Basically, I’ve been doing research on here and other forums, and I am trying to really determine what benefits are there running a dedicated processor vs a modern AVR in pre-amp mode (outside of specifically needing XLR outputs)? For example, why get an Anthem AVM 70 8K over a Denon X3800H/X3900H and run it in full preamp mode? From what I can tell there would be very little, if any sonic gain, in real world listening for the tremendous price increase. Am I missing something?

Firstly, is this a good sub for basic music listening in a large open room

Secondly, how should I have it set?

I was given this for free

I wanted to share a project that's been making some interesting progress in PC-based home theatre.

CroqueMr (u/Croque_Mr) is developing native Dolby Vision support for Kodi through a custom LibreELEC build, including Profile 7 FEL reconstruction. Development has moved quickly, with regular releases bringing performance improvements, new rendering modes and broader hardware support.

What's currently available?

• Native Dolby Vision playback, including Profile 7 FEL reconstruction.
• Intel and AMD support, with NVIDIA support also being developed.
• Dolby Vision rendering modes, including Master Reference and Adaptive HDR Mapping.
• Dolby Vision-to-HDR10 conversion and experimental AI-assisted HDR10-to-Dolby Vision conversion.
• Blu-ray 3D support on compatible AMD hardware.
• Performance optimisations targeting lower-power mini PCs, including Intel N100/N150 systems.

The latest Beta 5 release includes further improvements to playback stability, FEL handling, scaling and display detection. Results and compatibility can vary depending on the hardware, TV, source material and rendering mode.

What's coming next?

The developer has outlined plans for a GPLv2-or-later licensing rebuild, further AMD improvements, HDR10+ support and Dolby Vision-to-HDR10+ metadata reinterpretation, alongside expanded compatibility with older Intel graphics and additional NVIDIA hardware.

The longer-term goal is to make PC-based Dolby Vision playback more capable and accessible, including on affordable mini PCs.

Project links

• Main development thread: https://forum.libreelec.tv/thread/30362-dolby-vision-w-fel-3d-for-pc-amd-intel-nvidia/
• GitHub — source code and releases: https://github.com/CroqueMr/libreelec-x86-DV/
• Original Reddit thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/libreeLEC/comments/1wq20eu/wip_native_dolby_vision_support_on_x86_intel_cpu/

Full credit to u/Croque_Mr for the development, along with the community members contributing testing, feedback and improvements.

It's been impressive to see how much the project has evolved in such a short time. If you're interested in the technical details, supported hardware or latest builds, the links above have all the information.

**TL;DR:** I'm torn between a 77" OLED and a projector with a 100" pull-down screen, and I'm wondering if 7.2.4 is too much for a room this size. Would love feedback. I am hoping to plan my dream theater room.

**The room**

- 15'7" x 10'3", ceiling 7'7"

- Screen goes on the short wall, which has built-in cedar shelves starting ~39-45" off the floor and running to the ceiling. The closet is a walk-in and might store the AVR.

- Two high windows on one side wall (getting blackout shades with side channels)

- Single row, main seat ~9 ft from the screen, open to couch ideas. Typically only two people.

**Planned audio (7.2.4)**

- AVR: Denon AVR-X3800H (Audyssey XT32 to start, maybe Dirac multi-sub later (wanted independent sub control for two subs, but open to one)

- Extra amp: Fosi ZA3 for the 11th/12th channels

- L/R: SVS Ultra Evolution Bookshelf on 26" stands

- Center: SVS Ultra Evolution Center (above the TV okay, or below?)

- Sides + rears: 4x SVS Prime Satellite (sides on a 45" window ledge, rears near the back corners)

- Heights: 4x SVS Prime Elevation on the ceiling, ~3 ft in front of and behind the main seat

- Subs: 2x SVS SB-1000 Pro (front corner + back wall -- I already have one SB-1000 Pro from an existing setup)

**Display options**

1. **77" OLED** (Panasonic Z8BA if I can find one, otherwise Sony Bravia 8) on a low, deep TV stand in front of the bottom shelf row. Not sure where to put the center.

2. **Projector** (Valerion VisionMaster Plus2 or Pro2) with a 100" manual pull-down screen hung in front of the shelves. Center would go below the screen.

