Loud Static with 5.1 surround audio in iTunes

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Level 1

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Loud Static with 5.1 surround audio in iTunes

Hello,

I'm using a Griffin FireWave firewire audio device with a Logitec analog 5.1 speaker system. I've gotten great surround sound in other applications (QuickTime, WoW, etc...), but when I try to turn on 5.1 audio on a HD TV show in iTunes, I get a very loud, harsh static noise, and nothing else. If I open the file in QuickTime and turn off the stereo audio channel and turn on the 5.1 channel, I get nothing. Silence.

I just recently bought this brand-new 24" iMac (it's awesome, by the way). My old 20" white iMac had the same problem. I'd had other problems with iTunes on that computer (such as not being able to burn CDs from iTunes) so I figured, brand new computer, skip the Migration Assistant, just transfer over files, might fix the problem. No such luck. Of course, it fixed the CD burning problem, still no 5.1 in iTunes.

Contacting Griffin tech support seemed futile, as they no longer make FireWaves, and their software driver hasn't been updated in forever... support page is pretty, "make sure your speakers are plugged in"... and it seems like the company is steering in another direction.
The FireWave itself is very simple. Not many options, not very hard to understand. It does the job, though. 5.1 has been very nice with the FireWave in all other respects. Audio/MIDI Setup works fine with the speaker test. Great sound. Easy to use. HD Apple movie trailers sound fantastic! And I've yet to see ANY other options for connecting 5.1 analog speakers to an iMac.

If anyone else has had this problem, it'd be good to hear it, because searching the forums, I haven't seen any other posts about this. I'd love to know that I'm not alone.
If anyone can help me find a solution, that'd be amazing. I'm a pretty avid user... I had a Mac SE... I used ResEdit! I've been at this a while! This problem has me totally stumped.

Alternatively, if anyone knows of another solution for getting real 5.1 audio using analog speakers on an iMac, please let me know.
I love this speaker system! I don't want to have to replace it!

Thanks for any input,

-G.

24" iMac, Mac OS X (10.5.7)

Posted on Jul 12, 2009 3:35 PM

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Answer 1

thimic

Level 1

0 points

Sep 4, 2009 12:24 PM in response to {G}

I've got the same problem. Playing movies and TV shows bought on the iTunes store, listing a Dolby Digital 5.1 sound track only produces static. Playing DVDs with DVD Player on the other hand works fine in regards to getting surround sound. Like you, I have a Logitech speaker system, Z-5500 to be exact. My computer is a Mac Pro and I use a S/PDIF cable to connect to the speakers. Anyone having a clue as to why this happens?

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Answer 2

Sep 20, 2009 9:00 PM in response to {G}

I watch my iTunes movies using 5.1 surround on my home stereo through a digital toslink optical cable. The surround sound worked great until I updated to iTunes 9. Now I have the static too! It is not worth *buying movies from iTunes with no surround sound*. Apple please fix this! Give us the best possible movie experience.

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Answer 3

DaveM777

Level 1

0 points

Sep 22, 2009 5:24 AM in response to absarokabeartooth

Same Here:

If I put a DVD in my Mac mini the signal will get to my receiver through the mini's optical output OK, and I can hear a proper 5.1 track from the DVD. But if I buy a brand new HD movie from the iTunes store and select the surround track iTunes 9 will play static. It's not pure white noise. There is some periodicity in the static (in case that helps someone troubleshoot). If I select the stereo track on HD movie from iTunes it plays OK.

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Answer 4

Sep 26, 2009 11:05 AM in response to DaveM777

I have the same problem since iTunes 9. I use a MacMini with a optical toslink cable. Everytime I switch to Dolby Digital in an iTunes movies I get this annoying static sound.

With the DVD-Player I have great 5.1 sound.

Any news on this?

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Answer 5

Luloh

Level 1

4 points

Sep 26, 2009 12:22 PM in response to {G}

Same problem since itunes 9 update on both my mini and macpro. What happened?

