Only 2 front speakers working in a 5.1 system

[Alex976]

2 hours ago, Dujith said:

This one too? Windows is a bit of a b$tch when it comes to sound.

Yeah, that box is checked too

[johnt]

In your current configuration, the subwoofer is being treated as a separate channel. You need a source that actually supports an LFE channel for the sub, otherwise you won't hear anything from it.

 

Second, you can sometimes activate your subwoofer if the drivers and Windows are working properly (it doesn't always work). When you set your speakers to full range, it sends all of the signal to the speakers. What you want is to redirect the low frequency signals to the subwoofer. You need to turn off "full range" speakers for your fronts and surrounds, and then find an option for bass management, and set the crossover frequency to 100 Hz or less.

 

I don't understand understand Italian, but I am going from memory and Google Translate helped a little 

 

 

[Alex976]

3 hours ago, JohnT said:

In your current configuration, the subwoofer is being treated as a separate channel. You need a source that actually supports an LFE channel for the sub, otherwise you won't hear anything from it.

 

Second, you can sometimes activate your subwoofer if the drivers and Windows are working properly (it doesn't always work). When you set your speakers to full range, it sends all of the signal to the speakers. What you want is to redirect the low frequency signals to the subwoofer. You need to turn off "full range" speakers for your fronts and surrounds, and then find an option for bass management, and set the crossover frequency to 100 Hz or less.

 

I don't understand understand Italian, but I am going from memory and Google Translate helped a little 

 

 

Ok, so how do i do the first thing?

"In your current configuration, the subwoofer is being treated as a separate channel. You need a source that actually supports an LFE channel for the sub, otherwise you won't hear anything from it."

And i unchecked the 2 boxes on the full range option and i checked the box with bass setting enable. How do i set the crossover frequency to 100 hz?

[johnt]

1 hour ago, Alex976 said:

Ok, so how do i do the first thing?

"In your current configuration, the subwoofer is being treated as a separate channel. You need a source that actually supports an LFE channel for the sub, otherwise you won't hear anything from it."

And i unchecked the 2 boxes on the full range option and i checked the box with bass setting enable. How do i set the crossover frequency to 100 hz?

 

The first thing requires a game or a video file that has LFE effects. For gaming, try this website: http://satsun.org/audio/ and see what games you have that support a subwoofer/LFE channel (it is typically the number after the decimal. For example, 5.0 and 7.0 do not have an LFE signal, but 5.1 and 7.1 does.)

 

Edit: Make sure to adjust the sound settings of a game to enable surround sound. It might be in stereo or headphone mode by default.

 

You should be able to get some response from the subwoofer now even if you listen to YouTube or an mp3. Make sure the file has some bass in it that you can obviously hear (think rap music for testing purposes).

 

How do you set your crossover frequency? I don't know. You should have a small screen or setting that lets you change it the frequency. Maybe right click on the sub or some of the setting buttons?

[Alex976]

40 minutes ago, JohnT said:

 

The first thing requires a game or a video file that has LFE effects. For gaming, try this website: http://satsun.org/audio/ and see what games you have that support a subwoofer/LFE channel (it is typically the number after the decimal. For example, 5.0 and 7.0 do not have an LFE signal, but 5.1 and 7.1 does.)

 

Edit: Make sure to adjust the sound settings of a game to enable surround sound. It might be in stereo or headphone mode by default.

 

You should be able to get some response from the subwoofer now even if you listen to YouTube or an mp3. Make sure the file has some bass in it that you can obviously hear (think rap music for testing purposes).

 

How do you set your crossover frequency? I don't know. You should have a small screen or setting that lets you change it the frequency. Maybe right click on the sub or some of the setting buttons?

Ok so for examble, Forza Horizon 3 supports that and it plays audio from all the speakers eccept the subwoofer...

[johnt]

1 hour ago, Alex976 said:

Ok so for examble, Forza Horizon 3 supports that and it plays audio from all the speakers eccept the subwoofer...

