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Testing your X6000 with your blu-ray player. More tests. As I mentioned in the earlier post, your blu-ray player must have hdmi audio set to "PCM" (or "LPCM") NOT "bitstream" if you want to have 7.1 channel audio from the 3.5mm analogue output.

As I mentioned the X6000 sounds better than the CLUX-11SA or the A3080. It really sounds more crystal clear. And truly less noisy.

Equipment needed: (a) blu-ray player with multi-channel LPCM, (b) X6000 and (c) an amplifier that can play 8 channels.

(a) Blu-ray player with multi-channel LPCM. In this situation I used the Pioneer BDP-150 which enables multi-channel LPCM decoding of all Dolby and DTS formats. In order to find out whether your player plays multi-channel LPCM, check the manual. There should be a chart showing what happens when you set the hdmi audio to (i) bitstream, (ii) LPCM or (iii)DTS-Reencode or (iv) auto. If you Set to (ii) LPCM (or PCM), ensure that Dolby 5.1 (whether lossy or lossless or Dolby 7.1 (lossless or DTS 5.1 (lossy or lossless) or DTS 7.1 (lossless) produces either 5.1 LPCM an 7.1LPCM. If for example players such as the LG BP125, BP325, BP240, BP420, BP450 etc convert 5.1 and 7.1 to 2 channel LPCM audio, you will not benefit of the X6000's LPCM decoding capability.

(c) An amplifier with 8 channels. Many amplifiers with hdmi made after 2016 will decode not only the HD and MA channels, but also Atmos and X. In this situation set your player to Bitstream and use the X6000's hdmi. If so, STOP here, you don't need to use LPCM.

However, if your 8 channel amplifier does not have hdmi input then proceed to connect the 3.5mm analogue outputs to the inputs of the amplifier. You may need adapters such as 3.5mm to Stereo RCA in case (a) the inputs to the amplifier are RCA OR (b) the inputs may need to be reversed. The reason is not to input the incorrect L/R signals and especially the Centre/LFE channel signals going to the incorrect inputs.

Testing signals: Purchase blu-rays of the following:

• Dolby test disk with channel checks AND demonstration playback tracks with music and movie previews.
• DTS test disk with channel checks AND demonstration playback tracks with music and movie previews.
• Optional, Walt Disney's "World Of Wonder" calibration blu-ray. Hard to get, and its price is too high. But when a batch is released on the market, price comes down. Output is in DTS.

What about demonstration tracks on available on YouTube? Yes there are demonstration tracks as those on the Dolby and DTS demo blu-rays, but audio tracks of YouTube's videos are are downmixed stereo. I have never used websites with the demonstration tracks because I don't know the copyright status.

Testing your X6000. Once your player, X6000, amplifier and TV are set up, play the demonstration disk. The channel checker tracks ensure that your speakers are wired in the same direction. The DTS disk continues the channel testing with phase testing. Even though your speaker position is correct, if the wiring is reversed, some cancellation of the audio information may occur. So the DTS test disk is great to ensure that your X6000 is used to its maximum capability.

Once the channel check is performed, you will want to test for music and movie clips. I have a CLUX-11SA equivalent, the A3080, and the audio demonstration is not as crystal clear as the X6000.

I hope that helps those who want to set up the X6000 for playback with a blu-ray player and an 8 channel amplifier that does not have hdmi input and does not decode multi-channel Dolby and DTS.

Thank you Anthony of Sydney