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Answer 6

Oct 6, 2009 7:30 PM in response to {G}

Same problem here with the digital audio static. iTunes 9.0.1. Previous generation Mac mini. Discovered it just tonight. Mac OS X 10.6.1 will all current updates. House season 6 episode 3. Stereo audio works fine. Digital audio through DVD player works fine. No other known sound problems.

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Answer 7

Oct 7, 2009 9:05 AM in response to {G}

I just noticed this problem last night. Now, I know that surround worked with iTunes 8 on Leopard, and that iTunes 9 on Snow Leopard doesn't.

I'm not convinced it's iTunes 9 just yet, however - it could be Snow Leopard - does anyone know if surround works with iTunes 9 installed on Leopard? How about iTunes 8 with Snow Leopard?

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Answer 8

Oct 8, 2009 8:14 PM in response to {G}

I had the problem for a long time with early versions of iTunes 8, later I noted that one of the last updates to iTunes 8 made the surround work for me. I have a Mac mini connected with an optical toslink cable to an AV receiver. Well, when I updated to iTunes 9 I was unhappy to find that the static noise had returned when attempting to get Dolby Digital playback from iTunes. My multichannel sources from DVD have always worked while playing DVD's, so I've also attributed this bug to iTunes and not any hardware.

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Answer 9

Oct 9, 2009 7:42 PM in response to WaMuHIP07

Purchase of Snow Leopard did not change my ability to select surround from ITunes with success. It was the latest update that broke it.

Apple Please fix!

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Answer 10

MichKor

Level 1

64 points

Oct 24, 2009 7:04 PM in response to Capn' GoodNight

Add me to the list of frustrated campers. The strange thing is, X-Men Wolverine plays the 5.1 track fine. Anything I created using Handbrake to transfer my movies to my iMac only results in the AAC track being playable. If I try to get the Dolby Digital, all I get is silence! And - BTW, VLC does play the DD tracks - so it s look like an Apple issue! Oh - I have the same issue with QT as well.

Apple help -you tout yourselves as the media darling! Shame on you!!

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Answer 11

zscholz

Level 1

0 points

Nov 4, 2009 11:16 AM in response to {G}

I also have this problem...

Purchased an HD TV show (Nip/Tuck) and selected the alternate audio track labeled "Surround Audio" and got that digital audio "NOISE".

Regular audio sounds fine - can play iTunes music and system sounds sound good, just can't select the alternate "Surround" audio track without getting the noise.

I'm on an "older" MacMini - Intel CoreDuo using the SPDIF optical output into a Pioneer 5.1 receiver set to the appropriate Optical input and "Dolby Digital". I attempted to change the audio input processing on the receiver...all of which have the noise described by others...

Would LOVE a solution to this problem...

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Answer 12

Nov 4, 2009 6:21 PM in response to zscholz

I have had the "static" problem with HD versions of Mad Men, downloaded from iTunes Store.
What works for me:
- Turn off the equalizer (uncheck the On box in the Equalizer window)
- Turn off Sound Enhancer (in iTunes Preference - Playback)
- Make sure your volume slider is at maximum

With these settings, I have 5.1 surround sound on iTunes 9.02 using Snow Leopard 10.6.1. Any changes to the above settings, I get static.

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Answer 13

MichKor

Level 1

64 points

Nov 5, 2009 5:42 AM in response to Dave Hawkins1

Interesting about this fix. With the special optical adapter that works with an iMac for Toslink, the Volume slider is pegged at max and is not adjustable. IIRC, I normally don't have the EQ oni n iTunes. That I will have to check. if it works - props to you - this has been an issue for many people trying to enjoy their systems. I too have the Z-5500, and for a "computer" system, it is VERY good indeed!

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Answer 14

Nov 5, 2009 11:26 AM in response to Dave Hawkins1

When I first read Dave Hawkin's solution I was pretty excited - unfortunately it didn't solve the problem for me.

If all you guys with this same issue would send some more reports to Apple, we might see some results 😉

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Answer 15

LeToti

Level 1

8 points

Nov 5, 2009 11:59 AM in response to Dave Hawkins1

*Dave Hawkins1* was right. I only had to put the volume bar to 100% and then glorious 3.2.1 audio kicked in. iTunes 9, Snow Leopard, TOSlink.

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