Sony Amp STR DN 1050 audio problem

[poddysparkles]

Dear Community, Thalamus and any other Gurus,

This is my first "post,"a desparate one at that, but I think I should at least greet you all with a BIG Hello. I have been the proud owner of my Sony Amp STR DN 1050 since last October 2014, purchased from Richer Sounds in Chester, after reading a great review in Home Cinema Choice. Despite numerous attempts by three"professional installers", not to mention a great deal of time and money spent by yours truly,my AV system is still not up and running - hence my plea to the community for some valued professional advice!

I raised my issues with Sony Technical Support via email and phone September 2nd 2015 Case ID 13140305 but after speaking with Salem, Hazem and Mohammed in Egypt they admitted my query was so technically challenging it would have to be passed up the chain of command with a promise I should hear a result by Monday 21st......I'm still waiting and exasperated! Considering I raised my issue 2nd September I remain unimpressed!

Essentially, I purchased a brand new high quality home November 2013 boasting many 'Eco Features' including Cat 5e cabling for a comprehensive AV system throughout the home. In order to embrace thIs system I purchased an Antiference TruColour 4X4 Matrix with HDBaseT Outputs to distribute Digital TV, 4K,Freesat and DVD signals from three devices to three Panasonic TVs and a Samsung 4K TV in four separate rooms. All the cabling in the entire home is sourced from 'network" wall plates in every room to a Comms cabinet in my ground floor study. My three devices in the cabinet, Humax Freesat, Panasonic DVD Recorder and Panasonic Blu Ray player all feed HDMI's into the Matrix Inputs with corresponding Patch cable Outputs from the Matrix to a 48 Port Patch Panel in my Comms Cabinet. Consequently, I cannot use the 6 HDMI inputs on the STR DN1050 and have no sound coming through my Monitor ceiling speakers! 

My good friend has an identical Antiference Matrix and I noted only yesterday his installer has employed great ingenuity in "converting a patch plug' at one end to a triple Audio Component Plug to his Pioneer Amp Sc 2023, linking Sub woofer 1-blue component jack; assignable CD In - white component jack and red component jack. The other end of this cable is a patch ethernet cable plugged into his patch switch feeding his lounge TV I think. He also has two optical cables in his Amp, one of which we know is directly linked all the way to his TV (big job) - we're not sure if the other optical cable is also lin ked to his TV or his PS Games TV? All very complicated - but if my installers have been baffled perhaps i shouldn't be so hard on myself!

Anyway, the matrix works perfectly at distributing signals from all three devices to all four TVs. I just need some sound advice, if you pardon the pun, as to how to distribute sound from my Crystal skull crusher to my Monitor Ceiling speakers. I welcome any constructive suggestions asap. Many thanks in anticipation. For the record I can stream music via the Amp using bluetooth but sound only comes through two front ceiling speakers, not five for some reason - any comments?

Enthusiastically Yours

Poddy Sparkles 

[Thalamus.]

Hi Poddy,

welcome to the Sony User Community Forum..

Could you please post a diagram of your current set up please as this may make it easier to understand..

I have also moved your post to a new thread so hopefully others will see your post & possibly offer a solution..:smileywink:

[poddysparkles]

Dear Thalamus 

I'm really grateful to hear from you and thank you for your valued intervention in redirecting my thread in order to expand the debate! Much appreciated especially as I feel so isolated in obtaining a technical solution whiich hitherto seems to have baffled at least the 'experts" I have used to date. My first installation 18th 19th December 2014 was calamitous resulting in a complete reinstallation. 

Anyway, here is a frontal photo of my current set up! 

My installer has removed all the cables from the Amp apart from the speaker cables in disgust pending a further visit. I enclose below a screenshot of my Matrix Set Up which is working perfectly at distributing TV/Freesat/DVD to the four TVs with 'local' sound from the TVs. As I said earlier the HDMI's from my Freesat,DVD and Blu Ray are inserted in the HDMI Inputs of the Matrix.

