Dynamic volume problem

hi,

same problem here. The volume drops for 1 or two seconds and then restores ... 

best regards,

flo

Hi Domenico, this is expected. Dynamic Volume looks for its reference level around dialog. If at the time you switch it on the content it playing louder than normal dialog then it will bring the level down.  If you switch it on during a soft scene with background then it will bring the level up.  After this initial level change, you should set the volume to where you like it and let Dynamic Volume do its job: prevent wide variations in level as the content is playing.

Thanks Chris. I wish I could have the possibility to set my amplifier so that Dynamic Volume is active only when a movie is played. But unfortunately I will have to do the setting manually every tome I change from music to movie...

Cheers.

Domenico

Domeneco

what you can do is set another function of the AVR (say the one labelled CD) 

but you assign it the same cable input as the DVD/ BD player

so all you need to do is to switch the input on the AVR, and then all teh saved settings for Music Listening are applied

i.e you would want CD music to be in Stereo/ Direct mode. with Dynamic EQ turned on but Dynamic Vol turned off

I have done this with my Denon DVD player and Denon AVR 

they both share the same HDMI cable from the same source

But the CD input uses "Direct" decoding,

it also has a different Source Input Level (to reflect the higher mastering volume of most CD content) 

I also have the levels of the L+R channels equal in the CD mode (because in DVD mode my seating position is off-centre and the Right Channel is set lower by Audyssey)

so your AVR is capable of doing all of this too

and it's only one single button push for all these settings to change automatically

Thanks Rob, that's an excelent idea.

I will try that.

Domenico

Dear Chris,

The audio drop out issue is back again, since yesterday. I've made a video of it and posted it to youtube, so you can see and hear for yourself. It happens regardless if it is stereo or dolby. I am totally out of options of what is causing this. I show different settings and comments in the video. 

Do you have any idea what this might be and how to solve it?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zf2j6-QZMtQ

Thanks a lot in advance,

Chris

Hi Chris,

This looks like an issue with Marantz.  Please have them check it out.  It is not caused by Audyssey because, as you mentioned, it happens with Audyssey on or off.  In my opinion it must have to do with a processing or clock problem in the Marantz, but only they will be able to help you with it.

Hi Chris,

I'll head to Marantz for a solution. I really appreciate the fact that you interact with end consumers the way you do. I think one would have a hard time finding any CxO who interacts with its company's customers this way. Thanks for your comments on my dropout problem.

Regards,

Chris

Thanks Chris, please come back and let me know what you find.  I really would like to know the solution/cause.

 Hi Chris,

I was playing with the Audyssey settings of my Denon AVR-1912. I noticed that when turning the Dynamic Volume function on and off, this has a different effect on the general volume level depending on the source reproduced.

If I play a music CD, turning the Dynamic Volume on I hear is a significant volume decrease.

On the contrary, if I do the same when I watch a movie (DVD or BD), the volume increases when the function is on.

Is this a normal behaviour for the Dynamic Volume function?

Thanks,

Domenico

What is your source?

I'm using a Samsung-TV for watching TV. It sends audio via ARC to a Denon AVR-2113.

best regards,

Flo

The problem is most likely due to ARC and "bad" bitstream packets as Chrisdemoor described above.  This should be addressed to Denon for testing as Audyssey can't really do anything about problems with the incoming source.  The corrupted stream seems to be having this effect on Dynamic Volume.

Many thanks for your super-fast answer. Can you help me with finding a contact to send this ?

A few weeks ago I tried to place a bugreport at Samsung regarding a HDMI-CEC bug which is known for years now and discussed in many forums. It was impossible for me to even get to 2nd level.

If it is as complicated as described above with Denon I will not invest the time :/ - so maybe you know a way to place a bugreport in a way which is not that frustrating as with Samsung.

best regards,

Flo

I can forward to our engineering contacts at Denon, but you are better off also contacting Denon customer service in your area.  They are usually very good about responding.

Many thanks - I will contact the Denon Support from my side too! :)

Also: what is your TV source? Cable? Satellite?

Cable.

Hi, an automatic email from this site alerted me yesterday...

Finally, I turned off dynamic volume for the TV source on my Denon (the problem occured only with dynamic volume ON and only with the TV and DD+ sound).

