Ultimea D80 at low volume

[Christian]

I am currently thinking about getting a Poseidon D80. It seems like it fulfills most of my wishes, with the only big downside that the rear speakers and the subwoofer are connected only wireless.

I read several reviews, and found two that report issues when using the D80 at very low level. They report that the subwoofer turns off when the sound is too low an is constantly turning off and on. My hope is that this was a hardware failure and that usually there is no such problem. Can anyone owning a D80 confirm whether it works good at low level? This is a very important use-case for me as I often turn the volume down when the kids are asleep.

An other question on my mind is how the system reacts on 5.1 signals. Will in this case two speaker do nothing, or will the signal get upscaled somehow so that all speakers will have something to do? (I have nearly no experience with surround hardware so forgive me if this is a silly question.)

 

[Leongino]

I used to own the Poseidon D80 and I never experienced the subwoofer issue you mentioned, even at very low volumes. Now I have the D80 Boom and it also works flawlessly — no problems at all, stable at both low and high levels.

As for your 5.1 question, the system does make use of the signal: when it receives true multichannel content, the rear speakers reproduce the surround channels directly. And if the source is only stereo, it performs a virtual upmix, so all the speakers are active and you still get a more immersive effect.

I hope this helps you

I am currently thinking about getting a Poseidon D80. It seems like it fulfills most of my wishes, with the only big downside that the rear speakers and the subwoofer are connected only wireless.

I read several reviews, and found two that report issues when using the D80 at very low level. They report that the subwoofer turns off when the sound is too low an is constantly turning off and on. My hope is that this was a hardware failure and that usually there is no such problem. Can anyone owning a D80 confirm whether it works good at low level? This is a very important use-case for me as I often turn the volume down when the kids are asleep.

An other question on my mind is how the system reacts on 5.1 signals. Will in this case two speaker do nothing, or will the signal get upscaled somehow so that all speakers will have something to do? (I have nearly no experience with surround hardware so forgive me if this is a silly question.)

 

[Ultimea Team]

I am currently thinking about getting a Poseidon D80. It seems like it fulfills most of my wishes, with the only big downside that the rear speakers and the subwoofer are connected only wireless.

I read several reviews, and found two that report issues when using the D80 at very low level. They report that the subwoofer turns off when the sound is too low an is constantly turning off and on. My hope is that this was a hardware failure and that usually there is no such problem. Can anyone owning a D80 confirm whether it works good at low level? This is a very important use-case for me as I often turn the volume down when the kids are asleep.

An other question on my mind is how the system reacts on 5.1 signals. Will in this case two speaker do nothing, or will the signal get upscaled somehow so that all speakers will have something to do? (I have nearly no experience with surround hardware so forgive me if this is a silly question.)

Hello! Christian
Thank you for your interest in the Poseidon D80 and for raising two very specific and important questions. I'm happy to answer them.

Question 1: Regarding the subwoofer's automatic on/off switching at low volume levels.
This is a common power management feature (often called "auto-standby") designed to save energy when there's no low-frequency signal for extended periods.

In actual use, keeping the volume level at a normal to low level (e.g., above 15-20% of the system volume) will generally reliably trigger the subwoofer to operate continuously, making it ideal for nighttime movie viewing. There's no need to worry. With software updates and proper usage habits, the subwoofer's performance at low volumes is stable and reliable, fully capable of meeting your "after-the-kids-are-sleeping" usage scenarios.

Question 2: Regarding 5.1 signal processing (not a "silly" question, but a very important one!)
This is a very good question, touching on a core technology of modern soundbars: upmixing.

The Poseidon D80 doesn't waste any speakers. When it receives a 5.1-channel signal, the built-in Dolby Audio decoder and upmixing algorithm instantly go to work, intelligently remapping the sound signal to all 7.1.4-channel speakers. So even with a 5.1 input, you hear immersive, room-filling sound optimized by the D80, with all speakers working in unison.

The Poseidon D80 is a well-balanced, comprehensive product, perfect for those seeking a cost-effective and immersive experience. We hope this information is helpful!

If you have any further questions, please feel free to ask.
Happy exploration!

 

[Christian]

Thanks to both of you for clarifying my questions. That was very helpful.

I indeed have a final question, but will open a separate topic, as it is a general one and not specific to the D80.