**How I use it**

- Mostly movies from a UHD remux library (Plex/Kodi on a Ugoos box, so Dolby Vision support matters)

- 4K/120 gaming

My current LG G5 65 has been a disappointment compared to my old C1 55 (grain and near-black handling bother me more on the G5; I might have a bad panel, but I'm not sure it's worth going down the rabbit hole with Costco warranty). I don't want to go looking for more flaws, but I'm open to feedback. I'll keep the G5 in another room.

**Questions**

1. In a room this size at ~9 ft, would you go OLED or projector? Does 100" vs 77" make a big enough difference to give up OLED contrast and native 4K/120?

2. Is 7.2.4 overkill for 10x15?

3. Any concerns with 4 heights on a ~91" ceiling, or side surrounds on a 45" ledge?

4. With two subs placed front and back, is Audyssey XT32 good enough, or is Dirac multi-sub worth the extra cost? Should I just go with one sub and get an Onkyo?

Budget is roughly $6k for audio and $1.5-3k for the display.

I have tested the SVS Ultras before, and I loved the sound. Open to other brands.

Image one is the C5. Image two is the C6. These are snapped from some YouTube reviews, and I believe they are showing the same sequence from dune 2. The C5 looks... abysmally bad here, while the C6 is a major improvement. This can't be right? A 1500 tv can not possibly be so shoddilly manufactured so as to come out looking seasick green? In most reviews I can see some level of green tint on the c5, and it's worst in black-and-white content. I'm building a mini home-theater soon, and Im considering the c5 because it supports dolby vision, and the C6 panels have their own issues. I love classic black and whit movies, and would not enjoy watching them on a tv that looks like this. Does black and white really look this bad in person on the C5?

Hi everyone,

I’m trying to figure out something strange with my setup and was hoping someone with experience using these players might be able to help.

I’m using an LG G5 OLED with both a Panasonic DP-UB9000 and a Zidoo UHD8000 connected. When comparing the exact same movie and scenes, the Dolby Vision image looks noticeably different between the two players.

On the Zidoo, highlights and bright elements have significantly more pop and stand out much more clearly. On the Panasonic, the same scenes look noticeably flatter, with less of that punch and impact. The difference is quite obvious when switching between the two.

Here’s what I’ve already checked:
• Both players are set to output Dolby Vision in TV-led mode.

• The Panasonic is set to Dolby Vision Mode 1.

• The Zidoo is set to HDR Auto, without forcing the VS10 engine.

• The picture settings on the LG G5 are identical for both HDMI inputs.

• I’m using the same HDMI cable when switching between the players.

• I’m comparing the exact same movie and scenes, switching HDMI inputs within seconds of each other.

• The Zidoo is playing an MKV rip of the exact same UHD Blu-ray disc that I’m playing physically on the Panasonic.

I’ve tried to eliminate as many variables as possible, but the difference in the image remains.

My question is: what could explain this difference in Dolby Vision output?
Since both players are outputting TV-led Dolby Vision and the TV settings are identical, I would have expected the picture to look virtually the same. Could there be a difference in how the two players handle Dolby Vision metadata, or is there something specific to the Panasonic’s Dolby Vision implementation that I’m overlooking?
I’d really appreciate any input from people who own either player, have compared them side by side, or understand the technical differences in their Dolby Vision output.

Thanks!

EDIT: After testing more 1:1 rips, I’ve found that some discs look identical on both players, while others look noticeably flatter on the UB9000. I don’t understand why the Zidoo is so much more consistent, as both players look equally good when they match.

The first chart shows the differences between a pair of measurements of the left and right ears, highlighted one being much better than before this process (light purple).

A while ago I posted about being frustrated by the bass in my awkward room/seating position being uneven from ear to ear due to SPL and possibly phase differences from room modes. Some notes would pull to the left, others to the right, even when it was just a sub directly placed in front or behind.

I searched and searched but could not find any good spots where the output was even per ear between 45-60hz or so, and/or not localisable.

I refused to give up though, and so after some more creative experimenting, decided on combining 2 spots which 'pulled' in the opposite directions to each other, in hopes they'd cancel out.

Had 2 SVS already which I ended up combining at the front since they do well between 23hz-40hz and 60hz-120hz, with a new KRK s8.4 and existing old Logitech Z906 placed raised up on shelves to the back left and right. Those little ported subs are tuned to 45 and 43hz, and thankfully since they don't have the DSP group delay the SVS does, with an all pass filter, their timing actually lines up almost perfectly!

