My experiences over the years has largely been along the lines of what "Cappucino" states in his response above here.
I must qualify my personal experiences, however, by saying that I have relatively limited experience thus far with the various processing and connection options, using the latest HD DD+ and DTS Master digital enccdings, but rather with older DD/DTS and pcm digital formats.
None-the-less, who wouldn't agree that, it sure would be great if we could all save a bunch of money by forgoing an AV preamp/receiver in our systems?! I mean, who wouldn't want that? I for one just have not found that as an option to yield supperior movie sound quality, at the very least. |
I'd like to get this article because I find the Analogue in the Oppo better than the Onkyo digital, by far. And I have a very well put together system to reveal alot.
Regards Bacardi |
Kal (Kr4), indeed, thank you for doing an article covering those particular matters (dig to analog out vs. direct dig hdmi and digital processing). I look foreward to going through it, for certain, and do hope the article is both by enlarge in depth and thorough.
I personally believe it has been fairly long over due, that the topic of processing digital data in the player vs the outboard processor -considering all analog and digital connect options - be professionlly discussed and analyzed, and the pertinent merits and potential down-sides be brought to the attention of all us music/HT enthusiests, who have pondered all of this - specifically pertaining to the differing digital media processings.
I also think many of us here share the same desire for clarification here. |
I am obviously blind as I cannot find the article. Can you point the way for me? Page 43 of the September 2010 issue. |
I have a Theta Digital Compli Blu player and a Cary Cinema 11a HD surround processor. Playing music this system sounds best when I connect the player to the processor with analog interconnects (The Cinema 11a has very good analog multichannel preamp section). But for movies I always prefer going digital. I believe there is a difference in decoding music and movies (Dolby, DTS). |
Hi Kal,
I am obviously blind as I cannot find the article. Can you point the way for me?
Joe in Mobile |
My last column (September Stereophile) covers my analysis and opinions of the analog-vs-hdmi connection issues.
Kal |
There is no such thing as an analog home theater when using digital medium.
DVDs and Blu-Ray (and CDs, SACDs and DVD-A for that matter) are all digital mediums. There has to be a digital to analogue conversion (DA) to be able to hear the soundtrack/dialogue. As has been pointed out above, all you are doing when you are running audio out of the analogue outputs on a player is pushing the DA conversion up so that it happens using the DA Converter (DAC) of the player. Alternatively, when you output the audio over HDMI, SPDIF or Toslink, then you are pushing the DA conversion down into the DAC in the processor. |
Bacardi, how is the movie soundtrack (which exists on the DVD) converted from its digital form into analogue? |
I recently picked up a NAD T773(non-HDMI)receiver at a pawn shop for a steal. I moved it into my main system and sent my Onkyo TX-SR705(HDMI)to my bedroom system. While the Onkyo did a fantastic job with HT and having HDMI for audio and video is convenient, the NAD blows it away for music.
I just bought a BD player that has 7.1 analog outs and now I can take advantage of Dolby TrueHD and DTSMA without HDMI by letting my new Yamaha BD-S1065 do the decoding first before sending it to the NAD via 5.1 analog to the rca imputs.
Even though I have downgraded as technology goes, I definitely have upgraded with sound quality.
Bill |
Bdgregory. I am not using digital in the Oppo. 5.1 analogue for movies only. No digital audio used at all. Just HDMI video.
Kal, my question should have been, is there a better processor that does 5.1/7.1 analogue that beats the OppoSE's analogue processing??
Regards Bacardi |
isn't what you're doing just a matter of using the digital processor embedded in the Oppo rather than the one in your Onkyo? If it sound better it's because the Oppo digital processor is better, not because you're using analogue processing. |
What do you mean by "analogue 5.1 processor?" There are a number of good to excellent analog 5.1 preamplifiers but, if there is any processing/conversion included, one could not call such a device an "analogue 5.1 processor."
I have reviewed many of these analogue 5.1 preamps in my column at www.stereophile.com/musicintheround .
Kal |
