them by price

Infinity Primus (notice price in cart is for a single one)
Polk Monitor 30
eD Low End
Energy CB5
eD 6T6

[mahlerfan999]

I usually enjoy reading JoshZ's articles, they are informative... but I just read this HD Advisor and I was astonished at how wrong his comment about lossless audio and headphones are! How can anyone review so many blu-rays and think that lossless audio is only about dynamic range? Speakers are actually more forgiving of poor source than headphones are. When decent headphones deliver the sound directly in to your ear the effect of lossy compression is painfully obvious. The fact that headphones do not deliver bass well is irrelevant, it's not the range that's compressed anyway (that's a common misconception) and most of the effects of compression are felt in the complexity of voices and music in the midrange.

I can always hear the difference between lossless and lossy through headphones, but many times the difference appears to be subtle or lost on me through speakers. It sounds like the question was answered in theory without actual direct experience.

[Josh Z]

Aside from just the dynamic range (which is a major part of overall sound quality), it's very unlikely that the tiny speakers in a pair of headphones would be capable of resolving the difference between lossy and lossless codecs. Yes, there's something to be said for having the speakers much closer to your eardrums. But the speakers themselves are just physically incapable of resolving the subtle details in the sound.

[Splicer]

Originally Posted by Josh Z

But the speakers themselves are just physically incapable of resolving the subtle details in the sound.

Originally Posted by mahlerfan999

It sounds like the question was answered in theory without actual direct experience.

He has a history of doing that...

You are 150% correct in the fact that a good pair of headphones are far less forgiving than bookshelf or floor standing speakers...