PC + Receiver + Monitor--Interesting twist inside

[hedgehog brown]

So the other day I finally bought a subwoofer and wanted to get my 5.1 going (of course Windows 10 isn't quite there yet, but that's a different story altogether....)

I have:

ASUS Maximus V Formula
nVidia 780
Pioneer vsx-818v
Dell U2312HM

Currently, the sub is wired for Dolby Pro-Logic (connected to mains with speaker wire, and then connected to bookshelf speakers through the outs with speaker wire, crossover manually set on rear of subwoofer cabinet). When Windows gets the 5.1 working, I'd like to be able to use the RCA out to the sub the way you're supposed to, but here's the rub: It has to be optical. There is an HDMI in, but it only does passthrough. No decoding (unless I am reading the manual wrong).

However, unless I am missing something, in order to set the other four speakers not to double up the subwoofer frequencies, I need to open a menu on the av receiver that's only visible through a passthrough on the TV/monitor/what have you...and the kicker is, I have also lost the remote.

Keeping in mind that I don't really have the resources for a new receiver, but could just about afford a replacement remote and two HDMI cables, how should I go about this? Is there for instance a custom mixer app I can run in the background of Windows that will keep a 5.1 stream open and allow me to set the range for each speaker, and will also downmix to Pro-Logic for music? Or am I pretty much screwed?

I did initially have the sub plugged in with the RCA, and it sounded muddy as hell. Once I wired it the other way, it became crystal clear. It's a joy to listen to, but I really want to use the surround feature.

Thanks!

 

[americanaudiophile]

1. Your current setup with the sub wired through the front speakers doesn't mean you can't get digital surround sound. That is dependent on how your PC is connected to the receiver. Digital (HDMI or audio) would be best.
2. You are correct that you can't set your front L & R to small but you can set the center and rears to small (if you had the remote)
3. The HDMI passthrough means that there is no video processing applied to the HDMI out. You can still get your audio and surround processing with the HDMI inputs.
4. You are going to need the remote (and the set up mic would be helpful too) to get the receiver set properly.
5. If you use the 5.1 channel input on the receiver you can connect this to the analog outs on the PC. The PC will do the surround processing. You would need the remote to assign this to the correct video input.
6. When you connect the sub to the sub out of the receiver you couldn't adjust it correctly without the remote.

Overall I would suggest you get the Pioneer remote to set up the receiver up correctly. You need to do this to get the correct speaker,, channel level - delay setup and input assignments anyway. Use HDMI to connect the PC and monitor to the receiver. Connect the speakers as per the owners manual. If you can't get the bass adjusted to your taste you can always go back to using the speaker wire hookup (set the front L/R to large, rest to small, no sub). Let the receiver do the music processing as it will have many more options than the PC would.

 

[hedgehog brown]

this receiver definitely will not take audio over hdmi. maybe i should actually just see if i can score a bargain with a new one.

 

[americanaudiophile]

You are correct the manual does say that. This is the only HDMI receiver I have every heard of that doesn't do audio through HDMI. Dump it.

 

[hedgehog brown]

You are correct the manual does say that. This is the only HDMI receiver I have every heard of that doesn't do audio through HDMI. Dump it.

how much do you reckon i can sell it for? it sounds good with the optical in, does pcm @ 24 bit/96000.