NO SACD output

[durden123]

Hi
I am new to the forum. I am having trouble with SACD output.

I have a Marantz DV8300 and Marantz SR9300. I have connected the analog audio outputs from the player to the amp (apart from the digital coaxial)
When playing SACD I have no output. I do have output from all channels when playing DVD-A (even if i disconnect the digital connection).

Can someone suggest what I am doing wrong?

Thanks a lot.

[Lasher]

I don't own the same gear that you do but it sounds to me like somthing in the players setup is telling it to downconvert to pcm and not passing the sound to the analog connections. Thats just my best guess.

Hope it Helps :)

Lasher

[durden123]

Thanks for the reply.

I have rechecked a few times. I have Polk RM7600 speakers. I am not sure what type of speaker type I should select (small vs large). I chose small. That seemed to be the only dodgy setting. Others seemed fine to me.

It is frustrating as I already bought a few SACDs.

Thanks again

[ted_b]

Make sure you have the SACD area set corectly (page 42 of your player's manual). You need to set it for 2 channel, 5.1 channel or cd area (weird nomenclature for this player....no wonder it's confusing). For example, if you have it set for 2 channel (default) and it is a multichannel disc, it will downmix and play out front l/r only. You are getting no sound on SACD because its set to cd area and the disc is not a hybrid, or you don't have 5.1 channel audio on (page 43) and what you thought you were hearing on the DVD-Audio was really the Dolby or DTS mix on the DVD-video layer.

Anyway, I don't own this confusing player (I downloaded the user manual ) but give these a look.

Good luck,
Ted

[durden123]

Thanks again.
It is a multichannel SACD and I have it set to 5.1.

I had the doubt about DVD-A output as well. My understanding was if I was gearing the Dolby digital AC-3 surround mix then I won't be able to see the visual content on display but may be I am wrong. Is there a way to tell if I am hearing high resolution DVD-A?

I have posted a request to marantz customer service, but I doubt that they will revert over the weekend and it would be nice to sort this out before that.

[ted_b]

Well, if you aren't sure about the DVD-A stuff, then only listen to the digital outs. If the Dolby Digital or DTS multichannel layer is coming through there, then you don't have the DVD-A (audio_folder) layer engaged (note: realize that hirez DVD-Audio can possibly get into the digital outs, too, in the form of downmixed 2 channel, but the surrounds won't be in play. This weird anomaly does not exist for SACD...digital outs will never see anything from SACD except the redbook layer).

The player is thinking it's a DVD-Video player, not a DVD-Audio player. Check the set up on pages 42-43 again (menus audio1 and audio2 I think). There should be a setting for the whole player called audio (versus video).

Ted

[SiriuslyCold]

durden,

hit the "display" button on the remote - a DVD-Audio should say something like PPCM 24b 48KHz 3/2.1

PPCM = packed PCM.

if you are listening to the DD track it will say DDigital 3/2.1 or something like that

to get the SACD out, you must tell your player to default to the Multichannel SACD layer on play (it will automatically play a stereo SACD if there is no m/c layer, and a normal redbook if it isnt a SACD in the tray)

[durden123]

Ok. When I switch my receiver setting to Digital (instead of the 7.1 analog input) I get the 2 channel output with DVD-A.

When I press display it shows the track information.
It says Tr. Rate = (a number between 6-7.5) apart from the track info.

I have set it to multi-channel SACD. The SACD I am trying to play is single layer.

My DVD player settings are

For Audio 1:

Audio DRC - Off
Dolby Digital Out - Dolby Digital
DTS Out - DTS
Linear PCM Out - Down Sample Off
Mpeg Out - Mpeg
Digital Out - On
SACD Play back - Multi-CH Area

A2:
Virtual Surround - TruSurround
Audio Out - 5.1 Channel
Speaker setting - All large, Sub on
Gain setting - Fix
CD Digital Direct - On

I cannot see the problem with the settings

Thanks a lot for taking the time and effort to reply.

[SiriuslyCold]

does this apply to all multichannel SACDs? or just a specific one

[durden123]

It applies to all SACDs - Stereo SACDs as well

[ear-doc2]

I had a marantz and you must be sure you have switched over to "analog". On my unit, AV9000, you made the switch with the remote, but I don't remember how. I do remember it was very difficult to set up initally, because the manual was so poor. If you have a good demo SACD that has a mix that utilizes all channels it's very easy to tell if you are in SACD but not all discs give you the sensation of different sounds in each speaker.
Good luck

[durden123]

Yeah, I have switched the receiver to 7.1 analog. With DVD-A I do get output from all 6 channels (though I am not 100% sure that it is hi rez). The problem with SACD is not that it gives me 2 channel output, but that it does not give me output.

Actually just noticed, all my SACDs are stereo single layer SACDs - I had thought that one of them ("Goldberg Variations" - Murray Perahia) was multi-channel, but that is not the case. However, I think even if I have the DVD setup to play the multi-channel area it should default to the stereo layer if that is all that is available.

[SiriuslyCold]

yes it should - the only thing i can think of right now is that the DV8300 you have a faulty unit, can you bring it back to the store and test?

[ted_b]

On your player make sure that in the Audio2 menu you have audio set to 5.1 audio (meaning it will output from the 5.1 jacks, not the separate dedicated stereo jacks), and that in the Audio1 menu you have the SACD area set to 2 channel (since that's what your discs are right now), then test it. These menus are discussed on pages 42-43. Other than that, dunno.

[durden123]

Thanks all. I guess I will talk to the Marantz guys tomorrow. If I find a solution will post here. Thanks again.

[durden123]

After talking to the Marantz support over the fone gave the DVD Player for repair at a service center. Hopefully the bill is not too steep.