ROLL CALL: Who has surround sound in their car(s)?

[SoonerCaniac]

Hi everyone,

Sadly, I don't get to visit here much anymore (life has gotten much busier). However, I need your help, as I have been presented an opportunity to set up a basic surround sound system for my Mazda Tribute. The factory head unit/CD-changer/amplifier "finally" died, leaving me with no music in the car at all! I have to get a new head unit no matter what so I might as well be able to play my DVD-As and DTS-CDs (I haven't seen the Sony MEX-DV2200 in a long time)! I'm doing a bunch of research and I have a question for those of you who own the JVC KD-AVX2.

Does the unit actually decode the hi-res audio (MLP/PCM) off the DVD-A disc or are you playing the DD or DTS encoded audio that typically comes on the DVD-A? The user manual only mentions MLP-Lossless for copyright purposes, but it does not indicate that it's actually playing the hi-res audio (e.g., as multi-channel PCM). The only surround-sound options it mentions are DD, DDPL, and DTS. Could any of you who actually use the unit clarify?

Most importantly, if it hadn't been for each of you, I wouldn't have known this player existed much less was still available! Thank you for your help!

I'll try to keep you posted as to my progress.

Regards,
Josh

 

[LizardKing]

Yes it does play DVD-A.... BUT - in DVD-A mode it doesn't seem to handle the fact that I don't have a center channel, i.e. it doesn't mix the center into L&R Front.

So for 5.1 DVD-As I play the DTS (if available). I play quad DVD-As no problem.

 

[mdmost]

When I put a DVD-Audio in the JVC, it will display MLP as the encoding format. I don't believe any DVD-Audios were encoded with PCM. I've at least never come across that when I play a DVD-A in the car. There is an option you can toggle called Surround that can be used to flip between stereo (yet comes out in all 4 speakers) and 5.1. I have neither a center channel or a sub. Going off memory I believe there is a subwoofer option which I have turned off on the player's setup menu. I have only encounter odd sound where it's obvious a center channel is missing with the Doors LA Woman DVD-Audio. All the rest I've played sound great. There is a setting called Speaker size that has 4 options: Front SPK, Center SPK, Rear SPK, Subwoofer. The Center, Rear and Subwoofer all have None settings. Lizard, check if your center setting is on. That might be affecting playback. I don't know if that pushed the mix to the L&R Fronts from the center channel but it wouldn't hurt to try. I believe to access this menu, the disc has to be in but stopped. I think the remote has to be used to do that.

Another nice feature is if you have the means to burn DVD-Audios from your computer (I use Burn on my Mac), you can burn 24bit 88khz/96khz FLAC files onto DVDs and they will register as PCM files that sound great. To take full advantage, you have to toggle the surround setting off to get the full effect. I actually do this for most of the high quality files I buy online so I can take them with me. Unfortunately, FLAC was too new at the time to have onboard support like MP3s, AAC and WMA files did. So you can't play FLAC off an external player like an iPod.

There are also Dolby Digital, DTS, and Dolby PLII Movie and Music options but only for DVD-video discs and DVD-R discs that are not encoded as DVD-Audios. I don't mess around with those all that much. I tend to stick with CDs and DVD-Audios.

 

[LizardKing]

...There is a setting called Speaker size that has 4 options: Front SPK, Center SPK, Rear SPK, Subwoofer. The Center, Rear and Subwoofer all have None settings. Lizard, check if your center setting is on. That might be affecting playback. I don't know if that pushed the mix to the L&R Fronts from the center channel but it wouldn't hurt to try. I believe to access this menu, the disc has to be in but stopped. I think the remote has to be used to do that.

....

I've tried all the setting combinations... Center & Sub are set to None - IIRC.

Also - FYI - There are (some) DVD-As with LPCM (mainly homegrown) rather than MLP. They play fine and are displayed as LPCM by the player...

 

[fredblue]

When I put a DVD-Audio in the JVC, it will display MLP as the encoding format. I don't believe any DVD-Audios were encoded with PCM. I've at least never come across that when I play a DVD-A in the car. There is an option you can toggle called Surround that can be used to flip between stereo (yet comes out in all 4 speakers) and 5.1. I have neither a center channel or a sub. Going off memory I believe there is a subwoofer option which I have turned off on the player's setup menu. I have only encounter odd sound where it's obvious a center channel is missing with the Doors LA Woman DVD-Audio. All the rest I've played sound great. There is a setting called Speaker size that has 4 options: Front SPK, Center SPK, Rear SPK, Subwoofer. The Center, Rear and Subwoofer all have None settings. Lizard, check if your center setting is on. That might be affecting playback. I don't know if that pushed the mix to the L&R Fronts from the center channel but it wouldn't hurt to try. I believe to access this menu, the disc has to be in but stopped. I think the remote has to be used to do that.

