astateofmind
Member
So, as you might know ( 
) I got an X60 that I had issues with.
Still because I liked the build quality and the sound I was willing to stick with the brand. (well, and the price, lol)
First impressions:
The volume works (mostly) as intended. The surround volume controls the rear speakers only.... which is what it was supposed to do.
The interesting part: it will control ALL the channels on the rear speakers, and that means the surround channels and the upfiring channels. Which ... I think it was NOT intended but I like it this way. I would hate to see the upfiring volume button controlling the volume for both rear and front upfiring channels, haha
So far the upfiring volume button seems to do ... NOTHING!?
Ok, now to the weird things:
I don't understand how Xupmixing works. Beside making the volume louder
As an example: I have a 5.1.4 video.
Xupmixing off: it will play the center, left-right, rear left-right, front upfiring but it WILL NOT play the rear upfiring.
Xupmixing on: it will play ALL the channels correctly. At a much higher volume
So WHAT exactly is the upmixnig supposed to do??? Based on the info if it;s on off it should play the channels as they are, but it doesn't. I don't mind leaving it on upmixing all the time but is confusing,
The positioning (specially the rear channels) feels a lot better than the X60, even with the rear volume at 0 ... my test/demo videos now play and sound correctly. I have one with a rain that was supposed to envelop you as a real rain, on the X60 the foront was way too loud and I couldn't hear the rear - I suspect that happens due to 4 channels in the front vs 2 in the rear on the X60. Now it is so much better.
The mixing of the front channels to the back when the source is dolby but playing a stereo file is not there. It works if the source is set to stereo,
What I wrote so far are the ok things or weird but don't bother me that much.
And now the bad part. The worst part. Who ever designed the X50 coming from the X60 should be fired. On spot.
The left and right channels on the soundbar? They are cramped to the center, very close to the center channel. The same position as on the X60.
WHY were the front and left channels NOT moved to the extremities of the soundbar, to replace the surround ones from the X60????
Keeping the left and right channels in place, close to the center, means losing a LOT of sound positioning and sound separation left-right ... Is there a way to receive updated side modules with the speakers in the right places (to the extremities of the sound bar).
Now few suggestions, for all models:
1. Separate volume control for all components/pairs of channels.
Center
Sub
Front
Rear
Surround
Upfiring can be kept like now, tied to whatever volume they are related to.
2. Balance for all those components (to be able to shift the sound from left to right or right to left)
Balance per component or global.
3. More upmix options, when pressing the button cycle through at least 3 options:
Off - no DSP
ON: - DSP
Music/copy: take the front left and right channels and copy them on the rear left and right and if the surround speakers are modular and not in the soundbar to the surround speakers as well
Even if the handshake signal is dolby when using music/copy the front channels should be copied over, NOT just when the source is stereo. With a stereo source it is copied now.
These 3 are basic functions that ANY soundbar NEEDS to have.
4. DTS/DTS-X
5. Make sure the channels are in the optimal position for the customer, not to save a couple of bucks ... I don't even understand why you put them so close to the center, you cannot imagine my surprise when I unboxed them and I saw the channels there ...
For a soundbar manufacturer with some experience sorry but these are beginner mistakes
) I got an X60 that I had issues with.Still because I liked the build quality and the sound I was willing to stick with the brand. (well, and the price, lol)
First impressions:
The volume works (mostly) as intended. The surround volume controls the rear speakers only.... which is what it was supposed to do.
The interesting part: it will control ALL the channels on the rear speakers, and that means the surround channels and the upfiring channels. Which ... I think it was NOT intended but I like it this way. I would hate to see the upfiring volume button controlling the volume for both rear and front upfiring channels, haha
So far the upfiring volume button seems to do ... NOTHING!?
Ok, now to the weird things:
I don't understand how Xupmixing works. Beside making the volume louder
As an example: I have a 5.1.4 video.
Xupmixing off: it will play the center, left-right, rear left-right, front upfiring but it WILL NOT play the rear upfiring.
Xupmixing on: it will play ALL the channels correctly. At a much higher volume
So WHAT exactly is the upmixnig supposed to do??? Based on the info if it;s on off it should play the channels as they are, but it doesn't. I don't mind leaving it on upmixing all the time but is confusing,
The positioning (specially the rear channels) feels a lot better than the X60, even with the rear volume at 0 ... my test/demo videos now play and sound correctly. I have one with a rain that was supposed to envelop you as a real rain, on the X60 the foront was way too loud and I couldn't hear the rear - I suspect that happens due to 4 channels in the front vs 2 in the rear on the X60. Now it is so much better.
The mixing of the front channels to the back when the source is dolby but playing a stereo file is not there. It works if the source is set to stereo,
What I wrote so far are the ok things or weird but don't bother me that much.
And now the bad part. The worst part. Who ever designed the X50 coming from the X60 should be fired. On spot.
The left and right channels on the soundbar? They are cramped to the center, very close to the center channel. The same position as on the X60.
WHY were the front and left channels NOT moved to the extremities of the soundbar, to replace the surround ones from the X60????
Keeping the left and right channels in place, close to the center, means losing a LOT of sound positioning and sound separation left-right ... Is there a way to receive updated side modules with the speakers in the right places (to the extremities of the sound bar).
Now few suggestions, for all models:
1. Separate volume control for all components/pairs of channels.
Center
Sub
Front
Rear
Surround
Upfiring can be kept like now, tied to whatever volume they are related to.
2. Balance for all those components (to be able to shift the sound from left to right or right to left)
Balance per component or global.
3. More upmix options, when pressing the button cycle through at least 3 options:
Off - no DSP
ON: - DSP
Music/copy: take the front left and right channels and copy them on the rear left and right and if the surround speakers are modular and not in the soundbar to the surround speakers as well
Even if the handshake signal is dolby when using music/copy the front channels should be copied over, NOT just when the source is stereo. With a stereo source it is copied now.
These 3 are basic functions that ANY soundbar NEEDS to have.
4. DTS/DTS-X
5. Make sure the channels are in the optimal position for the customer, not to save a couple of bucks ... I don't even understand why you put them so close to the center, you cannot imagine my surprise when I unboxed them and I saw the channels there ...
For a soundbar manufacturer with some experience sorry but these are beginner mistakes
