When setting up your home theater with a Pioneer Surround Sound System, understanding the different audio modes and how they interact with your source devices is crucial for achieving the best possible listening experience. A common question arises when connecting devices like a Rogers HD box or a Blu-ray player to your Pioneer receiver: which surround sound mode should you select? Let’s clarify the process to ensure you’re getting the most out of your Pioneer system.
It’s important to first understand a fundamental distinction: your Pioneer receiver is designed to decode the incoming audio signals automatically. Whether it’s Dolby Digital or DTS, the receiver doesn’t require you to manually select the decoding format. Instead, it intelligently identifies and processes the audio stream being fed to it. The selection of Dolby Digital or DTS, if available, is actually determined by the source device – such as your cable box or Blu-ray player – and the audio content itself.
For instance, your HD cable box typically offers output options like Dolby Digital bitstreams (in either 5.1 or 2.0 channels) or standard 2-channel PCM. If you are aiming for a 5.1 surround sound experience from your cable programming, ensure your cable box is set to output Dolby Digital. The Pioneer receiver will then automatically decode this Dolby Digital signal to deliver the surround sound.
Similarly, when connecting a Blu-ray player to your pioneer surround sound system, especially via HDMI, the player takes on the responsibility of outputting the various audio codecs supported by Blu-ray and DVD formats. Your Pioneer receiver, if compatible with these formats, will then be able to access and decode whatever high-definition audio the Blu-ray player sends. The choice of audio formats available is determined by the Blu-ray disc itself and its creator, not by manual selection on your receiver for the source format decoding.
After the receiver has successfully decoded the incoming audio signal, you then have the option to engage in surround processing. This is where you decide how you want to handle stereo programs. If your audio source is in stereo and you prefer to listen in stereo, you should bypass any surround processing modes like Neo:6 or Pro Logic II. In this case, ensure these modes are turned off to maintain the original stereo output.
However, if you wish to create a surround sound experience from stereo sources, this is where you would utilize those surround processing modes like Neo:6, PLII, or similar options available on your pioneer surround sound system. These modes are designed to upmix stereo audio to simulate a surround sound environment, using the capabilities of your 5.1 or greater speaker setup.
In summary, for optimal performance with your pioneer surround sound system, focus on correctly setting the audio output on your source devices (cable box, Blu-ray player) to ensure they are sending the desired audio format (like Dolby Digital for 5.1). Your Pioneer receiver will then automatically decode these signals. The choice of “surround sound mode” on the receiver itself becomes relevant when you want to apply surround processing to stereo content, allowing you to expand stereo audio into a more immersive, multi-channel soundscape.
