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Al Griffin  |  Sep 22, 2022  | 
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I am interested in listening to music from Spotify using my older Pioneer Elite SC-07 A/V receiver. I tried connecting my smart TV to the receiver via an optical digital connection and then streaming using the TV’s built-in Spotify app, but was disappointed with the sound quality. Will adding a network media player like the Marantz NA6006 to my system and using that to stream Spotify provide the CD-quality fidelity I am after? —Rob Pileski, Burlington, WI

Al Griffin  |  Aug 30, 2022  | 
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I currently have a Dolby Atmos/DTS-X 7.1.4 speaker setup that uses a Marantz SR7011 A/V receiver, which I'm interested in upgrading to Auro-3D. Can Auro-3D decode/convert Atmos and DTS-X? And should I set up the ceiling speakers the way Auro-3D suggests or leave them in their Dolby Atmos recommended positions? After reading several articles praising the immersive sound quality of Auro-3D, I’m anxious to check it out. —Dave Davey, Mount Arlington, NJ

Al Griffin  |  Jul 26, 2022  | 
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I have an older Pioneer VSX-820 receiver (circa 2010) and currently have my 4K Roku streaming stick plugged in to one of its HDMI inputs. I plan to upgrade to an Ultra HDTV (Vizio M65Q7-J01). If I continue to connect my Roku stick to the receiver, will it pass a 4K signal to the new TV? —Chris Murphy, via email

Al Griffin  |  Jun 28, 2022  | 
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I want to listen to Amazon Music Unlimited’s Dolby Atmos music tracks on my home theater system. Amazon Music support says my subscription will only output Atmos to a few devices including headphones. But when I play the Best of Dolby Atmos playlist on my Roku Ultra streamer, the display on my Sony A/V receiver reads “Atmos” and I hear sounds coming from all of the speakers in my 7.1-channel system. Am I experiencing a real Atmos mix, or is this a case of wishful hearing? — Bill Heestand, Round Rock, TX

Al Griffin  |  May 24, 2022  | 
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I’m still using my first system that I bought in the late 1960s. Time for an upgrade! I’ve seen speakers with four drivers and speakers that use only one driver. Can you explain the advantages of one design over the other? For example, is it possible for a tower speaker with a single driver to sound better than one with three or more drivers? —Michael Oleson, Fort Worth, TX

Al Griffin  |  Apr 19, 2022  | 
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I have a Sony XR-90J TV that supports 4K/HDR and Dolby Atmos. Here’s my question: For a fully Atmos-compatible system, do I also need a receiver, Ultra HD Blu-ray player, and HDMI cables specifically designed to support Atmos? —Rayfield Coston, via email

Al Griffin  |  Mar 22, 2022  | 
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I own a pair of Edifier S2000 Pro Bluetooth bookshelf speakers. I love listening to music through these, but often want to hear more bass and this model doesn’t have a subwoofer output. What are your suggestions for getting better bass from a Bluetooth wireless speaker system? —Jeff Crunkleton, via email

Al Griffin  |  Feb 23, 2022  | 
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I want to get the highest possible audio quality from my home theater system when using the streaming apps on my new Samsung QN90A Neo QLED 4K smart TV. Is the TV’s eARC port compatible with my Denon receiver’s ARC port? By compatible, I mean will the Denon “understand” the Dolby Digital Plus bitstream coming from the apps and just ignore any Atmos metadata? —George Perkins / Madison, WI

Al Griffin  |  Jan 26, 2022  | 
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I own an NAD T 787 A/V receiver that only supports regular HD video pass-through and Dolby True HD/DTS-HD Master Audio processing. This receiver features NAD’s MDC (Modular Design Construction) for hardware upgrades. NAD offers an audio module with Dolby Atmos support, along with outputs for two sets of height speakers. If I stick with my current 5.1 speaker setup, would the Atmos module upgrade improve sound quality? Or will my receiver simply downmix the Atmos soundtracks to 5.1/7.1 surround with no audible improvement? —Phil Tomaskovic, via email

Al Griffin  |  Dec 29, 2021  | 
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I’m in the process of rebuilding my home theater with a 4K projector and flat-panel TV. Here’s my question: What kind of HDMI extenders can I use to pass a video signal with Dolby Vision high dynamic range (HDR) from my receiver to both screens? I’m completely at a loss here. —F. Hudson Miller, Hollywood, CA

Al Griffin  |  Nov 17, 2021  | 
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I read your response to a reader who asked about using dipolar speakers as surrounds in an Atmos system. You recommended “losing any side-mounted dipole surround speakers in the system and replacing them with properly positioned direct-radiating models.” Does that same advice hold for bipolar surrounds? —Darryl Brooks, via email

Al Griffin  |  Oct 29, 2021  | 
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I tried to watch Cruella on Disney+ and was shocked by the poor video quality presented by my Roku streaming device. I was able to make the movie watchable by changing the color mode and lamp settings on my Epson HC 4010 projector, but still wonder exactly what happened. Have you noticed that some movies look notably darker than others? If so, does it have anything to do with high dynamic range (HDR)? —Gary Eickmeier, via email

Al Griffin  |  Sep 15, 2021  | 
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I have tried streaming Amazon Music HD to my Marantz SR7015 receiver over Bluetooth from my iPad using the receiver’s HEOS app. The app shows resolutions all the way up to 24 bit/192kHz — something I didn’t think was possible with Bluetooth! Will I get the same resolutions if I make a hardwired connection from iPad to AVR using an AudioQuest DragonFly Red USB DAC? —Paul Giovino, via email

Al Griffin  |  Aug 18, 2021  | 
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q Way back when surround sound at home was the new big thing, installing dipole surround speakers at either side of the main listening position was recommended. Are dipoles still the optimal surround speaker choice now that technology has transitioned to object-based audio formats like Dolby Atmos? —Steve Benoff, Beaumont, CA

Al Griffin  |  Jul 29, 2021  | 
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I own a Marantz SR6013 A/V receiver and use it for both video switching and audio amplification. For video, I mostly watch Ultra HD Blu-ray discs. For music, I mostly stream from the Tidal service using the Marantz receiver’s built-in HEOS app. I would like to buy an external digital-to-analog converter (DAC) that supports MQA but am confused about the connections and the control app. After checking out my Marantz AVR’s back panel, I see two coaxial and optical digital inputs, but no digital outputs to connect the DAC, so maybe using an external DAC with the AVR is not possible. Am I missing something? —Rod McClaskey, via email

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