Please help me figure this out

[cathodeb]

I play music out of my TV via optical out from an AppleTV using Apple Music through a DAC and into my amp. Today, I bought a Topping E30 DAC and hooked it up. I sit down to play Aja (a song I know very well) . In the song, between the 5-8 second mark there are individual guitar notes which interweave with piano notes. Those guitar notes are missing, I hear just the piano! So I immediately blame the E30. But just to check, I replace the E30 with my old DAC and same thing, the guitar notes are missing. I go to my laptop and using itunes I play the song, and the guitar notes are there. So I think, there must be something wrong with my optical interface on the TV (2 DACS now tested and both don't play the guitar notes). So I go analog out from my TV directly into my amp and the guitar notes are still missing. Any ideas? I checked both Apple TV and itunes on computer to confirm that I am playing the same version of the album. I'm stumped.

 

[AnalogSteph]

That's an odd one.

I had a listen, and it seems the guitar notes in question are predominantly or exclusively on the left channel. So my guess would be either you're missing that entirely or there's some mono downmixing going on.

So to clarify, the test with iTunes was using the same amp and all?

Unfortunately I'm unfamiliar with how playback on the AppleTV works and hence where things could go wrong.

 

[JustJones]

What TV are you using? Have you gone into the settings to see if it's putting out pcm stereo ?

 

[Chrispy]

Sure it's the same recording?

 

[cathodeb]

That's an odd one.

I had a listen, and it seems the guitar notes in question are predominantly or exclusively on the left channel. So my guess would be either you're missing that entirely or there's some mono downmixing going on.

So to clarify, the test with iTunes was using the same amp and all?

Unfortunately I'm unfamiliar with how playback on the AppleTV works and hence where things could go wrong.

Thanks. I plugged my computer right into the DAC and the guitar notes. That leaves the TV (both optical and analog) and the apple tv as suspects. The DAC is fine, the speakers and the amp are good.

 

[cathodeb]

What TV are you using? Have you gone into the settings to see if it's putting out pcm stereo ?

Sony Bravia. Yes, PCM is selected.

 

[cathodeb]

Sure it's the same recording?

Yes, just confirmed when I plugged my laptop directly into the DAC and heard the notes. When I sent my laptop's itunes output (which clearly has the notes) to my apple tv via airplay i did not hear the notes. My speakers are fine, I hear sound and the proper sound when using my laptop. Its either appletv (hdmi) or TV. I'm leaning toward the appletv because if the tv is the problem it s affecting both optical and analog out in the same way which i think would not be likely.

 

[Chrispy]

Just sounds awfully strange that it could delete an instrument.....and provenance is what particularly in this case?

 

[JustJones]

Seems like it's putting out mono or stereo is cutting in and out is there another song you could try?

 

[cathodeb]

Well, just confirmed that its not the apple TV thankfully. I confirmed this by playing the song on amazon firetv and the same guitar notes missing. That makes it my Sony Bravia which I already knew was a piece of junk and should have suspected in the first place. I've had numerous audio problems with it. Oh well, good excuse to get another TV. I was a long time Bravia customer, but they just are not the same recently. But still, what kind of problem would affect both the analog and optical interfaces by kicking out only SOME part of the left channel sounds? totally weird.

 

[cathodeb]

Seems like it's putting out mono or stereo is cutting in and out is there another song you could try?

Definitely not cutting in and out and it doesn't sound like mono.