You're actually better off running straight digital COAX from your cable box and oppo bluray to the Theta Casablanca III. The "HDMI to optical" will do the same thing, except at much lower performance. Audio through HDMI is already compromised and the optical digital interface is not as good as digital COAX. Also, the bluray hires formats Dolby TrueHD and DTS-MA will be downconverted to compressed Dolby Digital and DTS anyways. It's much better to just take that format straight from the Oppo player. The cable box will never use TrueHD or DTS-MA anyways, so digital COAX is still best.
Another fine mess…
I recently purchased a Theta Casablanca II with upgraded DACs here on Audiogon. I am very pleased with the acquisition and the seller was a true gentleman and professional in every sense of the word. Now for the dilemma…
Not too long ago, I bought a pair of brand new MartinLogan 11A speakers. The only thing I have to drive them is a Pioneer SC-57 A/V receiver. I purchased the Theta with the intention of using it, along with some Marantz monoblocks, to replace the Pioneer receiver. However, the Casablanca II is not equipped with HDMI capabilities and I don’t have a spare $10,000 lying around to upgrade the unit. I think I can run the HDMI video from my cable box and Oppo directly to my Panasonic plasma without signal degradation. As for audio, I was thinking of using an HDMI to optical converter to hook up the cable and DVD player to the Theta.
Is this a feasible workaround? Would this setup provide superior results over just keeping everything running HDMI through the Pioneer? If so, do you have any recommendations as to the best HDMI to optical converter? Your advice and suggestion are most appreciated! Thanking the community in advance!5 responses Add your response