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Reventon85
Avid Contributor I
June 1, 2017
Question

PLAYBASE Stereo VS. Dolby Digital 5.1

  • June 1, 2017
  • 4 replies
  • 4379 views
My Sony TV setup allows all sources on HDMI to pass through DD 5.1 to my standalone playbase connected by optical to the TV. I can verify its receiving this on the About Section. My question is more out of curiosity and what other people have noticed with a similar standalone playbar or playbase, would it make more sense to just set the TV to PCM and get a stereo signal or keep the 5.1 that i imagine is simulating as best as possible. I do notice the stereo seems fuller sounding but lacks some sense of expanse if that makes sense? Can anyone else share their thoughts/opinions?

thanks,
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    4 replies

    Airgetlam
    Airgetlam
    June 1, 2017
    I keep mine on 5.1 all the time. i have to admit I've never thought that the stereo (PCM) sounded "fuller" in any way, so that may be a function of my room, my ears, or my prejudices.
    Bruce
    Keithmac
    Virtuoso
    September 8, 2017
    Only had mine a night so far but the 5.1 sounds night and day better than PCM Stereo.
    RO53BEN
    RO53BEN
    Enthusiast II
    September 8, 2017
    In theory, a 5.1 source should sound better. In practise, it's obviously quite subjective.

    I'd expect a 5.1 source would give you a true centre speaker which will make the TV dialog (speech) clearer. You may find yourself more dependent on speech enhancement with stereo sources.
    I am no longer active on these forums, DM me if you have a question, I'd be happy to help.
    jec6613
    Collaborator II
    September 9, 2017
    Important thing to know: both the Playbar and Playbase do map different sound from a 5.1 signal to the various drivers to help simulate spaciousness. It's not a true 5.1 setup, but it's not exactly a typical 3.1 either - it works somewhat like those "Surround sound bars." Yes, discrete speakers will still sound better, but it packs a good punch for a sound bar.

    If the source is originally a 5.1 source, or otherwise Dolby Digital or any other surround codec, the DD 5.1 output will sound better. Otherwise, you're letting the TV downmix it to stereo, and it doesn't know anything about how the Sonos is configured, and the Sonos then has to reassemble it at the other end and try to figure out what the TV was trying to do in the downmix. Side note: all broadcast TV channels are Dolby Digital, regardless of the number of channels in the program, thanks to the ATSC spec, and DD does not require 5.1 channels, it's perfectly happy at 2.0 (or even 1.0 for some very old material).

    If the source is originally 2.0 uncompressed, such as with music, or Dolby Stereo/Surround/ProLogic which matrixes the other channels out from a 2.0 feed, then the LPCM is the better way to go. It's lossless, so all of the original data (which may include surround data) gets to Sonos intact. Re-mixing it to Dolby Digital requires the TV's processor to (again) do the mixing and results in a loss of sound data. VHS used Dolby Surround/DPL extensively because they could only carry two channels of audio.

    Short version: whatever the source is, hand it off the most direct way possible to Sonos - as it will do the better job decoding it if it has the original material. And your TV 90% of the time does this automatically.
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