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RSX-1056 Surround Sound Receiver
DTS Neo:6
The RSX-1056 features a second type of DTS
surround sound decoding: DTS Neo:6. This
decoding system is similar to Dolby Pro Logic
II and is designed for playback of any 2-channel
stereo recording, either matrix-encoded or not.
The Neo:6 decoder can be used with any
conventional 2-channel source such a stereo
TV or FM broadcast or a CD. It can also be
used as an alternative method of decoding
matrix-encoded Dolby Surround recordings or
TV broadcasts. Activate the DTS Neo:6 de-
coding with the DTS Neo:6 button as detailed
later in this section. DTS Neo:6 is not used
with DTS 5.1 digital sources and the button
need not be pressed for those recordings.
Dolby Digital Surround EX
DTS-ES
6.1 and 7.1 Channel Surround
In 1999, the first Dolby Digital soundtrack was
released to theaters with an additional cen-
ter back surround channel, intended to increase
the directional effects from behind the audi-
ence. This additional surround channel is en-
coded into the two existing surround channels
in Dolby Digital 5.1, using a matrix encod-
ing process similar to that used previously in
Dolby Surround. This new extended surround
capability is called Dolby Digital Surround EX.
DTS has added a similar capability for record-
ing this extended surround information called
DTS-ES
®
6.1 Matrix. They have also taken it
one step further and developed the capabil-
ity to record this extended surround informa-
tion as a discrete channel in a system called
DTS-ES
®
6.1 Discrete.
All of these systems are extensions of the ex-
isting Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 digital
surround sound formats. Users with one cen-
ter back speaker (a 6.1 configuration) or two
center back speakers (a 7.1 configuration) can
take advantage of this extended surround in-
formation. On traditional 5.1 channel systems,
Dolby Digital Surround EX or DTS-ES 6.1 discs
sound exactly the same as 5.1 channel discs
in each respective format.
If you have configured your system with one
or two center back speakers, decoding of
DTS-ES discs is automatic, just as it is with stan-
dard DTS soundtracks. Likewise, decoding of
Dolby Digital Surround EX discs is automatic
with one exception. Some Surround EX titles
do not have the detection “flag” encoded on
the disc. To activate the Dolby Digital Surround
EX features for these discs (or for standard 5.1
channel Dolby Digital discs), you must manu-
ally activate Dolby Surround EX processing.
Dolby Pro Logic IIx
6.1 and 7.1 Channel Surround
The latest technology from Dolby uses advanced
matrix decoding for the surround channels in
a 6.1 channel or 7.1 channel system. Work-
ing with any 2.0 channel or 5.1 channel re-
cording, Dolby Pro Logic IIx processing dis-
tributes the surround channel information
among three or four surround channels, with
a Music mode optimized for musical record-
ings and a Cinema mode optimized for film
soundtracks.
Rotel XS
6.1 and 7.1 Channel Surround
The RSX-1056 also features Rotel XS (eXtra
Surround) processing provides extended sur-
round performance on 6.1 and 7.1 channel
systems. The key benefit of Rotel XS is that it
works at all times with all multichannel digi-
tal signals, even those that might not otherwise
activate Dolby Digital EX or DTS-ES surround
decoding for the center back channel(s). Al-
ways available when center back speaker(s)
are configured in the system setup, Rotel XS
decodes the surround channels and distributes
the extended surround channels to the center
back speaker(s) in a way that tends to create
a diffuse surround effect. Rotel XS works with
matrix-encoded surround signals (such as non-
flagged DTS-ES and Dolby Surround EX discs)
as well as digital source material that is not
Dolby Surround EX encoded (such as DTS 5.1,
Dolby Digital 5.1, and even Dolby Pro Logic
II decoded Dolby Digital 2.0 recordings).
DSP Music Modes
Unlike all of the formats mentioned above, the
RSX-1056 offers four surround modes that are
not part of a specific recording/playback sys-
tem. These modes (MUSIC 1–4) use digital sig-
nal processing that adds special acoustic ef-
fects to any signal. DSP processing can be used
with Dolby Surround recordings, Dolby Digi-
tal recordings, CDs, radio broadcasts, or any
other source material; however, typically DSP
settings would be used with source material
for which there is no specific surround decoder.
The four MUSIC MODES in the RSX-1056 use
digital delay and reverberation effects to simu-
late progressively larger acoustic environments
with MUSIC 1 being the smallest type of venue
(such as a jazz club) and MUSIC 4 being a
large venue (such as a stadium). Typically used
to add ambience and a sense of space when
listening to music sources or other sources that
lack surround sound encoding.
2Ch/5Ch/7Ch Stereo Formats
The RSX-1056 also provides four modes that
disable all surround processing and deliver
stereo signals to amplifiers and speakers. There
are three options:
2CH Stereo: Turns off the center channel and
all surround channels in the system and deliv-
ers a conventional 2-channel signal to the front
speakers. If the system is configured to route
bass signals from the front speakers to the
subwoofer, this capability remains in effect.
Analog Bypass: For 2-channel analog in-
puts, there is a special stereo mode that by-
passes ALL of the RSX-1056’s digital process-
ing. The two front speakers receive pure analog
stereo full-range signals with no subwoofer
crossover, no delay, no level adjustments, and
no contour adjustment.
5CH Stereo: Distributes a stereo signal to
5.1 channel systems. The left channel signal
is sent, unchanged, to the front left and sur-
round left speakers. The right channel is sent
to the front right and surround right speakers.
A mono sum of the two channels is sent to the
center channel speaker.
7CH Stereo: This mode is the same as 5CH
Stereo described above except that it also
distributes stereo signals to center back
speaker(s) installed in the system.
Other Digital Formats
Several other digital formats are not surround
sound formats at all, but rather systems for digital
2-channel recordings.
PCM 2-channel: This is an uncompressed
2-channel digital signal such as that used for
standard CD recordings and some DVD re-
cordings, particularly of older films.