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Optical or 5.1? Which is best?

#1
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6/30/06 at 7:58pm
  • Joined: May 2006
  • Post Count: 9
I have a Marantz 5600 AVR and a OPPO 971 DVD. I can hook up the audio with either a optical digital connection or they both have 5.1 connections that can be used. (Actually the Marantz is a 7.1 and the OPPO is a 5.1). Which connections would give a better audio for the DVD.

Thanks

Ivor
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#2
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6/30/06 at 8:33pm
  • Joined: February 2001
  • Post Count: 3,219

Re: Optical or 5.1? Which is best?

It depends.
Do you need bass management? Can the marantz apply bass management to the 5.1 analogue input? (The oppo supports small and large speakers, but uses a fixed crossover). If not, spdif is more flexible.

Does the Marantz have a lip-sync adjustment? The Oppo allows a user to delay the audio by 10--50 ms, but this is, iirc limited to the analogue output. Some oppo users need this feature.

Do you have any dts-es discrete discs? The discete form of dts-es only works over spdif.

Do you plan to use the Oppo for dvd-audio? The spdif will only carry a stereo signal, and it may be downgraded from 192 kHz/ 96 Hz, depending on the whims of the artists and/or oppo's engineers. To get 6 channel audio, you'll need to use the multichannel analogue outs.
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#3
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6/30/06 at 9:05pm
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Re: Optical or 5.1? Which is best?

WOW.. Its more complicated than I expected. But then I'm a newbie at this and it all seems complicated.

The Marantz has bass management and a lip-sync feature which I will never use. I donot plan to use the OPPO for dvd audio. Just movies. I have no dts-es discrete discs.

Also,I will be getting will be getting the AV123 x series speakers when they come in.

Thanks for the help

ivor
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#4
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6/30/06 at 11:17pm
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Re: Optical or 5.1? Which is best?

Quote:
I have no dts-es discrete discs.
You don't have "Lord of the Rings?"
Quote:
and a lip-sync feature which I will never use.
Or, at least you hope to never use...

Anyway, if you don't plan to play DVD-Audio, go with digital. Keep the multichannel inputs free for sacd, bluray, or hddvd.
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#5
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7/1/06 at 8:35am
  • Joined: June 1999
  • Location: San Jose, Ca.
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Re: Optical or 5.1? Which is best?

Dolby Digital EX as well as dts-ES discs only work via digital. In terms of this player, if you won't be listening to DVD-A, there's no reason to use the analog outs - the receiver almost always has better bass management than the player, so use digital.

"The trouble with the world is not that people know too little, but that they know so many things that ain't so." - Mark Twain

HT: Marantz SR-8300, MA500 mono, Audiosource Amp300, 5X GR Research A/V-2s, Adire Audio Tempest sub, Oppo BDP-83, RC2000MkII, Panamax 5100, Panamax Max2 sub, PS3 60G (250G)...

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