[SOLVED] My 5.1 Sound system isnt working as it should, any idea?

[WhatLuck150]

My father had a nice surround sound system he is letting me have for free, everything works, but it has its amp, it uses a Bluray DVD Player to power the speakers, and it is able to be connected to another device for audio, so I can use my PC and have audio going through it. When everything is plugged in as it should (I'm using an optical cable), only the front left and front right work, along with the sub. when I swap the speakers wires from the front to the back(unplugging the front and having the back plugged into the front) the rear ones play. the center doesn't play unless plugged into either the sub, front left, or front right spots. The player doesn't have a 3.5mm jack, but I read that the optical supports 5.1 given the slot supports it(i have a sound card that does support 5.1 and 7.1 systems).
I've already tried to change the format from 44000 Hz to 96000 Hz (but it shows 2 channels on all the options). In the sound cards menu, it is already set for 5.1.
in the end, I don't really care about the surround sound aspect of it, just would like all speakers to work. Any idea?


I'm using Windows 11 Pro on the latest update (KB5011563)
The sound system is the Samsung HTS-H5500w (it has 2 RCA ports, one for left, and one for right, along with the optical port that I'm using)
The Sound Card is the Creative Sound Blaster Audigy PCIe RX (here's the link https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EO6X7PG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

forgot to mention, that because it is a bluray player, it does have a HDMI port as well, and if you want a screen shot of something in any settings, just let me know

 

[boju]

The sound card you have doesn't support Dolby Digital Live to convert the signal to surround over optical so it relies on already compressed tracks found on dvd movies etc because optical is limited to 2.1 channels uncompressed audio which is what Windows audio format is based on.

See versions
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolby_Digital

Do you have a graphics card? Most graphics cards with Hdmi/DP have an onboard audio chip, maybe try connect it to Bluray player directly and use gpu audio instead. If Bluray player supports multi channel input then the gpu will give you that.

 

[WhatLuck150]

The sound card you have doesn't support Dolby Digital Live to convert the signal to surround over optical so it relies on already compressed tracks found on dvd movies etc because optical is limited to 2.1 channels uncompressed audio which is what Windows audio format is based on.

See versions
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolby_Digital

Do you have a graphics card? Most graphics cards with Hdmi/DP have an onboard audio chip, maybe try connect it to Bluray player directly and use gpu audio instead. If Bluray player supports multi channel input then the gpu will give you that.

yes, I have a GPU and have already tried to connect via HDMI and it doesn't show up at all as an audio device, ill just return the sound card I have and find one that does support Dolby Digital Live, thanks for pointing that out

 

[punkncat]

^ and even in regard to the above, anything I listen to through a browser is only 2.1. The only source from my PC that offers true surround is the Netflix app. I cannot recall if Hulu did, I no longer subscribe, and the Prime app doesn't at all.
I 'think' it might do surround from a DVD, but not certain since I only have an external drive any more...IIRC it did when played through the Play Station I had at the time.

Much of this is in relation to anti piracy so far as I am aware.

 

[boju]

No problem.

yes, I have a GPU and have already tried to connect via HDMI and it doesn't show up at all as an audio device, ill just return the sound card I have and find one that does support Dolby Digital Live, thanks for pointing that out

What graphics card do you have? So Bluray player doesn't show up as an option for audio source in Windows playback devices?

 

[WhatLuck150]

No problem.



What graphics card do you have? So Bluray player doesn't show up as an option for audio source in Windows playback devices?

Its a AMD 6600xt (XFX Speedster 210), and the player didn't show up as an option

 

[WhatLuck150]

^ and even in regard to the above, anything I listen to through a browser is only 2.1. The only source from my PC that offers true surround is the Netflix app. I cannot recall if Hulu did, I no longer subscribe, and the Prime app doesn't at all.
I 'think' it might do surround from a DVD, but not certain since I only have an external drive any more...IIRC it did when played through the Play Station I had at the time.

Much of this is in relation to anti piracy so far as I am aware.

Ok, thanks for the info

 

[boju]

Do you get display coming through to Bluray from PC? Just like connecting a console, audio should be working. Maybe a setting somewhere. Have you looked in audio options in Amd software in relation to audio? Im not familiar with Amd software so maybe audio needs to be enabled.

 

[WhatLuck150]

Do you get display coming through to Bluray from PC? Just like connecting a console, audio should be working. Maybe a setting somewhere. Have you looked in audio options in Amd software in relation to audio? Im not familiar with Amd software so maybe audio needs to be enabled.

