TOP Format

I'm glad to see so many liking the cable/ sat. music.---Assuming you are going into a quality dac./w/a quality dig. cable--I was with Directv for years with a modified Sony sat.box w/ coax-out.---I am now with TWC. Player/dac-AA Prestige.
Cable Violin Concherto.--By remote control I can switch between music channels/cds; and it is much closer than most might assume.
I actually have had a Sony sacd player for 2 years. I now have 2 sacd players and no software.--Almost forgot,I have a dvd-a changer/no software there,either

Vinyl not auditioned in so long; read old/lazy,to be sure of its place

Whether it be sat. or cable the 48 is standard for each. My AA upconverts 48 to 192--acording to the front readout. Those whom complain about compressed cable or sat. music channels; just don't have the right equipment. THIS does not refer to xm/sirius over the air without cable or sat.--I never heard that; and don't comment on that which I haven't heard.
To recap re.set-top boxes. Most Directv boxes do only 5'1 or maybe 48 over toslinc.---One can't expect much there.---Most cable boxes have coax-out--For most of them, the audio format can be changed in the menu to '2ch' and that is where the good audio signal can be helped by a quality dac.