HDMI OR ANALOG OUTPUT? (1 Viewer)

[jesvap]

Hi, I'd like to ask if it's worth setting my OPPO BDP 103 to my MARANTZ SR8002 via it's 7.1 channel analog outputs, or,
hit the easy button and connect it via HDMI. I've read lots of review and what not but nothing 'grabbing' that says analog will sound better.
I guess I can go ahead and just do it however, don't have the nice cables to hook them with just yet.
Suggestions/Advice/comments/pack sand? all welcome......

 

[Steve Tannehill]

Hi Eduardo, welcome to HTF!
In reading your Marantz manual, it sounds like only older DVD-Audio/SACD players will have problems with HDMI. It does not say anything about blu-ray, though.
I would get a cheap HDMI cable from Monoprice or Amazon basics and see if that works. I would be especially interested if 7.1 audio from a blu-ray disc worked. If it does not, then just get 4 stereo audio (RCA) cables (they don't have to be especially nice) and hook them up.
(DIsclaimer, I have my Oppo BDP-93 hooked up to my Denon receiver via 7.1 analog, but then I don't have HDMI on my receiver.)

 

[gene c]

The biggest issue with using the m/c analog inputs is you lose all the processing power of the 8002. No Audyssey, no bass/treble controls, no bass management, no nuthin'. The 8002 will act as an amp and volume controller only. Most receivers are like this (with some H/K's, among a few others, the exception). But the OPPO 103 should sound very good through the m/c analogs as well. The only way to know for sure is to try it both ways. If you don't have the necessary cables or just aren't interested in going to all that much trouble then HDMI should work very well between the 103 and 8002 for all audio formats.
I've had many, many audio/video setups over the last few years. The easiest to use was a Pioneer Elite SC-27/dv58av/bd-23 combo all connected via HDMI (sounded very nice btw). But the best sounding setup was an H/K 7200 and OPPO 83SE connected by m/c analogs (the 7200 did bass management via m/c analog inputs).

 

[jesvap]

Steve, Thanks for the reply! Really glad I joined this forum with many other HT enthusiasts with great feedback. The 103 sound astonishingly great through hdmi and out the 8002. I believe the only thing I need to do is upgreat my speaker system to make it better. Right now It's pushing the much older Definitive 5.1 Pro-monitor 60. I'm in the market for some towers and a great center and maybe up my polk 10 inch. Again, thanks for the reply.

 

[jesvap]

The biggest issue with using the m/c analog inputs is you lose all the processing power of the 8002. No Audyssey, no bass/treble controls, no bass management, no nuthin'. The 8002 will act as an amp and volume controller only. Most receivers are like this (with some H/K's, among a few others, the exception). But the OPPO 103 should sound very good through the m/c analogs as well. The only way to know for sure is to try it both ways. If you don't have the necessary cables or just aren't interested in going to all that much trouble then HDMI should work very well between the 103 and 8002 for all audio formats. I've had many, many audio/video setups over the last few years. The easiest to use was a Pioneer Elite SC-27/dv58av/bd-23 combo all connected via HDMI (sounded very nice btw). But the best sounding setup was an H/K 7200 and OPPO 83SE connected by m/c analogs (the 7200 did bass management via m/c analog inputs).

Gene, Wow, didn't know much about analog connections so thanks for schooling me on this. Just for ** and giggles, I think I will mess around with analogs and see what happens! There's only one way to find out right? On the flip side though, I don't think I have bass and treble controls on the 8002. Or maybe I'm just not that familiar with it (the remote control/s are too technical as it is and still can't find a firmware upgrade, if there is one! so, in a nutshell, I'm very not that savvy with HT systems yet, but, so eager to get a 'degree' on the subject, on my system at least! thanks for the feedback.

 

[Al.Anderson]

Just for ** and giggles, I think I will mess around with analogs and see what happens! There's only one way to find out right?

Brings a tear to my eye. That's the spirit; can't hurt to muck around and see what you think.

 

[gene c]

I'm also a big fan of trying things out just for fun. If nothing else you can learn something once in a while. And who knows, you may stumble accross something that actually works! I've really been getting back to analog in the last few months. Sometimes it just sounds better to me, especially in Pure Direct mode. But as always a lot depends on the equipment and your room acoustics. I'm sure the 8002 has bass and treble controls. I had a 7002 a couple of years ago (one of the many receivers I wish I had kept ) and the remote that came with it drove me nuts! I bought a remote off ebay from a 6005 or 5005 and used it instead. Sanity soon returned (At least I think it did. But how would I know ).

 

[schan1269]

Talk about old equipment... Collecting dust in a closet... Panasonic SA HE200(from when Panny cared about home audio) Technics SLPD9 (5 disc with toslink) Philips 3->1 CD-R Totem "something", from back when Totem was a new company. Spun Dark Side of the Moon on the Technics...switched to the Philips(digital coax) for The Wall. That old Panny AVR sounds good It actually has two Direct modes. Normal where it just bypasses any tone controls...and a 2nd setting that shuts off the display. Has 5 Re-Master(maybe it was 4) settings that can be paired with the Direct. Might move it in permanently somewhere...has 5.1 multi-channel...