I just checked the AMD settings, and there is nothing for audio, also my PC doesn't get display from the player when plugged into the GPU

 

[punkncat]

In order to see that the soundbar system is actually working right, it would probably work best by putting in a blueray and see that you have all the speakers properly connected. When you change the input to your PC output, the soundbar manual indicates to use "D.IN" mode (pg13 of your manual. This should be providing sound as you have described and most likely in stereo as you have also experienced.

pg 36 discusses the various sound modes the soundbar offers. In order to hear all speakers from only a 2.1 output you will need to see if the unit offers some simulated mode.

HT-H5500_00W_30_50_50W-ENG_0402.indd (samsung.com)

In order to actually play surround sound 5.1 from the PC would depend on that source actually being 5.1, as I reference above.

I would mention that with only the optical connected that the soundbar will not be sending signal to it's connected monitor, if there is such. If you are using this simply to supplement your PC sound as the audio output device it shouldn't matter. In the case that you use this soundbar system with a TV it changes the whole configuration parameter. In my own case I use my TV as the primary source control and send sound to the receiver (the soundbar in your case) only from the TV. The PS is simply a connected source, just like the cable box, console, etc.

EDIT- IE, all of the output source devices are connected to the TV via HDMI cables. The TV is then outputting digital audio signal which is Dolby supported to the receiver (your soundbar) via the Optical cable.

 

[WhatLuck150]

I just checked the AMD settings, and there is nothing for audio, also my PC doesn't get display from the player when plugged into the GPU

I just checked the AMD settings, and there is nothing for audio, also my PC doesn't get display from the player when plugged into the GPU

In order to see that the soundbar system is actually working right, it would probably work best by putting in a blueray and see that you have all the speakers properly connected. When you change the input to your PC output, the soundbar manual indicates to use "D.IN" mode (pg13 of your manual. This should be providing sound as you have described and most likely in stereo as you have also experienced.
pg 36 discusses the various sound modes the soundbar offers.

HT-H5500_00W_30_50_50W-ENG_0402.indd (samsung.com)

I would mention that with only the optical connected that the soundbar will not be sending signal to it's connected monitor, if there is such. If you are using this simply to supplement your PC sound as the audio output device it shouldn't matter. In the case that you use this soundbar system with a TV it changes the whole configuration parameter. In my own case I use my TV as the primary source control and send sound to the receiver (the soundbar in your case) only from the TV. The PS is simply a connected source, just like the cable box, console, etc.

all the speakers work as they should, I can go into the settings on the player and test each speaker individually, and each speaker works and works in the way it should, cant test it out using a bluray movie, as my father told me that he was having issues with the player part of it, that is one of the reasons why he gave it to me, i could possibly fix that though, it might only need the laser to be cleaned (cant remember if i mentioned that i can get audio out of the front left and right, and the sub through my PC using D.IN)

 

[boju]

I just checked the AMD settings, and there is nothing for audio, also my PC doesn't get display from the player when plugged into the GPU

Some reason i thought the player had an Hdmi input, that would be why because it's an output only. My bad.

 

[WhatLuck150]

Some reason i thought the player had an Hdmi input, that would be why because it's an output only. My bad.

I'm not that worried about trying to get it all to work as I wanted as this was still better then what i had before(logitech z406) as the sub with the logitech z406 wasn't acting as it should(also the z406 uses only 80w at its highest, this system uses a max of 1000w with all speakers at max), I can try a few other things to see if I can get it to work how I want, if not I can always sell what I have and get something like the Logitech z906, I'm sure I can get that working easier, I can probably get close to $200 for this current system, the Z906 is almost $400, and I'm sure the Logitech z906 sounds better

 

[WhatLuck150]

if anyone does read this and has the same sound system, i found a fix for the center and surround not working with optical, there is a button at the bottom of the remote that is labeled DSP/EQ, set it to cinema and then the center and surround works
Im kinda mad at myself for overlooking that

 

[kerberos_20]

if anyone does read this and has the same sound system, i found a fix for the center and surround not working with optical, there is a button at the bottom of the remote that is labeled DSP/EQ, set it to cinema and then the center and surround works
Im kinda mad at myself for overlooking that

well thats still stereo, not really a fix (upmix to 5 channels)
there are soundcards which can convert uncompressed PCM to dolby live / DTS connect
ebay second hand asus sonar dsx/dx goes like 20 bucks
or new sound blaster z for 90 bucks on amazon

 

[WhatLuck150]

well thats still stereo, not really a fix (upmix to 5 channels)
there are soudcards which can convert uncompressed PCM to dolby live / DTS connect
ebay second hand asus sonar dsx/dx goes like 20 bucks

I know it isn't a true fix, i didn't fully care about the true 5.1 surround, as how i have it set up wouldn't work anyways for surround sound. Also i don't like buying tech secondhand, but thanks anyways