Stereo and movies: audible "pink" noise during dialogues

pyrocyborg

Hi!

I have an issue... well, this is an issue that I always had, for as much as I remember for, whether I use an output type (WASAPI, ASIO, DirectSound, etc.) or another on my HTPC. As my HTPC is used mostly for music listening, it's not mandatory to aleviate this issue, but I would like to understand why it does this:

I listen to movies in stereo, as I have no center channel. Everytime a a character speaks up (mostly in dialogues), in any movie, it seems that there is that background pink noise coming up: it is audible, sometimes barely audible, but still, I can hear it. Same thing with my headphones.

I use JRiver, but the same thing happen with every other Media Player I tried.

Is it because I listen to a multichannel movie with only 2 channels, and that by doing so, some artifacts are induced here and there? Might have something to do with the quality of my electronics, but I don't know. It does not happen when listening to music (vocal or anything).

Thanks!

steveinaz

I have a 2 channel HT, and have never experienced this.

pyrocyborg

I did find some topics on other forums, but nothing to help me fix this...

http://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=117764

http://sound.stackexchange.com/questions/13609/high-frequency-hiss-in-several-movies

billbillw

Need more detail. Are you using analog out from your HTPC or digital to a DAC or HT receiver? If you have it to a DAC, is it a multichannel DAC or just stereo?

One of my HTPCs goes to a HT receiver, I just have a stereo pair and a subwoofer. No issues. I send out Dolby Digital 5.1 from Windows Media Center and/or DD/DTS/DTSHD from XBMC. The HT receiver down-mixes everything with no issue. I just have the sound setting on the receiver as stereo mode.

Another HTPC just goes straight to a TV by HDMI. Again, no issues. On that one, I think I went into the sound settings and told it that it was just stereo speakers.

Back to your problem: If you are using a stereo DAC, make sure you set the output in Control Panel>Sound for stereo, and also check that output in PCM stereo with a bitrate that the DAC can support.

If you are using an HT receiver, make sure the sound mode on the receiver is in stereo.

pyrocyborg

Thanks for your reply.

I'm using a stereo DAC at a supported bitrate. It goes like this : from my HTPC using S/PDIF -> DAC -> Integrated amplifier.

I tried with another sound card (ASUS Xonar optical output), but it does the same thing than with my onboard sound card.

I'll double-check these settings again in the control pannel.