Another nice feature is if you have the means to burn DVD-Audios from your computer (I use Burn on my Mac), you can burn 24bit 88khz/96khz FLAC files onto DVDs and they will register as PCM files that sound great. To take full advantage, you have to toggle the surround setting off to get the full effect. I actually do this for most of the high quality files I buy online so I can take them with me. Unfortunately, FLAC was too new at the time to have onboard support like MP3s, AAC and WMA files did. So you can't play FLAC off an external player like an iPod.

There are also Dolby Digital, DTS, and Dolby PLII Movie and Music options but only for DVD-video discs and DVD-R discs that are not encoded as DVD-Audios. I don't mess around with those all that much. I tend to stick with CDs and DVD-Audios.

I think the Al Green Greatest Hits DVD-A was 5.1 LPCM as opposed to PPCM but I can't think of any others!?

 

[fredblue]

I think the Al Green Greatest Hits DVD-A was 5.1 LPCM as opposed to PPCM but I can't think of any others!?

https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/fo...ATEST-HITS-DVD-A&p=68387&viewfull=1#post68387

Post #12 onward

 

[LizardKing]

I think the Al Green Greatest Hits DVD-A was 5.1 LPCM as opposed to PPCM but I can't think of any others!?

Also 5.1 LPCM:
Lilium - Short Stories
16 Horsepower - Secret South
Mavin Gaye - The Marvin Gaye Collection
Sting - Brand New Day

 

[fredblue]

Yep...Also 5.1 LPCM:
Lilium - Short Stories
16 Horsepower - Secret South
Mavin Gaye - The Marvin Gaye Collection
Sting - Brand New Day

oh I'm slacking! worse still I only have 2 of those! I need to get the Lilium disc! Thanks for all the info as ever

 

[LizardKing]

oh I'm slacking! worse still I only have 2 of those! I need to get the Lilium disc! Thanks for all the info as ever

I quite like the Lilium ..... LK recommended.

 

[fredblue]

I quite like the Lilium ..... LK recommended.

just got it for £2.94 used on Amazon UK can't argue with that

 

[DuncanS]

I quite like the Lilium ..... LK recommended.

Its one I've often pondered over, but if its good enough for LizardKing...... just got one £10.74 on amazon.co.uk!

 

[fredblue]

Its one I've often pondered over, but if its good enough for LizardKing...... just got one £10.74 on amazon.co.uk!

not interested in the used one there for £2.95?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/B00028VK8G/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&condition=used

 

[LizardKing]

just got it for £2.94 used on Amazon UK can't argue with that

I'm guessing you don't have the 16 Horsepower also....

Mixed by the same guy who did Lilium (Robert Ferbrache)...

Check out this...
https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/fo...ET-SOUTH-DVD-A&p=123108&viewfull=1#post123108


..

 

[LizardKing]

There is also three other mixes by Ferbrache:
https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/fo...-older-mixes-Uphollow-and-Ian-Cooke-(5-1-dts)

I have the Uphollow as well as Munly & The Lee Lewis Harlots....

Lilium is my favourite...though..

 

[LizardKing]

Its one I've often pondered over, but if its good enough for LizardKing...... just got one £10.74 on amazon.co.uk!

Oh shite... I hope you guys like it......

 

[DuncanS]

not interested in the used one there for £2.95?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/B00028VK8G/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&condition=used

I've never had much luck with 2nd hand discs, so I only buy them if they're deleted. But I have been buying 2nd hand SQ vinyl...all I need now is the Involve box

 

[DuncanS]

Oh shite... I hope you guys like it......

Its a long way to go to complain!

 

[DuncanS]

I'm guessing you don't have the 16 Horsepower also....

Mixed by the same guy who did Lilium (Robert Ferbrache)...

Check out this...
https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/fo...ET-SOUTH-DVD-A&p=123108&viewfull=1#post123108


..

I'm always looking out for new music so I just had a listen to the 16 Horsepower, if the CD/DVD wasn't so expensive (even 2nd hand) I'd have got it, and new from the USA would have been crazy after P&P & TAX by the time it got to the UK. So I've bought the CD only version!

If you haven't already try listening to Gillian Welch's CDs "Time (The Revelator)", "Hell Among The Yearlings", & "The Harrow & The Harvest".

 

[fredblue]

I'm guessing you don't have the 16 Horsepower also....

Mixed by the same guy who did Lilium (Robert Ferbrache)...

Check out this...
https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/fo...ET-SOUTH-DVD-A&p=123108&viewfull=1#post123108


..

yeah I do have that one in an orangey/brown card/digipak type set, I like most of the music and the mix has a lot going for it but I seem to recall it being mastered a bit loud for my delicate shell-likes!

 

[fredblue]

Oh shite... I hope you guys like it......

I'm not gonna grumble over a 3 quid disc Mike! well...