Optical or HDMI for this setup? (1 Viewer)

[JasonJJJ]

Hi all,

I'm running a 3.1 setup (two fronts, one center and one sub) and I currently have it hooked up via optical. I use the system for movies and music listening.

Am i losing audio quality with this optical setup or is optical giving me everything I need?

My system is below:

• Receiver: Yamaha RX-V373
• Fronts: B&W DM603 S3
• Center: B&W LCR 60 S3
• Sub: B&W ASW 600

Thanks!

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Optical connection would limit you to lossy audio for surround tracks -- only 2-channel-or-less can be lossless via that.

Of course, whether you can hear/appreciate the diff (particularly in your overall setup) would be another story...

_Man_

 

[JasonJJJ]

Optical connection would limit you to lossy audio for surround tracks -- only 2-channel-or-less can be lossless via that.

Of course, whether you can hear/appreciate the diff (particularly in your overall setup) would be another story...

_Man_

What about for movies streamed to my TV with an optical out to my reciever? Would I be losing sound quality that way? Encanto sounded amazing when testing it yesterday.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

IF you mean using the usual streaming services like Disney+, not your own ripped content streamed from an HTPC or NAS (local to your setup), they all only provide lossy audio anyway, so you shouldn't be losing any quality from the stream.

_Man_

 

[Wardog555]

Optical doesn't support Dolby digital plus. So yes you are losing quality by using optical as it only does basic Dolby digital and dts 5.1

Use hdmi arc instead.

 

[JasonJJJ]

Optical doesn't support Dolby digital plus. So yes you are losing quality by using optical as it only does basic Dolby digital and dts 5.1

Use hdmi arc instead.

How do I know if I'd be using Dolby plus, regular Dolby or DTS 5.1 anyway? Is that a selection on the receiver?

 

[JohnRice]

Seriously, don’t worry about it.

 

[Wardog555]

How do I know if I'd be using Dolby plus, regular Dolby or DTS 5.1 anyway? Is that a selection on the receiver?

No. It's from the source that determines it.
Streaming services use Dolby digital plus extensively.
Your receiver will show what kind of format it's being sent.

 

[Lord Dalek]

The big red flag you've got there is that RX-V373. That doesn't support HDCP 2.2.

 

[DaveF]

It’s 2023. The answer is always HDMI. Listening to AM radio in a storm with bad reception? 8K HDMI without hesitation.