Problem with Sony DAV-DZ260 home theatre system

by Rob
(Lowestoft, Suffolk, England)

I'm after some guidance with regards to the front speakers on our surround sound setup. We have have a Sony DAV-DZ260. We've had it for almost two years and it has been brilliant. We have the PS3 and SKY HD hooked up to it and have always had good results.

However, in the last few days I have noticed something with the front speakers. I was playing Modern Warfare 2 and I noticed that the dialogue in between gameplay was coming through all three front speakers. I later watched a film on sky and noticed the same thing but the dialogue wasnt quite as loud from the front left and right speakers. The actors were directly in the middle of the screen and not off screen somewhere.

Is this correct?? For some reason I thought that dialogue, for the most part, came from the front centre speaker and then others depending on where the person speaking is. Admittedly the dialogue I've noticed coming from the front left and right speakers is in no way a distraction - its just niggling at me a bit now I know its there. I have carried out a sound test via the home theatre menu each speaker has sound coming out of it accordingly.

Can any one offer any suggestions as to whether this is right? Does it only happen with certain films and or games? If this isnt right can any one offer advice on how to fix it?

Any help would be great.

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Rob

I may be wrong (wouldn't be the first time), but it's probably just the particular 'decoding mode' that you are using that is making this happen.

I'm not sure how you are connecting your devices to the Sony DAV-DZ260, but my guess is you are sending stereo audio into the system from Sky and PS3, which is then being decoded into surround sound by whichever 'decoding mode' you have selected.

Change the decoding mode and see if another mode sounds better to you (page 25 of manual).

If you are connecting in this way (stereo), you aren't hearing the true 5.1 surround sound (which would have better separation between channels).

However, if you do have a digital optical or coaxial audio connection from your external devices, then you need to select the "Auto Format Direct Standard" mode, which should play the audio as it was recorded/encoded.

All the best.

Paul (Site Editor)

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