Categories: SECRETS Home Theater Q&A

Resolving Audio Dropouts, what to do?

Question:
What do you recommend to resolve audio dropouts on my denon avrx1100w? Whatever I watch, the audio drops out for a second sporadically. I use this receiver with totem acoustic rainmakers and pioneer bookshelf speakers.

– Francesco Barbara
New York, NY

Answer:
To troubleshoot the audio dropouts, it helps to determine when you experience the problem. For example, does it happen only when watching television when using a cable box or satellite receiver? Is it only happening when using a Blu-ray or DVD player? Or is it happening with all source device in your system? Once you know this, check the Denon web site and make sure your receiver is running the latest firmware. If it is not, upgrade the firmware and see if the issue is resolved. If the problem occurs with just one source device, then look at how the device is connected. Is the source device running the latest firmware? If the problem occurs only with an HDMI source, consider swapping the HDMI cable and see if that helps. You can also try connecting the source with an optical or coaxial digital cable and see if the problem goes away. Quite often this type of issue is firmware related, so definitely check that first.

Robert Kozel

Robert Kozel is a veteran IT professional, working as the Chief Technology Officer for a marketing services company in Cleveland, Ohio. He has a Bachelor of Science degree with a double major in Computer Science and Mathematics from John Carroll University. His interest in home theater began with the purchase of a Yamaha Dolby Pro Logic surround sound receiver and an unassuming CD player. That receiver sparked a passion for music and movies that has lasted over two decades. Robert has since pursued opportunities to upgrade his gear whenever time and budget allow. He prefers solid performance and quality in his equipment and is not easily won over by the latest marketing feature. Reading the Secrets' DVD benchmark articles inspired his appreciation for the analytical side of home theater. He takes his reviews for Secrets very seriously and offers the readers a detailed description of what it's like to install and use a product. To provide an empirical perspective in his reviews, he adds analytical measurements to his personal observations. The analytical measurements provide a baseline for comparison between products. Ultimately for Robert, home theater is about enjoying the beauty of music and movies. He hopes that his reviews offer readers an understanding of what they might expect from a product and whether it might be a match for their current system and unique personal preferences. When not working with technology or enjoying music or a good movie, Robert enjoys hiking, cycling and travel.