• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

PS4 audio - Are you HDMI out or Digital out?

DryvBy

DryvBy

Member
I haven't messed around with these settings in a while but I remember a while back my sounds were messing up on my 7.1 system using HDMI out even though I'm using an HDMI cable. The center speaker never played anything and the side speakers were randomly too boomy. But my biggest issue was the center speaker being very low volume or void of any sound (only on PS4).

Here's an article about said issue: http://www.ign.com/wikis/playstation-4/PS4_Audio_Problems

What are you guys using these days?
 
D

Dash Kappei

Not actually that important
You're to only use the optical out if you don't have an HDMI compatible receiver, simple as that.
Optical doesn't support lossless multichannel audio (DTSHDMA, Dolby True HD, LPCM 5/7.1...)
 
DryvBy

DryvBy

Member
Dash Kappei said:
You're to only use the optical out if you don't have an HDMI compatible receiver, simple as that.
Optical doesn't support lossless multichannel audio (DTSHDMA, Dolby True HD, LPCM 5/7.1...)
Click to expand...

Which makes sense but there was a solution (I assume temp in this stage) where the PS4's audio was broken with HDMI out. It outputted stereo only no matter how you forced it.

I'm going back to HDMI out. I miss lossless audio.
 
D

Dash Kappei

Not actually that important
Also, the problems you're referring to are if you use both together to two different devices.
Test: use HDMI, play a *DVD* with Dolby Digital multichannel audio, do you hear the center channel playing?
 
A

Armaly

Member
Seems like the perfect thread to post this in. Sometimes I like to play PS3/4 games but would also like to talk to my friends on teamspeak at the same time. I did some research and think the following would work. Have my PS3/4 connected to my tv and then use a toslink cable to connect my tv's digital out to a fiio e17 dac. Then I connect my e17 to my pc by usb and have my headphones connected to the e17. This way I can hear both my pc and tv audio at the same time. Do you guys think that this'll work?
 
A

Anko

Member
Either digital out to my pc sound card or digital out to my mixamp so that I can use my headphones. I love having both pc and ps4 sound together.
 
Aces&Eights

Aces&Eights

Member
I run optical since my receiver was the last model before HDMI but I usually just plug my Sennheisers into the controller. It sounds pretty damn good, actually.

Edit: I have Pluse Elites but experience head fatigue after a couple hours. I think my Sens sound better, anyway.
 
J

Jedi2016

Member
I was using digital for the longest time because I had a really old receiver. Had no issues with the new one, so it's been all-HDMI for a while now, the whole time I've owned the PS4.
 
S

Storm Raider

Banned
I have all HDMI equipment connected to my TV, then I have the digital optical out from my tv to my soundbar.

Audio is great, and it only 1 cable for all my equipment to work with the soundbar
 
M

meltingparappa

Member
HDMI to TV, and then optical to my sound bar.

I am probably doing many things wrong, but I only have a sound bar with optical, 3.5mm, and RCA inputs.

One day when I sell enough blood I'll ask audiogaf about receivers for an apartment.
 
B

binarymelon

Member
I was having a similar issue recently where I was only getting 2.0 output from my PS4. After messing around for a while I realized my receiver was set to use AMP + TV for audio output. This was causing the PS4 to incorrectly detect a 2.0 speaker setup. Changing it to AMP only solved the problem.
 
M

mickcenary

Member
Question:

I have the PS4 HDMI'd to the TV and some Harmon Kardon Soundsticks going directly into the TV via a standard auxiliary cable. My settings should be HDMI, yep?

Also, is there a better way to implement this setup?
 
E

EdReedFan20

Member
Whenever I can, I use optical. However, my PS4 (and 3) are usually in my room and I can only output audio via HDMI there. When I bring either into my basement, though, I take advantage of our sound system and use optical out as well as an ethernet connection for online.
 
T

TEH-CJ

Banned
Perfect thread to ask this. But does changing the sound processing on your av receiver add any input lag? For an example my Sony av has different sound settings like movie, 3d sound etc etc..
 
