I have a Harman Kardon DPR-2005 receiver and a Pioneer DV-578A universal DVD player. I have it cabled with six analog RCA cables. I am using the 6 channel input on the receiver.

On the weekend I picked up Dire Staits Brother in Arms on SACD.

Sounds great, but I'm only getting output from the Pioneer from the L/R outputs. The receiver is doing bass management to the SUB. Nothing from the C/SUB/SL/SR outputs in the Pioneer.

I have selected SACD -> multi channel on the DVD menus, but it looks like the Pioneer is only sending signal out the L/R.

I'm thinking there is something wrong the Pioneer.
Perhaps a firmware update?

Any suggestions?



BarilkoBart
VP150 M60s AX1.5s QS8s
SVS PB10
Bryston 3B (mains)

Are you sure the receiver is in 7.1 mode? Check whose problem this is by disconnecting the digital audio from the Pioneer (leaving just the 6 channel analog hookup) and then swapping the front analog pair with the sides and then with the rear. This way if you hear the sound (any sound) from the fronts at all with the sides or backs of the DVD player connected to the front L/R on the receiver you would know that there is something with the receiver - mode perhaps.

I'm guessing you also have the DVD connected digitaly, and your receiver is not auto-switching over to the analog inputs- still using the digital Toslink/Coax connection which very likely is ouputing 2 ch. PCM.

Try checking your receiver and verify you can select the analog input for your SACD music mode. You could also try disconnecting the digital cable, leaving only the analog to verify what you're hearing is coming from the analog side.

Good luck.

You have to select the multi channel audio in on the receiver. Use the source button on your remote or the front of the receiver to cycle to the correct source as per the manual info below:

6-Channel/8-Channel Direct Input
• There are two input choices available for use with
sources such as a DVD-Audio or SACD player
that are connected to the 8-Channel Direct
Inputs. Select the appropriate input for your
system and source equipment:

Quote:

---

I'm guessing you also have the DVD connected digitaly, and your receiver is not auto-switching over to the analog inputs- still using the digital Toslink/Coax connection which very likely is ouputing 2 ch. PCM.


I ran into this when I got my player, I was really po'd for a few weeks till I found out- the copy police will not allow mch to be sent digitally, and on my player you have to turn off the digital out via a button on the remote before mch will be output to the analog jacks. What a plan Your player may have a similar hoop to jump through.

Finally got around to playing around with it.

I have disconnected the optical connection to the receiver, and the L/R normal stereo RCA jacks, same results. All that is connected in the 5.1 analog outputs.

Looks like the Pioneer is only sending signal out the L/R SACD outputs. I connected these outputs to the C/SR/SL inputs on the reciever, and the inputs worked.

Bottom line is there is no signal coming out of the C/SR/SL/SUB on the Pioneer unit.

BTW, also tried Pink Floyd DSTOM on SACD with the same results.

Any ideas?

My Sony player had some setting in it to enable the multichannel output vs. the default 2 channel output. And be sure the source material is multichannel as there are some 2.0 channel SACDs out there. The DSOTM is definitely a 5.1 MCH SACD however.

Hopefully its just a setting in your player to enable the SACD multichannel out. Since SACDs are backward compatible with standard CD players, there is a 2 channel only version on them, and the players may default to 2 channel only for those that don't hook the multichannel cables up.

Best of luck.

In addition to the CD/SACD setting on most players. Often there is a 2 channel/multi-channel setting as well. That is because many SACDs also have a stereo SACD trak.
You have to make the SACD setting AND the multi-channel setting. It can take a little time to figure out how to this but is usually pretty straight forward, once you know how.
Hope this helps.

I have the same player and it plays the surround disks fine, hopefully it is just the settings. Make sure that:

1. Initial Settings->Options->SACD Playback is set to "Multi-Ch Area" (I think you mentioned that it is in your first post).

2. Initial Settings->Options->Speaker settings->Audio Output Mode is set to "5.1 Channel".

Check the manual around pages 38, 39. The manual is here:
http://ec1.images-amazon.com/media/i3d/01/A/man-migrate/MANUAL000068845.pdf

Note that for DVD-A multichannel playback there is yet additional setting.

Check your cables. I had a similar problem...

Bart, my reluctance to wade through a player manual was mooted by varkha doing all the hard work. In looking at p.38, as he indicated, there're two settings that have to be changed from the 2-channel default: the selection of the multi-channel track on the SACD(which you say that you did); the selection of the 5.1 channel audio output(which you haven't mentioned). Unless you did it but just didn't mention doing so, it appears that varkha has uncovered the problem.