Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Technical Questions Weak SWFR output on SACD/DVD-A multichannel

I got a new Denon DVD-757 universal player (identical to 1930CI), and SWFR output is about 20db too weak for all SACD and DVD-A multichannel discs. I've heard this is a standardization problem whereby content producers and player mfgs master the SWFR track -10db, -15db, or -20db down (nobody seems to know exactly), but the player and amp mfgs don't provide sufficient gain to compensate. Just wanted anybody's comments.

Equipment: M60, VP150, QS8, Hsu VTF-3R, Yamaha RX-V1400 receiver, Denon DVD-757 universal player.

Interconnect: 6-channel analog

Test config: SACD pink noise calibration disc, ref level 75db, Radio Shack analog SPL meter. Player is configured for multichannel analog out, SWFR "on", all other speakers "small", bass enhancer = "on" (but this has no effect).

When using DVD-757 player built-in pink noise, SWFR output is about correct. When playing multichannel SACD or DVD-A material, SWFR output is about -20db too weak.

The RX-V1400 has a discrete gain control for SWFR analog in, but it's limited to +10db. Player output trims are attenuate only -- 0 to -12db. Only workable solution is setting amp SWFR gain at +10db, setting all player output channels (except SWFR) at -10db or -12 db, turning up amp master volume to compensate for lower player output. This gives a combined effective SWFR gain of 20 to 22db, which reads about correct on the SPL meter when playing SACD-sourced pink noise, and also sounds aesthetically correct for SACD/DVD-A music material.

Also DVD-A discs have a DD 5.1 compatibility layer, so an additional verification is switching between the DD 5.1 and multichannel DVD-A version of the same material. Only with the above compensations (about 20 db on my system) is the DVD-A bass level about equal to the DD 5.1 bass level (relative to the other channels at a given volume level). DD 5.1 bass level calibrated using DVE disc and SPL meter.

DD 5.1 and DTS 5.1 discs on the same player don't have this problem. That's expected, as the interconnect is Toslink, and the Dolby SWFR recording standard is -10db, boosted automatically by +10db by the decoder or amp.

Has anyone else using multichannel SACD/DVD-A discs encountered this problem?