My TV is only hdmi 1.3 compatible so I must use an optical cable for the sound and I can't do a test with hdmi 1.4 from TV. The problem must be on the AVR because deactivating Dynamic Volume solves it !

I also work on IT and my impression (after all tests) is like yours !

PS: sorry for my english !

thank you Chris for your response.

the problem is not when i come from silence but when I listen the TV and mostly when someone is talking on a Dolby digital plus signal (5.1 or 2.0).

I can hear the voice and suddently the volume of the voice becomes randomly (several times in an hour) so low that I can't hear that is said during one second.

That is definitely not normal.  Another possible cause may be a competing dynamic range control in the source device.  If your DVD/Bluray player has one turned on it may be interfering with Dynamic Volume.  Many of these players have these turned on by default.

I have checked my TV receiver and there's no dynamic range control in it and I have disabled all sound controls on my TV (samsung LE46A676) while I'm playing audio throught my AVR.

I had no problem with my old AVR witch didn't have a dynamic volume option.

the problem is only with dolby digital + signal witch is on some TV channels here in France. no problem with standard stereo signal from others non HD channels !

I'm afraid you will have to contact Denon about this to see if something is wrong with your AVR.  This is not normal behavior for Audyssey Dynamic Volume.  We have tested the 2311 in our labs and do not see this problem with DD+ signal (or any other signal).

After I run Audyssey calibration, my center speaker was at -4dB and we thought it was'nt enought loud so we put it at -3dB... I had think to this tis night so I didn't had time to test since this morning...

can it be that witch is running Dynamic volume not correctly ?

No... 1 dB change will not cause this problem.  You said it only happens on "some channels". This could mean that these channels are applying some form of dynamic range control at the station.  Traditional methods for doing this can cause artifacts that interfere with Dynamic Volume.

this stations are in Dolby Digital plus, it's the only difference... i have asked Denon about this and i'm wating for their response but i don't think they will have a solution...

thanks for your help

Hi Chris,

It seems like Laurent had the same problem I am having now (see my question below that i submitted).

Could you contact him and find out if he got to know the solution?

Thanks!

Hi Chris,

On my Marantz SR5005 I have this strange problem that suddenly all sound is gone for a second. It happens once every 30 seconds or so. Like the sound is interrupted with silence. I think there is a relation with dynamic volume as the interruptions occur more frequently if that is turned on. It happens on any tv program, also during a football game, where there is constant background noise.

The strange thing is that I have had this before. Then the problem was gone for a few months and now it's back again since a few days. I can't watch tv like this, you can imagine. Its like someone once in a while mutes the volume for a second.

I'm not an audiophile, but I seriously dived into this machine and your technology to understand it. I am lost on this though. I work in IT and this makes an impression like a software bug.

Any ideas? Heard this before?

Thanks for your help.

Chris

Does this happen when you are fast forwarding in the DVR and then you stop forwarding and hit Play?

There is nothing broken. Dynamic Volume looks at the audio ahead (with a small buffer) to determine what to do. If you are coming out of silence then it doesn't have any way to look ahead and so it drops the volume to make sure the sound will not be too loud.

So Chris (from Audyssey), Lauren & I found a bug.

If you have an optical out cable from your TV running to your AVR, DD on and dynamic volume on, then the sound gets interrupted for a second and drops to silence a few times per minute. It's a blocker to use the system, I can't watch TV like this. It must be an Audyssey issue as I am having this on my Marantz AVR and Lauren on his Denon, both equipped with Audyssey and the issue dissapears when you turn Audyssey technology off. Is there any explanation for this? And better, a solution? If it is a bug, do you release new software, can we upload it somehow in the machine?

Thanks for your help,

Chris 

We have been unable to reproduce this.  It has nothing to do with the Dynamic Volume technology, but most likely related to a problem in the incoming signal.  For example, if the digital signal from the TV is dropping its digital clock sync then the AVR clock has to resync every time that happens.  This would cause the kind of problem you are hearing because Dynamic Volume thinks the volume is changing from silence to on.  You don't hear it with Dynamic Volume off because the timing blips may be very short and the AVR doesn't react to them.

Can you try connecting the TV to the AVR via analog cable to see if the problem is still there?  I really think this is a digital clock issue between the AVR and the TV.