I welcome your comments and those of the wider community. As I stated earlier, the ingenuity of my neighbours installer in "cobbling or bastardising" a Patch cable ie Patch one end; Component Jacks the other; and the use of Optical cable direct to TV seems to have been an effective, albeit 'DIY' solution, to what is after all a HIgh Res Audio system.

Many Thanks

Poddy Sparkles 

[Thalamus.]

Hi Poddy,

this does look very technical..:smileyconfused:

I'm going to see if someone from Sony can help you..

[Peter_S.]

Hi Poddy,

Thanks a lot for the images. Unfortunately it's hard to see how your devices are connected.

Do you think it would be possible to upload a hand-drawn connection diagram with all the inputs and outputs you're using?

Would be really helpful

Thanks a lot in advance
Cheers

Peter

[poddysparkles]

Hi Randy,

Thank you for your intervention! I enclose a drawing for your kind attention together with an image of speaker wiring to the Amp - that is the only wiring to the Amp at the moment - and details of the package contents of the Matrix.

Fingers crossed you and the Community Gurus can help me, and my installer out.

Gratefully,

Poddy Sparkles

[poddysparkles]

Thank you Thalamus, 

I'm very grateful! As you will see from this thread I have responded to Randy's request for a drawing of the wiring - hope this helps expedite a 'guru' solution and possibly Sony response. 

Regards

Poddy Sparkles

[Peter_S.]

Hi Poddy,

Thanks a lot for the drawing - much clearer now.

So if my understanding is correctly your sources are connected to the Matrix and then are distributed via Ethernet to every room in your house using the Antiference Receivers. These are connected to your TVs via HDMI and if I understood correctly video and sound are working fine.

Question now is where do you want to use the STR? Basically you just have to connect the STR to an Antiference Receiver via HDMI and then the output of the STR to the TV via HDMI. Sound should be played back then via STR and picture should be visible on the screen.

As speakers are currently connected for a surround environment it's normal that only 2 speakers will work if you input a stereo signal. If you don't need surround sound for your ceiling speakers you should use the front terminal only (pay attention to the speaker impedance). If you would like to hear surround sound via ceiling speakers you should select a virtual surround mode when you play back a stereo signal to have all speakers playing back music.

Hope that makes sense as a first shot.

Cheers

Peter

[Thalamus.]

Hi Poddy,

Thanks for adding the drawing as they say a picture is worth a thousand words..👍🏼

Also thanks to Randy_Rockhard for helping out with this problem..👍🏼

[poddysparkles]

Hello Peter,

Firstly, my sincere thanks for your inspiring advice and comments!  Yes, you're understanding is absolutely correct as reflected in your first paragraph re Sources/Matrix/Video and sound are indeed fine!

I would appreciate some clarification re your second paragraph Peter as I don't fully understand your 'How To'.

"Question now is where do you want to use the STR? Basically you just have to connect the STR to an Antiference Receiver via HDMI and then the output of the STR to the TV via HDMI. Sound should be played back then via STR and picture should be visible on the screen."

I want the sound from the STR to feed my Lounge Ceiling speakers with a suround environment and note your helpful comment re stereo signal only feeding two speakers when the STR is in Bluetooth mode.

However, are you advising I use one of the existing 4 HDBT Receivers already linked to the four TVs ie specifically the one already linked to and situated behind my Samsung 4K TV ?

Or are you advising a fifth receiver? And if the latter, presumably this receiver can be sited in the Comms cabinet?  I fortunately do have a spare HDBT Receiver - originally purchasd with a corresponding transmitter and IR to ensure control of my three devices 'Inline" with my STR Remote Control which isn't doing anything at the moment, may be deemed unnecessary, I'm not sure?

It would be great if you would treat me as a 'dummy' and be more explicit with the suggested 'connections'.

I note the spare HDBT Receiver has one HDMI Output with RX and TX IR terminal ports on one side; and an RJ45 Port on the other -HDBT In.

I welcome your continued support and elaboration!

Enthusiastically yours

Poddy Sparkles