Question for Home Theater experts

[alaskanseminole]

I'm trying to trouble shoot a muffled sound coming from my home-theater set up. (I haven't changed any settings in 4 years). Sony receiver, polk-audio 5.1 surround. U-verse box is connected component to the TV then component out to the receiver and the optical audio runs directly from Motorola cable box to Sony receiver. (everything else is HDMI)

- Issue is only when watching programs from cable box/DVR (blu-ray & PS4 sound perfect) - First noticed it on The Voice, the audio quality is terrible. It's very muffled sounding...thought it was the channel (and/or program), tried different settings trying to force better audio mixing, switching from A.F.D Auto to movie and music settings. Commercials sounded fine, only The Voice on NBC.

- Tonight, on ABC, watching CMAs...when hosts talk (or commercials) it sounds fine, but when the musicians start playing the sound ceases from the center channel and transfers only to the external speakers and it sounds hollow and echoey. I tried my other TV which just has a sound bar and it sounds fine (but that's not comparing apples to oranges).

Any ideas for trouble-shooting? I can't even figure out where to begin. Very strange

 

[PoopandBoogers]

Have you tried a different cable or switching outputs/inputs? I'd look there first.
Are the speakers wired into the receiver or wireless? Ive had to snip the ends and restrip speaker wires before.

I wonder if certain shows or music are filmed with a different audio format than normal tv shows and messing with it.

 

[NebNoles]

Have you tried a different cable or switching outputs/inputs? I'd look there first.
Are the speakers wired into the receiver or wireless? Ive had to snip the ends and restrip speaker wires before.

I wonder if certain shows or music are filmed with a different audio format than normal tv shows and messing with it.

Agree with all this. Certain programs definitely record differently; that could be the issue.

Reboot the cable box by unplugging the thing. Then I’d go to that optical cable. I’d also swap cable boxes if you have a 2nd one (sounds like you do with the sound bar setup).

Record something where sound is off and keep playing that to troubleshoot.

 

[alaskanseminole]

Agree with all this. Certain programs definitely record differently; that could be the issue.

Reboot the cable box by unplugging the thing. Then I’d go to that optical cable. I’d also swap cable boxes if you have a 2nd one (sounds like you do with the sound bar setup).

Record something where sound is off and keep playing that to troubleshoot.

- I did power down the box and reset it. I will see if I can swap it for the DVR upstairs.

- The strangest thing is it's not consistent...commercials are fine, most channels are fine...right now it's two music shows--CMA Awards and The Voice (The Voice every week).

- Speakers are hard wired and are perfect via all other platforms (HDMI via blu-ray playback and HDMI via PS4 playback)

It seems like one of two things...the broadcast is changing output and its just screwy or they are changing broadcasts and there's something wrong with the decoding of the signal somewhere in my system. Can an optical cable go bad just sitting there an never being moved or touched in 4 years?

 

[MIKE_G]

I'm no expert (at all), but it does seem like broadcasts in 5.1 are being down converted to two channel stereo. Not sure if it's your cable box or surround sound that's causing that. Your receiver's display should show what audio format it's putting out. Compare that to the information on the channel guide and see if it's different. Could be an audio setting in your cable box. Also, not sure if I'm understanding your set up, but isn't it best to have everything run through your tv and then a single cable (HDMI) to your surround sound receiver?

 

[alaskanseminole]

I'm no expert (at all), but it does seem like broadcasts in 5.1 are being down converted to two channel stereo. Not sure if it's your cable box or surround sound that's causing that. Your receiver's display should show what audio format it's putting out. Compare that to the information on the channel guide and see if it's different. Could be an audio setting in your cable box. Also, not sure if I'm understanding your set up, but isn't it best to have everything run through your tv and then a single cable (HDMI) to your surround sound receiver?

Yes. ideally I would want HDMI for all connections, but the Motorolla settop box SUCKS and I would constantly get a bluscreen (no signal), so I switched to component and optical...haven't had that problem since. Now all the sudden I can't hear musical performance broadcasts....it's so strange.

 

[NebNoles]

- I did power down the box and reset it. I will see if I can swap it for the DVR upstairs.

- The strangest thing is it's not consistent...commercials are fine, most channels are fine...right now it's two music shows--CMA Awards and The Voice (The Voice every week).

- Speakers are hard wired and are perfect via all other platforms (HDMI via blu-ray playback and HDMI via PS4 playback)

It seems like one of two things...the broadcast is changing output and its just screwy or they are changing broadcasts and there's something wrong with the decoding of the signal somewhere in my system. Can an optical cable go bad just sitting there an never being moved or touched in 4 years?

Optical cables are pretty finicky. If it is in fact an equipment problem, I’d guess that’s it. But, you’re spot on about broadcasting. Good chance thats the problem, which is why I think it’d be good to record the event that sound bad so you can try different things. Otherwise you could think you fixed it but it’s actually programming.

Good luck.

 

[nynole1]

Great timing on this thread, have been thinking about doing a "home theater" setup in my new family room. Whats a good set-up without breaking the bank? Prefer wireless speakers.