What happens when you play music? Does the sub activate?

 

Let me do some research on FH3. I don't know if it supports an LFE channel off the top of my mind.

[JZStudios]

20 hours ago, Dujith said:

 

As stated by @FloRolf the source of whatever you are playing needs to be 5.1 to get 5.1

In the case of Youtube for example, that will always be 2.0 since it doesnt not support anything above it

 

And anything you play in mediaplayer will need to be 5.1 to play back on all 5 speakers.

 

There should be a setting for "Surround" that will spread the stereo source to all speakers. 

Fun fact, media player actually has a hell of time with surround sound formats and is exceptionally picky if it works at all. Most DVDs still play in stereo even... You need to get codecs or use VLC.

 

It's been a while since I used 3.5 for surround sound and I think at the time the speakers had a button to matrix the sound to all speakers. If your speakers don't have an option to do that I'm not sure how you'd do it without some form of plugin. I can do it over HDMI but only when the output is set to stereo, otherwise Windows sends a constant "empty" sound source to the other channels.

[JZStudios]

5 hours ago, JohnT said:

What happens when you play music? Does the sub activate?

 

Let me do some research on FH3. I don't know if it supports an LFE channel off the top of my mind.

The speakers should have an amount of crossover already, and it should definitely work inside the Windows configuration test, since it's sending a signal directly to the sub. I know the sub and center are on the same line, so if you're getting center but not sub then there's something weird going on.

Have you tried turning it off and on again?

 

In other terms he's right, if you have your satellite speakers set to full range it will take more away from the sub since they should be producing the sound. Setting them to small speakers or low range will create a crossover and send more signal to the sub.

[Alex976]

5 hours ago, JohnT said:

What happens when you play music? Does the sub activate?

 

Let me do some research on FH3. I don't know if it supports an LFE channel off the top of my mind.

No, the sub doesn't play anything...

 

[Alex976]

2 hours ago, JZStudios said:

Fun fact, media player actually has a hell of time with surround sound formats and is exceptionally picky if it works at all. Most DVDs still play in stereo even... You need to get codecs or use VLC.

 

It's been a while since I used 3.5 for surround sound and I think at the time the speakers had a button to matrix the sound to all speakers. If your speakers don't have an option to do that I'm not sure how you'd do it without some form of plugin. I can do it over HDMI but only when the output is set to stereo, otherwise Windows sends a constant "empty" sound source to the other channels.

Ok so now every speaker works on the game but on youtube work 2 speakers with the sub

[johnt]

8 hours ago, Alex976 said:

Ok so now every speaker works on the game but on youtube work 2 speakers with the sub

There you go. That's how it's supposed to work.

 

YT (and generally all browsers) are stereo sound only. You need the Windows store apps and premium content on YT to get surround sound.

[JZStudios]

13 hours ago, Alex976 said:

Ok so now every speaker works on the game but on youtube work 2 speakers with the sub

HTML6 doesn't support any form of surround sound, so you'll only get stereo. I guess your on Win10, and I don't know, maybe there's some kind of app or something to duplicate the audio to the rear. Otherwise you'll just have to get used to using web browsers in stereo. I have to switch to my PS4 for surround sound in Hulu n such.

4 hours ago, JohnT said:

There you go. That's how it's supposed to work.

 

YT (and generally all browsers) are stereo sound only. You need the Windows store apps and premium content on YT to get surround sound.

Does YouTube actually support surround sound at all?

[johnt]

2 hours ago, JZStudios said:

Does YouTube actually support surround sound at all?

Based on my experience, no browser supports surround sound. However, individual apps from the Windows Store sometimes can provide surround sound.

[JZStudios]

1 hour ago, JohnT said:

Based on my experience, no browser supports surround sound. However, individual apps from the Windows Store sometimes can provide surround sound.