D

Dash Kappei

Not actually that important
Carnby said:
PS4 > HDMI > TV > Optical > Receiver (5.1)

Which setting should I be using?
Click to expand...

If your receiver supports HDMI in you should go:

PS4 > HDMI > RECEIVER > HDMI > TV and select LPCM for games. For movies, first time you play a bluray go again into the system audio settings and select BITSTREAM.

If your receiver does not support HDMI in, then go:

PS4 > HDMI > TV for video and PS4 > Optical > Receiver for audio. Digital out and select DTS audio in settings.

You can also leave it as you have right now (again, if the receiver has no HDMI in/out), but if you follow my lead you'll get the best possible audio even when you don't feel like switching the receiver/HT setup on and want to use just the tv's speakers.

Justified said:
Well HDMI is digital........

Ok o/t: I am HDMI >> TV >> Toslinked to Sound Bar. All set to PCM
Click to expand...

You know you're only feeding the sound bar a stereo signal this way, right?
Just asking. If you want to feed your soundbar a 5.1 signal then you need to set the audio to DTS (not DTS Master Audio of course)

Unless of course you meant LPCM 5.1 *and* your TV accepts multichannel LPCM *and* it's capable of re-encoding it on the fly into a DTS/DD stream to feed to the soundbar via the optical out.
Either way you're better off doing what I suggest above and let the PS4 do the work setting it to DTS.

mickcenary said:
Question:

I have the PS4 HDMI'd to the TV and some Harmon Kardon Soundsticks going directly into the TV via a standard auxiliary cable. My settings should be HDMI, yep?

Also, is there a better way to implement this setup?
Click to expand...

Can't really answer unless I don't see the specifics of your model, which I have no experience with. If you care to link me to the product's info details I'll help you out.

EdReedFan20 said:
Whenever I can, I use optical. However, my PS4 (and 3) are usually in my room and I can only output audio via HDMI there. When I bring either into my basement, though, I take advantage of our sound system and use optical out as well as an ethernet connection for online.
Click to expand...

Well, I assume you say so cause your HT's receiver doesn't support HDMI in/passthrough? Otherwise it wouldn't make any sense :)
 
Finaika

Finaika

Member
TEH-CJ said:
Perfect thread to ask this. But does changing the sound processing on your av receiver add any input lag? For an example my Sony av has different sound settings like movie, 3d sound etc etc..
Click to expand...

I would recommend switching off any sound processing regardless of lag.
 
G

GorillaJu

Member
I use digital out because I go directly to my computer monitor and desktop speakers. I don't have a real quality set-up, but it's a lot better than what I was doing before (PS4 ---HDMI---> Monitor ---Optical from Headphone jack---> Speaker switch ---> Speakers)
 
M

Markitron

Is currently staging a hunger strike outside Gearbox HQ while trying to hate them to death
If you can output your sound via HDMI then you absolutely should, it's the only way to get 7.1 PCM. If your centre speaker is low go into your receivers settings and higher up the volume on the speaker.

Last gen I used the PS3 for multiplatforms, as the 360 could only out put in horrible Dolby Digital. Sound is way more important to me than the odd drop in framerate.
 
blacklotus

blacklotus

Member
Optical out to an optical in on my audigy 2 zspro in my pc, connected to a 5.1 cambridge soundworks.

Im poor so i had to make use of what i had.
If i want headphones i use my 12 year old plantronics connected to the zs pro aswell.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

PS5 beta firmware adds DualSense controller sound enhancements and Share Screen interactions
Platform 2
89
5K
WitchHunter replied
[DF] Mark Cerny talks Dolby Atmos support for PlayStation 5
News Hardware 2 3
103
8K
MarkMe2525 replied
Playstation Portal |OT| From WC with Love
3 4 5 6 7
335
17K
Gamerguy84 replied
PS5 update September 13, 2023 rolls out globally with new accessibility, audio, and social feature enhancements.
2
84
6K
ZoukGalaxy replied
Soundbar vs home cinema sets, now for the definite answer
2 3 4 5
229
12K
HeisenbergFX4 replied
Top Bottom