Solved! Help troubleshooting why subwoofer isn't working through AV Receiver through optical, but is through other inputs

[Billy_3]

Hi there,

I am new here but hoping someone can help me with the problem I'm currently having - I am way past the point of pulling my hair out with this!

I have an Onkyo AV Receiver connected to a 2.1 Cambridge audio speaker system. When using Bluetooth or turntable input, it works perfectly. However, I recently replaced a lot of parts in my PC and now the subwoofer is no longer working when using the PC input (but still fine with the others). It's not quiet, it's not making any sound at all. It's connected via an Optical cable to an Asus Xonar DGX Sound Card, but I have also tried an External sound card I have with which exactly the same thing was happening - I have also tried almost every different setting combination in the Xonar DGX Software to no avail.

I have checked the settings on the receiver to make sure that the subwoofer is turned on and that the crossover settings are okay, as well as making sure that the speakers are set to small (but have tried Large too).

I am thinking that this must be a windows side problem, but I have no idea what else to try at this point. Has anyone experienced something similar before or able to help with troubleshooting this?

Thanks in advance!

 

[shknawe]

Have you tried using a Realtek hd manager file?

 

[Billy_3]

Have you tried using a Realtek hd manager file?

I haven't - do you know how I'd go about that?

Thanks!

 

[jsmithepa]

It may sound strange to you, but the control is with Onkyo. He's the one that decides whether to enable sub or not. Now the fact that it's treating your PC differently is the curiosity.

So your BT/Turntable are sending it stereo signal and that works.

Next question is, what kind of signal is the PC sending it? Onkyo should tell you what codec (mode) is using. If u are using a sound card make sure you are not confusing on-board Mobo setting. Since you are using digital out on the PC, the Mobo built-in should work, simpler and no need for sound card 'cuz the digital processing is being performed by Onkyo.

 

[rgd1101]

MERGED QUESTION
Question from Billy_3 : "Subwoofer isn't working through AV Receiver using optical, but is working through other inputs"

Hi there,

I am new here but hoping someone can help me with the problem I'm currently having - I am way past the point of pulling my hair out with this!

I have an Onkyo AV Receiver connected to a 2.1 Cambridge audio speaker system. When using Bluetooth or turntable input, it works perfectly. However, I recently replaced a lot of parts in my PC and now the subwoofer is no longer working when using the PC input (but still fine with the others). It's not quiet, it's not making any sound at all. It's connected via an Optical cable to an Asus Xonar DGX Sound Card, but I have also tried an External sound card I have with which exactly the same thing was happening - I have also tried almost every different setting combination in the Xonar DGX Software to no avail.

I have checked the settings on the receiver to make sure that the subwoofer is turned on and that the crossover settings are okay, as well as making sure that the speakers are set to small (but have tried Large too).

I am thinking that this must be a windows side problem, but I have no idea what else to try at this point. Has anyone experienced something similar before or able to help with troubleshooting this?

Thanks in advance!

i had a similar problem with a Pioneer HTP-72 5.1 , and only front left and right where working, no bass no side/back speakers. and i contacted the Pioneer to see if they know what could go wrong and the problem was the sound card
had SPDIF for 2 channels (left and right). but dont think this could be a problem on 2.1 system but if the receiver is 5.1 and only 2.1 is connected that can be a problem cause AV receivers mark sub as an EXTRA channel in that setup sub will not work over SPDIF.


i got over this problem by connecting it over HDMI and cause its digital audio sounds card doesnt matter, AV receiver will "collor" up the sound.

 

[Billy_3]

It may sound strange to you, but the control is with Onkyo. He's the one that decides whether to enable sub or not. Now the fact that it's treating your PC differently is the curiosity.

So your BT/Turntable are sending it stereo signal and that works.

Next question is, what kind of signal is the PC sending it? Onkyo should tell you what codec (mode) is using. If u are using a sound card make sure you are not confusing on-board Mobo setting. Since you are using digital out on the PC, the Mobo built-in should work, simpler and no need for sound card 'cuz the digital processing is being performed by Onkyo.

Hi there,

Yes this is exactly the confusion I am currently having. I have tried the PC output in both Windows settings and the Asus Xonar software as every option possible, but I am under the impression it should just be Stereo (or 2.0 /2.1). When it was working before, it was set to 2.0 out from the PC, where (I assumed) that the Receiver would split that into Speaker / Sub based on the crossover frequency. This is exactly why I can't understand what's going on here. I also checked to see if there were any Input-specific settings on the receiver too but to no avail.

The reason I am using a sound card is that the Mobo doesn't have a Digital out, and I wanted to continue using this as the 1 cable is simpler (and this is how it was working before) - it's just a cheap one but that is also what I had before and it did work quite well. I have tried both the external sound card and the internal one with the inbuilt sound turned off and on in the bios, and it was the same for all 4 scenarios.

I was also wondering if it was just that the PC is outputting no low end, and therefore the sub is on extremely quietly, but I have tried putting all low end on full and turning the sub tvol to full, and it doesn't make any movements at all.

I'm not sure what else to try at this point!

 

[Billy_3]

MERGED QUESTION
Question from Billy_3 : "Subwoofer isn't working through AV Receiver using optical, but is working through other inputs"

Hi there,

I am new here but hoping someone can help me with the problem I'm currently having - I am way past the point of pulling my hair out with this!

I have an Onkyo AV Receiver connected to a 2.1 Cambridge audio speaker system. When using Bluetooth or turntable input, it works perfectly. However, I recently replaced a lot of parts in my PC and now the subwoofer is no longer working when using the PC input (but still fine with the others). It's not quiet, it's not making any sound at all. It's connected via an Optical cable to an Asus Xonar DGX Sound Card, but I have also tried an External sound card I have with which exactly the same thing was happening - I have also tried almost every different setting combination in the Xonar DGX Software to no avail.

I have checked the settings on the receiver to make sure that the subwoofer is turned on and that the crossover settings are okay, as well as making sure that the speakers are set to small (but have tried Large too).

I am thinking that this must be a windows side problem, but I have no idea what else to try at this point. Has anyone experienced something similar before or able to help with troubleshooting this?

Thanks in advance!

i had a similar problem with a Pioneer HTP-72 5.1 , and only front left and right where working, no bass no side/back speakers. and i contacted the Pioneer to see if they know what could go wrong and the problem was the sound card
had SPDIF for 2 channels (left and right). but dont think this could be a problem on 2.1 system but if the receiver is 5.1 and only 2.1 is connected that can be a problem cause AV receivers mark sub as an EXTRA channel in that setup sub will not work over SPDIF.


i got over this problem by connecting it over HDMI and cause its digital audio sounds card doesnt matter, AV receiver will "collor" up the sound.

This is the first thing I've seen that would technically explain the issue I am having, but what I can't work out is why it would have been fine before replacing the PC parts. I don't think the contributing factors changed at all, but the bass stopped working with the same receiver after these upgrades. I will see if I can try HDMI, but is it possible to only route the sound via HDMi as the PC has to output to 2 monitors via the Graphics Card

Thanks for your help!

 

[zero_l0gic]

If you have an Intel cpu (intel has intergrated gpu so) you can connect it over that hdmi( back of the mobo). That is how my setup is. 2 monitors on nvidia gpu and sound over intel gpu. 5.1 works, direct dts, dts all modes work. And if your AV recevier has passtrou hdmi you can use that to connect monitor or tv.