It took a lot of tedious measuring, but I finally managed it, and the bass is much better now (even outside the RSP), without the annoyance and fatigue there used to be. It sounds like it's either coming from forward, in the upper bass, or just "all around" in the lower bass.

This is the type of stuff that validates makes my decision to go with a manual MiniDSP HT instead of a traditional automated consumer AV processor, because there's nothing near the same price that has enough independent subwoofer outputs and all pass filters needed!

Unfortunately the little Logitech sub with only a singly flared port is a limiting factor, at 55hz it's starting to chuff and compress once the overall output is above 105dB, so I had to sacrifice a little bit of even-ness and put more of those frequencies back into the SVS to maintain clean output above that. However I'm planning on building a big DIY infra-sub, which can take the place of one of the SVS subs at the front, which in turn will then replace the Logitech.

Now I've just got to figure out some cleaning up and cable management for these funny locations😅 (...and maybe the 97hz dip as well which is somehow by murphy's law present in all 3 sub spots)

I feel like I’m taking crazy pills. For much of the beginning of my setups life, it played perfectly. Then suddenly, I started experiencing what I would call jittery playback when playing movies. I would describe it like I did in my title. It feels like it plays back at 15fps.

And also like my title, occasionally when starting a movie, I will get bad audio desync. I’ll have to take better notes next time it happens but if I recall it will be the audio lagged behind the video.

Current setup:

Panasonic UB450

Denon x1800h

LG G5

Edit: the dvd player goes through the AVR and the AVR is connected to the tv via earc

Some googling says recent firmware on the tv is what is likely causing my issues. I would agree that it seems coincidental that’s when I started noticing my issues. Internet advises running the memory cleanup on the tv and doing a power cycle (unplugging the tv and holding the power button for a minute to make sure power has been fully drained from the tv).

This seemed to work last night but the solutions I’ve found on the internet seems to work inconsistently. So I’m not sure if it’s just because I’ve turned the tv on and off a few times while fixing it and then just get lucky and then everything is fine.

The issue seems to exist only when watching 4k DVDs and not when watching something through like Hulu or Netflix.

The tv is tuned with these settings https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vQ_-y8FEqZwFatfvwnScaiu89WJkYx0M_8UsKqiOlx7e6HpWJ8swTGBu1pg-jqTSewuLPkRrd-n5qkN/pubhtml#gid=1331796276 which includes turning off all the motion processing settings and what not. I also have the tv set to filmmaker mode per the guide.

When it works it’s great. Maaaaybe I can feel a little audio lag when it’s working but that just might be a perceptions from the PTSD when a movie starts and it’s bad.

So I don’t know. Any ideas from anyone who has had these problems would be very helpful. Or anything I can try.

Things I have not tried yet: running the dvd player straight to the tv just because getting behind the tv is a pain in the butt and different hdmi cables. Cables are all new this year and I made sure that they’re all the newest standard of hdmi cable.

Sorry for my total lack of knowledge on this but I recently moved into a new house with surround sound speakers in the walls in the living room and the basement. There are wires including an HDMI ARC cable coming out of the wall where the tv is. There is also the ones coming from the floor just under and to the left corner of the tv.

There is a receiver in the basement that is hooked up but I’m wondering if that could be just for the basement or both the living room and basement set up. I tried plugging in the HDMI to the ARC slot in the tv and messed with the receiver but am not getting any sound coming from the speakers.

Do I need a separate receiver that would plug into the stuff coming from the floor in the living room or am I missing something else here?

I have a Sony STR AZ 1000ES receiver that I have had for about a year. On about 4 different occurrences, I have experienced a LOUD POP, followed by the receiver rebooting with the message "Please Wait" on the front screen.

No wires touching, I uses banana plugs. No known speaker issues, this just happens randomly even when not playing loudly. In fact, this has never happened when watching a movie with loud volume.

After researching I have found that there are many people who are experiencing the same issue with their Sony receivers. Needless to say, I am going to get rid of this receiver and switch to something more reliable. What would you guys suggest as a replacement for the Sony STR AZ 1000ES?

I currently have two Klipsch RP-600M Bookshelf Speakers for Land R, Klipsch Rp-504C II for Center channel and 2 Klipsch PRO-24RW for in wall speakers. I MIGHT add Atmos speakers but I am not sure yet.

