[beat]

Hi everyone,
I just built a HTPC with 64 bit windows 7, using windows media center which is actually way nicer than i would have thought. Video quality is fine for me with the Bluray drive and power DVD software... however, the sound really bites. Its probably fine for regular (non critical) stereo listening but really crappy for movie watching.

What I think I'm missing is something with the way the signal is streaming. My Marantz claims to be capable of 24 bit 192 as does the audio card on the motherboard which claims to be ready for a higher rez 8.1 DTS and all that modern stuff so I should be able to make some good sound. Something isnt right though and I have to go into the output settings in Windows and dumb it down from 24/196 (the windows output selections only offer xx bit rate and xx hz in two channel stereo) to get any audio at all.... whats worse is I then have to force the amp into a dolby or other surround mode and its just not right.. its very heavy on the center channel and you can just tell its not the way it was mixed in the studio. Real lack of dynamics. Normally it auto detects the digital signal and puts it into its native form of dolby..5.1 or 7.1 DTS or whatever. Amp does this fine when I plug in a regular DVD player..

Anyone been through this? Yes, I have tried to look up help through the makers of the Mobo and have come up with nothing. I should be able to figure this out. Seems like there should be a setting in Windows that allows for the audio to just stay in its native format so the amp can figure it out for itself rather than having to "default" to whatever I tell it to. Hmm..perhaps I need to disable a driver somewhere or something?

Thanks for listening and please throw in your two cents.. or more!

Peace, Beat

[srb]

When you say "the audio card on the motherboard" I assume you mean an integrated audio chipset and not an actual audio card in a motherboard slot?  Have you downloaded the very latest audio driver from the motherboard manufacturer's site? (The drivers that come on CD are never up to date).
 
What is the model of your motherboard?
 
What is the audio connection to the Marantz - HDMI or S/PDIF?
 
 
Steve

[beat]

Thanks Steve,
You are correct.. sorry I got my terminology wrong, its the integrated chipset to which I am referring.. although I do have an actual audio card in there too (An M-audio Audiophile 24/96) but its not in use. I plan on using it for transferring vinyl eventually.

I have tried to update the audio drivers for the Bluray drive and it comes back saying it doesnt need an update. I am not sure about the ones for the Asus M4A785TD-V EVO Motherboard. I'll look in to that. I am running the optical spidf to the marantz.

thanks again, Beat

[Barry_NJ]

IIRC you won't get the Hi-Res audio via SPDIF, and need HDMI for that.
Something to do with copy-protection and all that bunk

[srb]

Beat,
 
Yes, I was referring to the audio drivers for the VIA chipset on your motherboard.  The latest version appears to be 6.0.1.7400.  http://www.asus.com/product.aspx?P_ID=fcsXWSxnhzZE9rnR
 
Select the Download tab, select Windows 7 64bit and expand the Audio section.
 
It is true that you would need to use HDMI for Blu-ray audio formats Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio unless the chipset can output those formats in PCM bitstream and the Marantz can accept the PCM bitsream.
 
Try to update the audio driver (even if seems that you have the latest version), and see if you can get regular Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 to sound good over the optical output, then you can investigate using the HDMI for the newer formats if needed.
 
Steve

[beat]

IIRC you won't get the Hi-Res audio via SPDIF, and need HDMI for that....

Really? Weird.. didnt know that was more the norm than not. That would explain it though. Steve, I was looking at that page for the updates but (at least on my work computer) it seems the download buttons are not functioning. Could just be our firewall or something. I will try from home tonight. Shh.. dont tell my boss I'm slackin.

Also, my Marantz doesnt support hdmi so maybe the TV has some sort of passive audio output I can run down to the amp if we figure out the optical spidf isnt doing the 192 pcm thing.

Thanks for the input, I'll post my findings tonight.
Beat

[beat]

Dangit.. My amp says it can decode PCM if its 32, 44.1 or 48k only.. why does it claim higher then? Where does the 192 come in to play, huh Marantz? I'll keep reading.

[srb]

Dangit.. My amp says it can decode PCM if its 32, 44.1 or 48k only.. why does it claim higher then? Where does the 192 come in to play, huh Marantz? I'll keep reading.

Perhaps the Marantz is upsampling the incoming 32KHz, 44.1KHz and 48KHz to 192KHz internally?
 
Steve

[JRace]

What MOBO?
What CPU?
What Marantz?

[Lyndon]

Steve (SRB) is probably right.
Also, I am going to try and see if I can upgrade the audio on my mobo as he suggested.
Beat, it looks like you are ahead of me on this type of project.
I don't plan to put in a blu-ray player yet, as I have so many players to use anyway...standard, SACD/DVD-A player, HD-DvD, and Blu-ray...
Too much stuff, kind of defeats the purpose of the HTPC to reduce the clutter.

[beat]

Lyndon,
Yeah, clutter.. its what I was trying to get away from. The stand alone players are really a lot less of a pain in the A and they sound better at this point.

Hmm.. So update on my reading, The best the amp can do for multichannel is the regular DVD types of dolby output including a 24/96 DTS. The higher rez stuff can only be decoded in two channel and a sort of forced Dolby PL which as I stated earlier really sucks. My amp is getting a bit older at this point so maybe its time for an upgrade or an outboard Dolby decoder and use the amps 7.1 analog inputs. I dunno.. its frustrating..There is an rs232 port in the back that is intended for updates to its firmware but have yet to see that any of that actually does anything.

Its an SR7300 capable of decoding 6.1 digitally and actually makes awesome sounds with the SACD and DVD. Not like my two channel rig but sure doesnt sound like butt. Lyndon, If you look in to upgrading the MoBo the Asus htpc version of mine looked pretty sweet. Its called the M4A785G HTPC/RC.

JRace, the aforementioned MoBo, some kinda quad core AMD that fits on it (cant remember but dont think that matters), and the SR7300

So I guess I will just try to do those audio driver updates and see where that gets me for now, could have sworn I did all the possible updates as I was setting up but maybe not, I will also make sure the MAudio card isnt interfering.

Sorry if some of that is incoherent. I have been chewing away at typing it up over the course of a couple hours in small spurts while at work.

thanks again, Beat

[beat]

woohoo!!!

Its true! The onboard audio chipset just needed to be updated to the most recent high def version as they call it. On top of that, I had to change a setting in the PowerDVD player itself to send the signal out of the optical spidf rather than through the hdmi. I'm not sure what its putting out bitstream-wise now but it sounds pretty sweet and at least as good as the stand alone DVD player ever did. Whatevers goin on, the marantz is decoding DTS now.

Thanks guys!

[srb]

Beat,
 
Glad to hear you're making progress!  You might want to look into updating any other motherboard integrated device drivers as well, particularly video.
 
The BIOS is something to consider updating as well, but tread carefully, as every once in a great while a BIOS update can go awry and render a motherboard unbootable.  So before you do, make sure there is some kind of procedure to restore a previous BIOS version if needed.
 
I very often recommend updating drivers as the first step to solving a problem.  Sometimes it does nothing to address the particular problem, but more times than not it does!  And at the very least, it usually results in a more stable platform to proceed from.
 
Steve

[beat]

Hi steve,
Yeah, I'm going to take a look at some of the other drivers too. I have already gone through the BIOS for updates. It needed a little help to run with the 64bit w7 so we got to that one right away... let me tell you, this MoBo made that very painless. You can update all the BIOS stuff while youre in Windows! Its just like installing any other program. Guess thats pretty unheard of. Anyway, thanks again.

Beat