SACD Stereo dissapointment

[alfbello]

Hello!

This is my first post here!

I think this is the only complaint I have on the new SACD format: In case of the new SACD Stereo versions that are coming out, what I don't like is that the mix does not activate the subwoofer channel, and in consequece I lose a lot of the bass. This is because I have 4 small JBL speakers and a JBL 100 watt subwoofer. If I could get the subwoofer to work, I would buy the Stereo only SACDs. As it is now, I only buy the MC SACDs. Anybody else feel the same way?

Just my 2 cents...

Cheers!

 

[BrownRB]

I would have thought that if you have your speakers all set to "small" and your sub set to "on" when listening in stereo that bass would be sent to the sub. This is not LFE bass, just bass below the receiver's crossover point. Have you tried that?

 

[alfbello]

I would have thought that if you have your speakers all set to "small" and your sub set to "on" when listening in stereo that bass would be sent to the sub. This is not LFE bass, just bass below the receiver's crossover point. Have you tried that?

Hello!

BrownRB: I'll try that as soon as I get home. With normal CDs it's another story, but I'll try it for SACD Stereo and see what happens. I'll post the result. Thanks for the suggestion!

Cheers!

 

[ssully]

Hello!

This is my first post here!

I think this is the only complaint I have on the new SACD format: In case of the new SACD Stereo versions that are coming out, what I don't like is that the mix does not activate the subwoofer channel, and in consequece I lose a lot of the bass. This is because I have 4 small JBL speakers and a JBL 100 watt subwoofer. If I could get the subwoofer to work, I would buy the Stereo only SACDs. As it is now, I only buy the MC SACDs. Anybody else feel the same way?

Just my 2 cents...

Cheers!

For a 2-channel track to activate the subwoofer, somewhere in the signal chain you have to have 'bass management' that redirects the bass frequencies to the subwoofer, usually by setting speakers to SMALL and the subwoofer to ON. If you are listening to stereo SACD via 6-channel analog connections, then the bass management has to be done in the player. If you use the two-channel analog 'CD' connection out of the player, then the BM has to be done in the receiver using its speaker settings. IN this case, the receiver will probably convert the signal back to digital, separate out the bass, then output the signal as '2.1' channel analog.

Without knowing how you have your system hooked, I can't say what the exact problem is.

I have my system hooked up like so to play each format:

CD: digital connection from player to receiver; receiver does bass management and DSP (digital sound processing, e.g., Dolby Pro Logic II)

SACD/DVD-A two-channel : analog connection from 2-channel 'CD out' of the player to the 'CD in ' of the player; receiver does bass management and DSP (after reconversion to digital)

SACD/DVD-A multichannel: analog connection from the 6-channel panel of the player to the 6-channel panel of the receiver; player does bass management ; no DSP possible.

 

[alfbello]

Hello!

Well, thanks to Ssully's suggestions I managed to solve the problem... I had the receiver set to small speakers and subwoofer on, but I discovered the DVD player was set to large speakers and subwoofer. I changed the DVD settings to small speaker and left the subwoofer on and Abracadabra!... the problem was solved! Now the subwoofer works when listening to a Stereo SACD recording.

Thank you Ssully for indicating the right way to go!

Cheers!

Alf

PS: the only problem now is that I now am able to buy Stereo only SACDs, which means I'll spend more money on selected recordings, but I guess I asked for it!

Thanks again!