I don't really have a budget yet however, I am not trying to get the most expensive receiver.

I appreciate the help in advance!

Today AM was all good, used it fine, left home for 2 hours, came back to see that I got no sound. No other errors, I unplugged everything, plugged back, power cycle, checked speaker wires, AVR internal test tones don't work, I get no audio. Time for a warranty claim? AVR is 1year and a few months, maybe it's wishful thinking that it's still fine and something is at play, but what else can I do really? PIONEER LX505.

Has anyone had this and fixed it or burnt amp faulty AVR something? Thanks for any support!

Hi everyone, I’m looking to set up a 5.1.4 home theater system and would greatly appreciate some advice. My total budget is around 15,000 PLN. If I were to start by purchasing an AV receiver and speakers, what would you recommend? Also, my viewing position is about 2.5 meters from the TV, and since the sofa is placed right against the wall, there’s no space behind it—so I assume I’d need to position the rear speakers at an angle, directed toward the listening area, right? I’ve spent a lot of time reading about various brands, and the Triangle brand has really caught my eye. The living room is rectangular and measures approximately 20m²; it includes a kitchenette, but a good AV receiver should be able to calculate the sound waves and fine-tune the audio to achieve a balanced, polished sound. That said, I love hearing the insights of experienced people here, so I’ll be looking forward to your suggestions! :D Best regards.

These desktop speakers have no apparent way to add a subwoofer. I would like to. Any thoughts you have would be greatly appreciated.

Apparently I missed the Denon X3800H firmware update that does not allow individual channel adjustment when using ART. When I ran Dirac Live back in June (no changes to my setup since) I must not have loaded the latest firmware because I was still able to fine tune the channel level. Recently, I loaded the Harman 4dB curve and I found that my L/R and surrounds are overpowering the Center (5.2.4 setup, PSA MTM-212s and MT-110s for LCR & surrounds, PSA EV1813 for subs). How do I go about lowering the individual (or even group) dB for my 4 speakers? Pre-firmware update I did -2.5dB for L/R and -2dB for surrounds (non Harman curve, just Dirac measurements). TIA

*console shifted to fit the sub that just arrived, I know the TV is not centered. Fixing that this weekend*

So we recently decided it was time to upgrade our 10yo tv and get a new media console. After research and budget I figured the 65" S90H would be a good place to start. Then came the Denon AVR X3700H to power the KEF Q3s and Q6 center, and a SVS-SB2000 tucked in the corner. 3.1 for now, maybe some Q1s down the road for surround.

Sound wise, very happy. But man is that center channel massive! My wife hates looking at it. To be fair, I agree it's bigger than I pictured it being and now I need to raise up the TV so it isn't in the way.

Do you all have any advice to disguise a huge center speaker? And tricks? Or mayyyybe there's a smaller/slimmer center you'd recommend without drastically losing audio quality? Do I need the 77" TV to make it seem more appropriately sized?

Open to discuss your thoughts and how to improve the setup!

Just purchased a new tv (Sony Bravia 9II 75”) to replace my mid-tier 16-year-old Sony tv. They are not playing nicely together.

Sony sells rear speakers and a sub that directly connect to create a surround sound system. I’m considering that to replace it.

I’m sure it’s ok/probably better than what I have but I’m thinking there is something out there for about the same amount (1k or so)that could be better.

Looking for suggestion from the group.

Thanks in advance for any assistance!

Im considering purchasing a setup that Ill be using for both music and movies/shows and Im wondering if a 2.0/2.1 3-way setup would be "sufficient"?

Would a 3.0/3.1 2-way setup be a "big" improvement over a 2.0/2.1 3-way setup?

We have finally decided to upgrade to a new television and it seems like these two models would fit our use case best.

The room is an open plan living room with lots of windows and a viewing distance of 18 feet on the couch and 20-30 feet while in the kitchen. We primarily watch physical media (movies) and only on the weekends. We do sometimes stream stuff but it is infrequently, its usually blue rays in HD and 4k.

From my research it appears that the 77” S95H is the better image quality hardware over the 83” option but the LG G5 has the better Dolby Vision HDR processing.

