Outlaw 950 questions

[dB]

I finished my rear surrounds this weekend and spend a little time trying to get the system up and running yesterday.

Problem is I can't seem to get the 7.1 operation going. I think everything is configured properly -- speakers set to small, 80 Hz, "surr rear" set to LB/RB, etc. All speakers work OK when I do an calibration or test tone.

I tried out Master and Commander and Pearl Harbor. DD5.1 plus DTS for PH. But, I don't get much of anything or anything at all out of the rears. The side surrounds seem OK.

Is there a setting I'm missing? The owners manual doesn't directly say how to get 7.1 operation with 5.1 source material.

Any help appreciated.

BTW, here's the page write up on my new rear surrounds:

<A HREF="http://users.d-web.com/dbrown/db717r/db717r.htm">http://users.d-web.com/dbrown/db717r/db717r.htm</A>

dave

[JustinG]

DTS is Yammaha's Baby and so are "presence" speakers. This is speculation but my Yammaha switches off the surround back when I have any setting that would normally use the presence speakers (any DSP program I have). This could be your problem. It is a shot in the dark with out knowing what reciever you are running.

[Dirk]

> I finished my rear surrounds this weekend
> and spend a little time trying to get the
> system up and running yesterday.

> Problem is I can't seem to get the 7.1
> operation going. I think everything is
> configured properly -- speakers set to
> small, 80 Hz, "surr rear" set to
> LB/RB, etc. All speakers work OK when I do
> an calibration or test tone.

> I tried out Master and Commander and Pearl
> Harbor. DD5.1 plus DTS for PH. But, I don't
> get much of anything or anything at all out
> of the rears. The side surrounds seem OK.

> Is there a setting I'm missing? The owners
> manual doesn't directly say how to get 7.1
> operation with 5.1 source material.

> Any help appreciated.

> BTW, here's the page write up on my new rear
> surrounds:

>
> <A HREF="http://users.d-web.com/dbrown/db717r/db717r.htm">http://users.d-web.com/dbrown/db717r/db717r.htm</A>
> dave

Did you give them a call? Looks like they have a support-specific number these days: 866-OUTLAWA

And odds are the film isn't flagged for 6.1. Judging by the manual, I'd say you need to press the DTS button until the display reads DTS-ES. For DD sources, you want the one that displays the text "DD CR-C" on the display. Probably by pressing the CR. SURR button.

[Dirk]

> Did you give them a call? Looks like they
> have a support-specific number these days:
> 866-OUTLAWA

> And odds are the film isn't flagged for 6.1.
> Judging by the manual, I'd say you need to
> press the DTS button until the display reads
> DTS-ES. For DD sources, you want the one
> that displays the text "DD CR-C"
> on the display. Probably by pressing the CR.
> SURR button.

Oh, and the manual is slightly confusing, as you need to reference pages 12 and 31 simultaneously to get the complete picture. :-)

With these newfangled receivers, they've got enough processing power to really massage those bytes. It would be nice if they had a chart that said "If you have an X channels coming in, you can enable Y."

[Dirk]

> I finished my rear surrounds this weekend
> and spend a little time trying to get the
> system up and running yesterday.

> Problem is I can't seem to get the 7.1
> operation going. I think everything is
> configured properly -- speakers set to
> small, 80 Hz, "surr rear" set to
> LB/RB, etc. All speakers work OK when I do
> an calibration or test tone.

> I tried out Master and Commander and Pearl
> Harbor. DD5.1 plus DTS for PH. But, I don't
> get much of anything or anything at all out
> of the rears. The side surrounds seem OK.

> Is there a setting I'm missing? The owners
> manual doesn't directly say how to get 7.1
> operation with 5.1 source material.

> Any help appreciated.

> BTW, here's the page write up on my new rear
> surrounds:

>
> <A HREF="http://users.d-web.com/dbrown/db717r/db717r.htm">http://users.d-web.com/dbrown/db717r/db717r.htm</A>
> dave

So you've moved away from the dipolar surrounds? Any reason?

[dB]

> Oh, and the manual is slightly confusing, as
> you need to reference pages 12 and 31
> simultaneously to get the complete picture.
> :-)

> With these newfangled receivers, they've got
> enough processing power to really massage
> those bytes. It would be nice if they had a
> chart that said "If you have an X
> channels coming in, you can enable Y."

I did get a hint by reading a product review linked on their site -- referring to using Cirrus, ie the CR extension to DD or whatever. Maybe Cirrus is what generates the addional channels. I'll try that tonight. Maybe call them too.

dave

[dB]

> So you've moved away from the dipolar
> surrounds? Any reason?

Spam anytime you want.

I'm using the dipoles for the side surrounds. At one time I had thought about placing the rears on the side walls -- to the rear, but my current plan has them on the back wall facing the back of the listeners' (me) heads. The dipoles are to the side of the (future) front seat row and I think they will work best there.

But of course I don't know how this setup will work until I get the Outlaw doin' its stuff.

dave

[Dirk]

> I did get a hint by reading a product review
> linked on their site -- referring to using
> Cirrus, ie the CR extension to DD or
> whatever. Maybe Cirrus is what generates the
> addional channels. I'll try that tonight.
> Maybe call them too.

> dave

The 950 came out before 7.1 "standardized". Previous to the "Dolby Pro Logic IIx" that came out about 2 years ago, there were the 950's "Cirrus Surround", Kenwood's "Circle Surround" and HK's "Logic 7".

They're all extensions to the original DPL matrixing from 15 years ago. In 7.1 mode, they're using the discrete info found in the surround L/R to create a mono rear track. THEN they take that mono rear and place just a wee bit of steering information to bias the signal to the right or left with just enough phase to make it noticable. Even though there's only signal information for a single rear channel, you end up with a "sound field" that's more expansive and open than one would have experienced with a single point source behind your head. I never would have thought it took three speakers in front of you and FOUR in back to create a truly seemless pan, but that's been my experience. 6.1 sounded kind of fake, but stepping from 6.1 to 7.1 was definitely worth it.

Glad to see your HT building is getting that much closer!

[unknownuser]

> I did get a hint by reading a product review
> linked on their site -- referring to using
> Cirrus, ie the CR extension to DD or
> whatever. Maybe Cirrus is what generates the
> addional channels. I'll try that tonight.
> Maybe call them too.

> dave

Yes, I believe if you don't have 6.1/7.1 native source you need to enable the "Cirrus Extra Surround" via the "CR SURR" button. I've never tried it though (just 5.1).

Rob


(Originally posted by: relder)