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Digital inputs to zone 2 out

Hi, apologies if this question has been asked before. I have an Onkyo HT-RC360 receiver and an external amp (carver a500x) that I'd like to use to drive my main speakers. Ideally, I would simply connect the zone 2/preamp out from the Onkyo to the carver to drive the speakers.

My problem is that the Onkyo only outputs analog sources to zone 2; is there any way to get around this restriction?

For example, would there be a big loss in quality if I connect the headphone out of the Onkyo to the power amp? Or the headphone out of the onkyo back into an unused input of the onkyo (say tape-in) and then the zone 2 to the power amp?

Thanks!
dalig
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dalig OP
11 posts
 
Hi, thanks for the link but according the the rc360 manual, only analog sources can be output from zone 2 -- it would make sense (I think) that zone 2 = zone 1 should be possible whatever the source(digital or analog) since no additional dac is required, but it seems not to be the case.

Has anyone tried to use speaker level to line level adapters with success? I am thinking of getting one to connect the mains to an amplifier.
stringreen's avatar
stringreen
6,468 posts
 
I have a Denon receiver which can do it. Read your instruction manual and/or call Onkyo
martykl
3,578 posts
 
What is your digital source?

If you are taking the digital signal out of a disc player into a digital input on the AVR, you might be able to run a second rca cable "alongside" the set up from the disc player's analog out into an analog input on the AVR. The main zone would use the Onkyo's internal DAC and Zone 2 would see the analog output from your disc player's DAC.

Unless there's some issue at the player, or some switching issue, I'd think that this would work.

No?

Good Luck,

Marty
dalig OP
11 posts
 
The digital source is an optical cable with Dolby encoding, but that can be changed to PCM. It comes out of a Logitech Revue, which does not have analog output unfortunately.

I tried various connections and it seems that what can get out of zone 2, when I let zone 2=zone 1, is not as clear cut as analog is ok and digital is not: if I connect an Ipod through USB cable, sound comes out of zone 2. The restriction may come from some software restriction for copy protection of content.
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