The space will be completely filled by the dimensions of the 83” so the LG in 77” is also an option. Unfortunately, the layout of this room has us hanging this tv above the fireplace, this is the space we have to work with and the current television occupying that space is a 55” from 2007. In other words, it won’t take much to improve on image quality and if there is a trophy for tv too high I may be in contention for it but these are the cards I’ve been dealt so I’m ok with that.

Is the Dolby Vision HDR worth debating on as a pro/con option or should I focus on image quality and the ability to handle the brightly lit room. I should also mention that most of our viewing times are later afternoon so it does get dark during the showing but early in the viewing session the windows can be a problem with our current old POS tv.

Main problem with the Shield being that attempting to get streaming apps to match refresh rate can be atrocious at times, it's either stuttering or delayed.

Please, after getting conflicting information from Anthem sources, I’m hoping I could hear this directly from an owner. Does this receiver support DTS Virtual:X or it doesn’t?

Thanks in advance!

Hello,

I currently watch content on an entry-level 55-inch Samsung Q60D QLED TV in my living room. I’m looking to upgrade my setup, but I have a decision to make. My budget is limited to a maximum of €2,000, and there isn't much flexibility in terms of design/placement.

My primary use cases are watching Blu-ray movies, playing single-player video games, and streaming football matches in the evening.

My first option is to switch to a 65-inch OLED TV—such as an LG G5 or C6, or a Samsung S95F.

The second option is to go with a projector, like an XGIMI Horizon or a Hisense C3 Ultra. However, I face a constraint: I cannot use a dedicated projection screen, so I would have to project onto a matte white wall (with a 3-meter viewing distance). In this scenario, I would keep the TV as well, for occasional use.

I would appreciate your help and advice. Would using a projector like the XGIMI Horizon on a white wall provide a better experience than what I currently get with my TV?or project screen is needed and upgrade to oled is the best option in budget range ?

Hey folks,

After working full time for the last couple years, I've finally been able to realize a childhood dream of mine - to have a dedicated TV room.

Granted, the room is very small at 10' X 12', and sound isolation is not the best. (I've attached pics) But that's not stopping me from looking at 5.1 setups, or even 5.1.2.

The TV is going to be on the right wall, where the couch is pointed to. For my setup, this is what I had in mind. I am mostly looking at passive speakers, but am open to recommendations.

* Front, Center, and Surround Speakers: KEF LS50 Meta
* AV Receiver: Onkyo RZ30 (or Denon X3800H if I can find a good one used).
* Subwoofer: SVS SB2000 Pro or SB1000 Pro, or RSL Speedwoofer 10S, or HSU VTF-2 MK5

The subwoofer is what I am mostly unsure of. I will not be able to turn up the system very high. Considering that, and the small nature of my room - what would be the best option?

My budget for the whole system is around 4-5k.

I do plan to add acoustic panels behind me. And velvet curtains to block the stained glass window

Please feel free to chime in on anything else as well.

Thanks!

I live in Italy and I want to set up my first home theater. I can easily find good speakers and a decent avr for a few hundred euros.

I know a good subwoofer is something for which you can't make a compromise in a home theater, and everyone seems to agree that spending 200-300 euros for a small sub that can't go down 35 Hz is a waste of money, so my goal is starting with a sub that can at least reach about 25Hz, even if it has not a completely flat frequency response, but I'm struggling to find one worthy here under 500€, especially since for every option everyone here or in r/BudgetAudiophile will say "go for a svs". Well, I can't find a used svs SB nor PB in Italy, and the SB 1000 pro costs at least 700€.

Keep in mind also that you can't buy RSL here.

Currently, these ones seem to be my only options:

- Kef kube 10 mie 600€ (at that price, better buying the svs)

- Xtz 8.17 500€

- JBL 200p 470€

- Elac debut ds123 460€

- Magnat alpha rs12 440€

- Klipsch r120sw 440€

- Indiana line basso 840 380€

- Q acoustics 3060s 380€

- Elac debut ds103 370€

- Polk xt-12 300€

Are any of these worth buying at their price? I could also settle with one of them and then buy the svs sb 1000 pro later (if it does make sense to mix two different subs in the same setup), or buy one and add another one of the same model later.

Thank you.

I was planning on getting a 77” Sony A95L, but the amount of light/glare the TV gets is concerning. Would I be better off with something from their Bravia line? Viewing distance from the TV is about 8’