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Sound problems to Soundbar

(8 posts)

lozzer62

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Joined: Dec '13
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Hi, I have a Foxsat HDR. It's one of the early 2009 models.
I have just bought a Cambridge Audio Minx TV Pedestal Soundbar which has Optical, 3.5mm analogue and RCA (phono) inputs.
I'm having problems setting up the sound and was seeking advice.

My HDR connects to the TV via HDMI, then I feed optical from the TV to the Minx. Everything works great. The TV doesn't allow me to control the volume of the optical connection, so I use a balance between the Minx volume and the HDR volume to get the right level.

My TV has a terrestrial aerial connection for when the weather is bad and the Satellite signal is dodgy.

If I boot the HDR, then the Minx, then the TV everything is fine, but the TV doesn't like me turning the HDR on first as it then requires me to turn off the TV and on again, so I end up turning the TV on first, then the HDR, then the Minx. It's all a palaver.

If I turn on the TV and Minx before the HDR has completed booting the sound from the Minx is deafening because the volume coming from the Optical port direct from the TV is extremely loud (about 3 times louder than via the HDR).

Okay, so I then joined the HDR and Minx via the Optical, but I don't get any sound at all from BBC1 HD and BBC2 HD. Everything else is fine.

So, I tried connecting the 3.5mm jack cable from the headphone port on the TV to the 3.5mm jack port on the minx and I get a loud buzzing noise, so that isn't it either.

I don't have left & right RCA cables to try, but assume that these will give me the same result as using optical.

The only solution I can think of at present is to unplug the terrestrial aerial cable from the TV, so if it is turned on first it doesn't lock onto a station and therefore shouldn't pump out any (deafening) sound.

Don't get me wrong, this isn't a life or death problem. I am just interested to hear if anyone out there has any better solutions they may be able to offer.

Thanks for your time.
Nige

| Thu 12 Dec 2013 12:30:38 #1 |
gomezz

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I always turn the volume on my AV amp down to zero before turning off for the day. Is the volume on the HDR set to maximum? If not, make it so.

| Thu 12 Dec 2013 12:44:24 #2 |
lozzer62

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Joined: Dec '13
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Hi Gomezz

I have always set the HDR volume to maximum, then controlled it via the TV remote, so am used to this. The remote for the Minx is tiny and the buttons for volume are miniscule. Also, the volume increments are too coarse to get just the right volume, which is annoying and why I prefer not to use it, but it's a good suggestion. Maybe that's the best option for me.

Thank you for your thoughts.

| Thu 12 Dec 2013 13:12:24 #3 |
gomezz

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Does the soundbar remote have a Mute button you can use instead? A longer term solution may be to get a universal remote to control all your equipment?

| Thu 12 Dec 2013 14:07:00 #4 |
lozzer62

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Hi Gomezz

Yes, the remote does have a mute button, but it doesn't remember this setting if it's switched off. (I'm a bit old school in that I turn stuff off if I'm not using it, rather than let it go into standby, so I'm probably making a rod for my own back here).

A universal remote is a great idea. I should look into that.

Thanks.

| Thu 12 Dec 2013 14:19:04 #5 |
lozzer62

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Following some communication with Cambridge Audio Technical Support they suggested I set the Humax to 'Stereo' only because when I connect the optical cable direct from the Humax to the Minx I only get sound on standard definition channels. The Minx doesn't process Dolby 5.1 sound, hence the silence.

So, by turning off Dolby on the Humax I was able to get sound straight from the Humax to the Minx without going through the TV.

However, the sound was very thin and tinny and none of the Minx equaliser presets improved matters.

I am back where I started and just need to learn to turn the kit on and off in the correct order. Not a major problem, but it was worth asking these questions.

| Fri 13 Dec 2013 10:31:34 #6 |
Donj

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Joined: Oct '13
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I had the same problem but with the new 1000s box. It has been resolved thus,

Humax to TV = HDMI
TV to Panasonic sound bar = Optical
Humax box settings = Output Stereo.

Set Humax box volume to 40 (50 is max).
Set TV volume to 0.
The Humax remote switches on the box as well as the TV.
Switch on soundbar.

NOTE: The Humax remote will not switch off the box and the TV, it only switches off the box. I have to switch off the TV with its own remote.

| Sat 14 Dec 2013 7:54:11 #7 |
lozzer62

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Joined: Dec '13
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Hi Donj

That's very interesting. I haven't programmed the Humax remote to talk to the TV and am interested to hear that the on button on the remote will switch both the TV and Humax on at the same time.

Unfortunately the Panasonic TV has to be switched on first, otherwise if the Humax booots up first the TV never sees it. If this happens the TV has to be switched off and on again.

I've now got the following configuration...

Humax to TV via HDMI
TV to Minx via Optical
Humax set to Stereo and Dolby
Volume of Humax set to 1/2 to allow me to increase and decrease volume during a program (because the Minx remote is tiny and the volume increments are very big so I prefer not to use it once the Minx is on).
Turn on TV, let it find terrestrial channel
Turn on Humax and wait for it to display a channel on the TV
Turn on Minx

To shut it all down, as long as I turn off the Minx first the rest can be turned off in either order.

I'm a happy bunny, now that the audio visual equipment has me properly trained.

Thanks for everyone's comments and suggestions.

| Sat 14 Dec 2013 21:30:50 #8 |