I know browsers don't, but Hulu, Amazon, Vudu and Netflix do on PS4 for example. I've never seen anything to suggest that YT supports it at all anywhere.

[johnt]

4 hours ago, JZStudios said:

I know browsers don't, but Hulu, Amazon, Vudu and Netflix do on PS4 for example. I've never seen anything to suggest that YT supports it at all anywhere.

What about blockbuster movies on YT? Maybe I'm just crazy, but I thought I've seen a "5.1" logo on those videos on my Samsung TV. I figured it might translate to the YT app on PC, but it turns out you're probably correct.

[Alex976]

I got them all working but why can't i enable bass boost in windows settings?

[JZStudios]

14 hours ago, JohnT said:

What about blockbuster movies on YT? Maybe I'm just crazy, but I thought I've seen a "5.1" logo on those videos on my Samsung TV. I figured it might translate to the YT app on PC, but it turns out you're probably correct.

Dunno, never paid to watch a movie on YT and I'm on Win7 so I wouldn't know about the app. Haven't used the PS4 YT much since it's terrible.

9 hours ago, Alex976 said:

I got them all working but why can't i enable bass boost in windows settings?

I don't even have that option, just bass management. Can you change the volume levels? Just boost the bass higher than everything else.

[Alex976]

I enabled the bass management but i can't find the actual bass manager. I mean, i enabled it but i still can't modify the bass, maybe i'm the one that doesn't know where to look for it...

[johnt]

7 hours ago, Alex976 said:

I enabled the bass management but i can't find the actual bass manager. I mean, i enabled it but i still can't modify the bass, maybe i'm the one that doesn't know where to look for it...

This is tricky. It could be several issues: 1) buried in settings, 2) your drivers aren't functioning properly, 3) your hardware does not support it, or 4) your drivers think your hardware doesn't support it

 

This might just not work as smoothly as you were expecting.... I had to learn that the hard way  

[Alex976]

6 hours ago, JohnT said:

This is tricky. It could be several issues: 1) buried in settings, 2) your drivers aren't functioning properly, 3) your hardware does not support it, or 4) your drivers think your hardware doesn't support it

 

This might just not work as smoothly as you were expecting.... I had to learn that the hard way  

I even enabled the option to spread the audio to all speakers but it doesn't work properly, it's still playing just from 2 front speakers and sub

[johnt]

3 hours ago, Alex976 said:

I even enabled the option to spread the audio to all speakers but it doesn't work properly, it's still playing just from 2 front speakers and sub

If the subwoofer is working, then something is happening. The crossover frequency might be set internally and cannot be adjusted.

 

Didn't you mention everything works okay when you are playing video games?

[Alex976]

13 hours ago, JohnT said:

If the subwoofer is working, then something is happening. The crossover frequency might be set internally and cannot be adjusted.

 

Didn't you mention everything works okay when you are playing video games?

Yes, when i play for example Forza Horizon 3 or even For Honor they all work in-game

[johnt]

10 hours ago, Alex976 said:

Yes, when i play for example Forza Horizon 3 or even For Honor they all work in-game

So problem solved, eh? It's a bit weird the speaker fill option isn't working...

 

As I've mentioned in different ways, surround sound on PC is a bit fickle.

[circeseye]

only specific yt videos actually have 5.1...majority are 2.1...heres an example of one thats 5.1
helecopter
a page showing movie clips showing surround
https://www.whathifi.com/features/11-best-film-scenes-to-test-surround-sound

 

johnt....yea it is a pain getting surround set up in windows sometimes

 

[Alex976]

11 hours ago, circeseye said:

only specific yt videos actually have 5.1...majority are 2.1...heres an example of one thats 5.1
helecopter
a page showing movie clips showing surround
https://www.whathifi.com/features/11-best-film-scenes-to-test-surround-sound

 

johnt....yea it is a pain getting surround set up in windows sometimes

 

I tried them but no 5.1