HT-XT3 sync issue, audio lag/delay!

[mr.hertzberg]

Just got a HT-XT3, and there is a slight delay in audio. Not much, actuallt I might not have noticed right away if I wasn't looking for flaws.

I use optical toslink from my tv.I love the sound, but thisbugs me. The audio is delayed, even if I have of course set the in-built lips sync to 0ms. Adjustingit up makes it worse. I first noticed when running the tv speakers and the ht-xt3 at the same time, I heard this echo effect. I have had two other soundbases here for testing, and they have been totally in line with the inbuilt TV-speakers (both soundbases connected via optical)

When I run a youtube- test like this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szoOsG9137U - the inbuilt TV speakers are totally on the spot, but there is a noticable delay with the HT-XT3. 

I have updated the XT3 to the latest firmware. I use the toslink connection. It is the same with all sources (PS4, BlueRay and my digital cable TV-box)

[rooobb]

Which is your TV and why you don't use HDMI-ARC instead of optical? Your Tv set doesn't support it?

[mr.hertzberg]

Hi - I have the Sony KDL-32HX755, and yes, it supports ARC. The reason I don't use it is beacuse I have 4 hdmi inputs on the TV, but only 3 on the XT3. I use a Harmony remote, so I really don't need the ARC functionality. I will of course try ARC too, but it should not be like this either way I choose to use it. 

But either way you connect it - it should not induce audio lag? Seems very strange, but I have read that others had problem with serious drifting audio lag, but this seems constant (and minor). 

[rooobb]

I'm not aware of any known issue with audio lag on HTXT3, in any case the best connection schema for you is to have all your HDMI devices connected directly to the soundbar and than only an HDMI-ARC enabled cable between the soundbar and the TV. ARC doesn't mean CEC (that is the protocol AKA braviasync that enable the use of one remote for all the compatible devices), it's the Audio Return Channel that will be used in your case only to return back the TV audio (DVBT, app, Satellite, ecc.) to the sounbar. The audio processing for your other devices will be better managed directly by the HTX3 rather than passing it to the TV and back to the soundbar enabling also some codec (like DTS HD) that the TV is not able to process. I'm not sure for your specific TV but being rather old (in modern technology terms...) it probably pass only 2.0 to the soundbar or at least PCM not the original audio.

My suggestion is to through away the optical and go only by HMDI to have a whole better experience, let's see if it solve also the lipsync

[mr.hertzberg]

OK -  thanks i'll try that and report back, hopefully it does.

But to me it seems impossible that the TVs audio processing is to blame since I recently have had both the Canton DM50 and the Geneva Cinema here for testing, and this problem was not present then. I am very certain they did not have the problem, since I tried them playing in paralell with the TV-speakers - and there were no "echo/delay"-effect as with the XT3. 

BTW. I tried analog from TV to the XT3 - it is better (as excpected)

[FraserP123]

I have the same sync issue  issue and I was advised by phone support to connect the devices to the TV and only the TV to the soundbar.

I was also advised to 'try' the optical cable.  Neither resolves the issue.

BTW, fully updated as of yesterday.

[mr.hertzberg]

I have now tried using ARC/HDMI. At first - he issue was the same, with the same delay Not big, but clearly identifiable with the tests -I would guess 4 frames late. I compared with the tv speakers and my pc - there was no doubt. I tried using ARC with inputs via the TV and also via the soundbase - no difference. 

A strange thing then happened after a while, the delay got a bit better (maybe 2 frames late instead of 4) . I switched back to optical, and it is the same shorter delay (appr 2 frames). But there still is a lag - if I run the tv speakers and the HT-XT3 at the same time, I get an ecco-effect. As I mentioned before - this did not happen with the other soundbases I have tried (Canton DM50 and Geneva Cinema) - with them I used the tv speakers at the same time with no ecco at all (actually with the Canton soundbase - I prefered the tv speakers to be playing at the same time because it made the voices more audible at low volumes...) 

Because I couldn't make the XT-3 play simultanously with the tv-speakers using ARC, I also tried using the tv's headphone out at the same time as the HT-XT3 was playing - there is a lag - so you get the same ecco-effect as when I run the HT-XT3 via optical paralell with the tv speakers. 

So - is there anything else to try? Is there something wrong with my unit or is there an audio lag on all HT-XT3's?? 

[rooobb]

I'm out of solution for you.... but I'm feeling that you may have expectations that are too high.

I understand that you say that you tried with different equipment and it worked, but AFAIK none will suggest you to keep both TV speaker and an HT active at the same time: it's almost impossible that they are in sync...

[mr.hertzberg]

Thanks for your input, but I disagree that I have too high expectations. The point is not that it should be exactly in sync with the TV-speakers, but that the XT3 should be in sync with the picture!

At worst, the audio sync is clearly off betweeen picture and audio (from the XT3). I don't think that is too much to expect from a soundbase, especially when i have tried two competitors that has no issue whatseover with this.

[rooobb]

That's correct.... one last think to try:may you have the possibility to use a better and fast hdmi cable?