I have a JVC RX8040B receiver and currently have Infinity Primus 362 Front speakers. I currently have a Infinity PC350 center on the way. But, I was playing around with the receiver settings because I just got a fiber optic cable connected between the HDTV and the receiver. Now, when I turn to some HD channels, the receiver "Dolby" inicator lights up. When I turn on the "surround" mode to encable the Dolby Digital, there is a significant sound drop vs when the surround mode is not enabled.
Even when I'm watching regular analog / digital TV where dolby is not indicated, when i turn to other surround modes (PL IIx, NEO:6, etc), there is a volume drop as well.
Is this because I am only using front speakers? (I am guessing that the difference in sound would be coming from the center speaker). Or could something else be going on?
"When I turn on the 'surround' mode to encable the Dolby Digital, there is a significant sound drop vs when the surround mode is not enabled."
If you tell the receiver to play through five speakers and then not have five speakers, it won't like it. It does the same thing with all suround modes. Right? Sounds like it wants more speakers to play surround.
A: you are doing a surround sound option that is trying to send the bulk of sound through the center channel. which is how most movies are. You are missing the center channel and thus are not hearing it.
or
B: you are changing the option so it only plays the Dolby surround part of the signal, which is quieter and more discreet.
I think it has to do with the HDTV signal coming in OTA. I just hooked up a digital coaxial cable to the DVD player and did the same test and it sounds fine to me. So, it's obviously the HDTV signal.