HT-S40R 5.1 Sound Bar and KD-49XD8005: I can't get a clean sound on the rear speakers

[Korrigan]

Dear all,

I just bought a HT-S40R, Dolby 5.1 Sound system.

Installation and wireless connection of the rear speakers was as easy as described.

And I have now connected my Sony Bravia 4K GB: KD-49XD8005 via the HDMI ARC (HDMI 3).

I do get some OK sound from the sound bar and tge Sub-Woofer, but I barely get some buzz from the two rear speakers.

Is the sound output of the KD-49XD8005 compatible with the HT-S40R?

Thanks for your help in advance!

[rooobb]

If you have connected correctly all the cables and the content you are watching is 5.1 and still non satisfied with the surround effect you can go in the setting of the soundbar and set the surround speaker to an higher level . I have it it connected via hdmi arc to a Panasonic TV and works as expected with the right content. You can set it also to output to all the speaker even for stereo content but I don't suggest doing it, maybe only for listening to music

[royabrown2]

@Korrigan 

What are you trying to play, from what source?

Have you got the TV set for Bitstream passthrough, rather than PCM?

You say ARC, and both these devices support ARC, but neither supports eARC. So you are limited as to what you can pass through.

But to check, if not the compatibility with the TV, then at least correct setup and operation of the soundbar, press the CINEMA button on the soundbar remote while playing something from the TV, and see if the rear speakers spring to life or not.

[Korrigan]

Thanks @rooobb for your reply. I had already adjusted the level of both surround satellites loudspeakers before posting, without success.

But this weekend, I played a movie from a different source (Amazon Video) and I could enjoy the surround sound.

So I'm afraid the issue is with the TV output, be it because if the TV itself or the movie quality...

Is there a way to set it to output to all the speaker even for non 5.1 TV output?

Thanks again.

[Korrigan]

• Thanks for your help @royabrown2.

I play only from the TV, no other source connected.

Usually local Digital TV, Netflix or Amazon Video.

This weekend I got a satisfactory result with one Amazon Video and I also installed and played from Spotify  which confirmed both surround satellites are working fine.

Where can I find these TV sound settings you are suggesting ? Bitstream and PCM?

Thanks a bunch in advance!

[rooobb]

Hi Korrigan,

as I said in the first comment TV shows normally only have 2.0 sound so you won't hear nothing from the surrounding speaker. As you already discovered a movie from primevideo spotting 5.1 surround sound will make use of both surround speakers and the subwoofer.

You can configure the system to always spread the sound from all the speaker and you can try it, but my advice is not to use it (you won't have a surround effect only the same sound coming from all the speakers)

In the same menu setting where you set the surround distance and level, the first option is [MULTI SPEAKER] : if you set it to ON sound will be transmitted by all speakers regardless of the channels in the source.

[Korrigan]

Many thanks @rooobb !

I will give a try for regular TV shows.

It might be what my wife is looking for...

And switch back to Multi Speakers for movies...

Thanks again

[royabrown2]

@Korrigan 

I think that might be backwards - @rooobb is suggesting you use Multi Speaker when there is no real surround, e g. when your wife is watching TV, and use it how you have it set now when there is real surround to be had.

Look for PCM versus Bitstream in your Sound settings on the TV.

[royabrown2]

@Korrigan 

Sorry, I’ve been off the grid for a couple of days 😢

https://helpguide.sony.net/tv/daep1/v1/en/04-04_02.html

• You need to configure the [Digital audio out] settings according to your audio system. Press the HOME button, then select [Settings] — [Display & Sound] — [Audio output] — [Digital audio out].
• If the audio system is not compatible with Dolby Digital or DTS, set [Settings] — [Display & Sound] — [Audio output] — [Digital audio out] to [PCM].

So that seems to be where you set, preferably, DD or DTS, but PCM if neither of those gives good results.

I could hope for this document to give more detail, but Sony do say it may be limited as this is not, as you assert, a GB model 😢 - see the red triangle - but that isn’t something that should be affecting these results. I’m guessing you don’t have YouView on it though.