[Tyson]

Running does optical not take advantage of the superior sound that a Blu-ray has to offer. The Sony optical output specs may be different than my Oppo, check and see.
As far as I know the optical output limits resolution to 640 kbit/s and DTS (core) to 1.5 mbps.

My OPPO BDP-103 manual states:

Due to bandwidth limitations, high resolution audio formats such as Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby
TrueHD, DTS-HD High Resolution and DTS-HD Master Audio cannot be sent through the
coaxial or optical digital audio output. A reduced resolution version of the same audio track
will be output instead. To listen to high resolution audio formats in their best quality, please
use the HDMI connection...



Keeping your setup simple is good too. Hopefully the info above will help someone else. Home theater and Blu-ray can be a confusing topic.

That's true if the disc doesn't have a 2 channel track, some do and some don't.  If there's no 2 channel track, then the Dolby track has to be downmixed.  But in my experience there's often a 2 channel option.  Sometimes its 16/44, sometimes its 24/96.  The Sony has an option to upsample everything to 24/96 so I do that.

I've had multi-channel setups in the past but the receiver was always a bottleneck for ultimate quality.  This means that in my current 2 channel setup I might get downmixed Dolby instead of native stereo, so that's a hit in quality.  But on the flip side i get a much better DAC and preamp with a 2 channel setup, better amps too.  I find those bumps in quality outweigh the loss in the digital signal.  Others feel differently, and that's fine. 

[rbbert]

I am well setup to do either 2-channel using only the receiver's volume control between the Modwright Oppo stereo out and the Pass XA30.5, or multi-channel still with the Pass amp for the front L/R speakers and the receiver's amp for the other 3 channels.

[Folsom]

I’m now very confused about the whole point of this topic.  If you don’t care about picture and sound quality why even post here??
With a few hundred Blurays and even more DVD’s it’s easy to say that DVD’s are noticeably lesser in both sound and picture quality.  Even streaming is almost always better than DVD in picture quality and at least equal in sound quality.  Obviously not all BD’s take advantage of everything the format offers but that is not a reason to ignore the benefits.  Audio dialog can sometimes be a problem with movies but most BD players offer options to compress the sound which almost always solves that problem.  OTOH, if picture and sound quality are not priorities then you certainly shouldn’t bother with Bluray.

So your idea of higher sound quality is unintelligible dialog?  Not being able to turn the volume up to hear it either because of the mix 

[Vince in TX]

So your idea of higher sound quality is unintelligible dialog?  Not being able to turn the volume up to hear it either because of the mix 

The fact that you scoff at the thought of a center channel speaker, which is where the dialogue is intended to be presented in most modern movies, pretty much makes it clear that you are not the target market for Blu-ray anyway.   You are at the mercy of the downmix (and the software doing it) unless there's a two-channel audio track.

[Folsom]

Are soundbars programmed as center channel? Not so far as I can figure out. Not everyone wants a surround sound setup or can have one.

For those of us that are often just using a TV or some easier form of sound if anything, why must we sacrifice picture?

I think a lot of these sound mixes are pretty liberal interpretations of "better" when it comes to surround sound. I don't think it adds much to the experience. At this point I've heard enough good 2 channel mixes to know that your speakers have more to do with it than how many you have.

[rbbert]

I'm not sure that the "mix" being intended for 5.1 listening has anything to do with sound quality; mix problems would more appropriately be categorized as personal listenability preferences.  There are a variety of hardware and software solutions to your problems, although any of them may involve new purchases; none of this is related to the audio quality of blurays.

[Vince in TX]

I'm not sure that the "mix" being intended for 5.1 listening has anything to do with sound quality; mix problems would more appropriately be categorized as personal listenability preferences.  There are a variety of hardware and software solutions to your problems, although any of them may involve new purchases; none of this is related to the audio quality of blurays.

Downmixing 5.1 (or more in the case of ATMOS and 7.1) to 2.0 or 2.1 can can have a lot to do with it.  If you have loud music and/or FX tracks driving those two speakers, how are ever you going to "mix" clear dialogue into that maelstrom?   I have a hard enough time with room reflection not cancelling out sounds from the discrete center channel let alone having them cancelled out within the speaker itself.   Sure, there are settings to compress the dynamic range of everything, but why?   That completely defies the whole concept of "Home Theater", which endeavors to recreate the theatrical experience.