 

[Imtotallynottribe]

Great timing on this thread, have been thinking about doing a "home theater" setup in my new family room. Whats a good set-up without breaking the bank? Prefer wireless speakers.

I’ve been VERY happy with my Sonos System, everything is wireless and it gets great sound out of the speakers. I have a Playbase directly under my main tv, a subwoofer, and three Play 3s (two in the living room as surrounds and one outside on one of the patios) and one Play 1 in the kitchen. What’s even better than the sound is they look pretty sleek when you get them in white and they match the rest of the house decor (living room, kitchen, office, entranceways, and guest bathrooms are all done in tropical Florida/beach colors of pure white, teal, aqua, Carolina blue, brass and beige with pure white and teal the dominant colors). Heck, I even got a white PlayStation 4 Pro and white Xbox One S, modded my Nintendo Switch to a white shell and got a silver tv rather than the common black so that everything looks clean and “Apple-y”.

(Neither are my setup)

 

[Imtotallynottribe]

The Sonos setup is neither cheap nor expensive, but right in the middle. You can definitely get cheaper components from China and do a wired setup with the same output for a third the price. But then it’s got wires going everywhere, needs a technician or at least very skilled layperson to appropriately setup and maintain AND will be ugly black boxes. Conversely, true audiophiles will tell you even more expensive brands will get you better output.

But as to why I like Sonos it’s pretty easy: 1) great audio unless you are literally playing them side by side with systems that cost ten times as much, I can tell the difference but barely; 2) ridiculously easy wireless setup and install; 3) easy to use interface app you place on your phone to control the whole system; 4) great sleek looks to the speakers, they do not look “cheap”.

 

[seminoledq]

Troubleshooting a muff sounds like something you should talk to a gynecologist about.

 

[PoopandBoogers]

So the playbase acts as a soundbar and the the brains of the sytsem. And the rest of the speakers all are controlled by that?

Also, can you program the remote speakers as different channels or do they all play the same sound, meaning if i have 4 play1s, can i set them at front right, rear left etc. to get a true 5:1 setup?

 

[Imtotallynottribe]

So the playbase acts as a soundbar and the the brains of the sytsem. And the rest of the speakers all are controlled by that?

Also, can you program the remote speakers as different channels or do they all play the same sound, meaning if i have 4 play1s, can i set them at front right, rear left etc. to get a true 5:1 setup?

The Playbase has 10 speakers inside it including 4 facing out to the sides so for a true 5:1 setup in anything approaching a normal room (truly cavernous rooms may need more but that’s only likely if you’re a dance hall or your last name is Vanderbilt or Jobs) is the Playbase centered up front, the subbass and two speakers for the back of the room on opposite sides. While that’s all you likely need, you can group as many speakers as you want/need and I’ve seen setups for very large rooms with six extra speakers along the perimeter and two in the middle of the ceiling for 10 total speakers. All you do is “bond” them into a group with the one touch sequencer and then use your smartphone to walk around the room while it performs the various sound tests and optimises the output. So YOU don’t set them on different channels, the Playbase does with your smartphone and your legs (ie walking to different points in the room) during setup.

But you can have multiple rooms setup ie what I have. With the kitchen speaker receiving the same input as the living room but the patio occasionally having a completely different input source not bonded to the main system. You “bond” the speakers to one area and they interact with one another to great a full surround sound in one area but if you have multiple areas like I do with the patio and kitchen you “group them”. So using me for an example, if I want to play a video game I just select my bonded living room collection of speakers. But if I want to have sound for the FSU game playing over everything I just group in the kitchen and patio speakers and they use the same input source.

 

[PoopandBoogers]

Can you change them on the fly with your phone? Such as if you have a speaker on the back porch with the fsu game on, then once we are getting our arses beat, switch it over to stream music from your phone?

 

[Imtotallynottribe]

Can you change them on the fly with your phone? Such as if you have a speaker on the back porch with the fsu game on, then once we are getting our arses beat, switch it over to stream music from your phone?

Once you’ve bonded the speakers they always act as one unit so you can’t take one of the Play 3s in my living room and have it act independently of the surround system without unbonding everything. But the kitchen and patio speakers which are NOT “bonded” but merely “grouped” you can take off the game and then play music from your phone no problem.

 

[alaskanseminole]

Well, that got hijacked pretty quickly. Le Sigh

 

[PoopandBoogers]

Well, that got hijacked pretty quickly. Le Sigh

Let us know what you find out chief. Other than a hijack, nothing worse than an advice thread with no update.

 

[alaskanseminole]

Let us know what you find out chief. Other than a hijack, nothing worse than an advice thread with no update.

I called Crutchfield...they gave me some troubleshooting steps I'll try when I get home. Thanks P&B!

 

[alaskanseminole]

@PoopandBoogers

SOLVED! Bad PC board for that input selector. Bypassed to another and reprogrammed remote (searching for new receiver for the eventuality of this one dying)

 

[PoopandBoogers]

You have a soldering iron, magnifying glass (or good eyes) and mini pliers? You could probably trace the wire back to the board and reattach it. Or buy a sonos.