Basically, telling a Home Theater enthusiast you can get by with two speakers is like telling a music audiophile that one speaker will suffice.   But that's just my opinion.   

[rbbert]

The OP is specifically not a home theater enthusiast, merely a TV watcher who wants to hear movie dialog from BD.  I understand his frustration, but I would not characterize it as a problem with BD audio quality; unfortunately he will have to upgrade something (BD player or soundbar) in order to "fix" it.

[Folsom]

I don’t see how any of that fixes it.

As far as I’m concerned there’s just a bunch of lazy and unwilling to spend a buck to make things right.

[Freo-1]

I don’t see how any of that fixes it.

As far as I’m concerned there’s just a bunch of lazy and unwilling to spend a buck to make things right.

I've run into the issue you are describing.  If the audio from the blu ray  is sent to the TV, the audio out from the TV can be sent to the 2 channel setup. 


That will fix the dialog issue.

[rbbert]

Or you get a Bluray player with variable compression, and/or you get a soundbar with a separate volume control for the center (dialog) channel.  Either of those fix the problem.

[Carlman]

Without being in your room and experiencing what's going on, I don't see how it's possible to help Folsom in this situation.

The issue was presented as if there's some kind of clear and obvious way to fix it... So far every response to try and help has been met with more frustration or incredulity.   
My suggestion is to allow someone in your home to evaluate what's really going on.

Good luck.

[Folsom]

I don't think there is a "fix" yet.

IMO quantity is quality when it comes to dialog so I think it's ridiculous to say Blu Ray mixes are quality. They're frequently garbage. The bitrate plays no roll if you can't hear the bitrate.

[WGH]

Yes, mixes are garbage based on your experience using only the equipment you have on hand: a stereo.
But Blu-rays are not mixed for stereo, they are mixed for 3 channels at the least and preferably 5 so the surround channel sound can be separated from the center dialog and L&R speakers. Cram all the dialog along with the front speaker soundtrack and surround sound effects into 2 speakers and it's no wonder you can't understand a damn thing that is said.

It's like you're driving a nail with a pipe wrench, it will work but you keep blaming the nail when it bends instead of using the right tool.

[Folsom]

90% of consumers if not substantially higher will buy an expensive TV, but only at most purchase a soundbar...

So Blu-Ray's suck.

[Tyson]

90% of consumers if not substantially higher will buy an expensive TV, but only at most purchase a soundbar...

So Blu-Ray's suck.

I have stereo only and blu rays sound fine. 

[fredgarvin]

BD is useless, just like those stupid 'forks' people use to eat with. No matter how hard you try the soup just runs right through them.

[Folsom]

I have stereo only and blu rays sound fine.

You have a preamp with gain, decent hearing, and high enough clarity that you probably can't miss what you're hearing. Only one of these may be a factor for average listening.

[Tyson]

You have a preamp with gain, decent hearing, and high enough clarity that you probably can't miss what you're hearing. Only one of these may be a factor for average listening.

Very true.  If I were in your position, I'd make a couple of the GR Research X-LS speakers on the cheap to get better clarity.  That would probably help.

[WGH]

I assumed, since this thread's subject line ended with a question mark, Folsom was asking the question if Blu-rays on average have bad sound (the answer is no they don't).

I am not familiar with the components in Folsom's system except for the ZenWave interconnects but it appears that they do not work very well with Blu-ray sound reproduction. His home theater system may be different than the system in his profile but so far this is all we have to go on.

Folsom's System Overview - Components: Digital Source - Bel Canto CD1, Analog Source - JVC QL-7 modified, Preamp - Chinese DACT w/Kuarlotron, Power Amp - TDA7297 / EC7293 (Folsom designs), Speakers - Experimental Research speakers, Speaker Cable - Canare 4S11, Interconnects - DIY / ZenWave.

I would like to read more about Tyson's 2-channel setup, he seems to have cracked the code on how to get excellent sound from a Blu-ray. Some Blu-ray players may do 2-channel better than others which would be good to know and help other people who are having the same dialog problem.

Slightly off topic but related, I was wondering if streaming movies have better 2-channel dialog. Sure the picture isn't as good as a Blu-ray but if watching a DVD to hear the dialog then the picture quality point may be moot.