Analog vs. Digital (1 Viewer)

[ericanthonE]

Hi, i am moderately new to Home theater. I was wondering.

I have a pioneer elite PD-F27 300 disc changer with legato link conversion, bla, bla bla...

I have a(am getting a rotel 1067 or maybe an Anthem. If i run a digital connection, say a digital optic to the receiver, then it would not really matter the sound difference as far as the better elite model that i have, to say the lower end pioneer that is available at say crutchfield.

I thought that the audio processing mattered, but now i have been gathering that it would only matter if you have a digital connection? Which means that you are using the Receiver for processing

I always thought that it would process through the CD player/DVD player, and then be reprocessed to the receiver with a digital connection. But if i used a digital optic connection/coax it would not matter if it was a lousy DVD player or a nice one with more upper end audio processing.

Is the reason that high end CD/DVD players with audio chips exist is mainly/pretty much only for using with a analog connection.

Just some food for thought. I would like to know more about this, thanks.

For instance, i have a very old DVD player that is some wal-mart brand from way back in the day when they first came out with them about 5 years ago(or so) and the receiver would LITERALLY have to be pretty much at about 5db position on the volume range to sound even decently loud. Where as the pioneer elite hooked up to the same receiver(nad T773) would only have to be at say a volume range level of 30db to sound pretty much full and filled throughout the room. WOULD BE MORE THAN ADEQUATE. Both hooked up via. optic connection

I blamed this on the poor dvd player, but someone told me that if you were not using an analog connection, that it would not matter the sound processing of the unit????? Which i don't understand. THanks

 

[Ted Lee]

ask a mod to move this to the a/v sources forum - you'll probably get more replies.

as far as using optical or analog, you'll have to decide which piece of gear you believe will have the better processing. if you're looking at rotel and anthem, i would think that they would have the better conversion circuitry then the cd player -- so i would run the digital connection -- and let the anthem/rotel do the work.

but, i don't know how good your cd changer is.

 

[Cees Alons]

Done.


Cees

 

[ericanthonE]

thank you.

 

[greg_t]

Like Ted said, you should try it both ways. The Elite PD-F27 I believe has a pretty good Digital to Analog converter (DAC). I'm pretty sure it is 24 bit. I have an Elite PD F17 101 disc changer, and it has a 20 bit DAC. Most higher end recievers nowdays also have 24 bit DAC's. If you go out of the CD player via analog audio cables, then you use the DAC and processing in the CD player. If you go out of the CD player via a digital connection, the DAC's in the reciever will do the work. You should really try it both ways and see which you prefer.

If you had so a $50 RCA CD player, your choice would be easy as the DAC's in the reciever would be clearly better. The Elite has a pretty good DAC though that could possibly be as good or better than Rotel or Anthem. It's too close to call, so try it both ways. Hope this helps.

 

[ericanthonE]

oh yeah definitely. so if i run a digital connection via. a cheap dvd player or from an mark levinson, it is going to sound the same for it would not even use the processing AT ALL? in the cd player/insignificant? It would just use the processing in the receiver instead/would be all that matters?

 

[ericanthonE]

which way do you believe is what most audiophiles do?

Which is more cost effective, hope i do not ask too many questions, just eager to learn. thanks

 

[ScottCHI]

i'm not sure whether we're talking about only redbook cd playback or dvd video, too, but if you want to run more than a 5.1 dd/dts (i.e. 6.1) setup, you'll more than likely need to use a receiver's processing capabilities.

 

[ericanthonE]

what is redbook? does that mean standard?

 

[Andy_Hamric]

Redbook is the standard CD format, as opposed to SACD (super audio) or HDCD or some other higher resolution CD format. If your off-the-shelf low-cost CD player can play it, then it's Redbook.

 

[ChrisWiggles]

If you use an outboard decoder, then yes your player is essentially just acting as a transport. While there are certainly veyr significant difference between players, difference between transports are much more controversial. I say just listen for yourself and decide on your own.

 

[ericanthonE]

well, i think that i am still going to get a nice rotel DVD player, and i will be hooking it up via. a rotel-1067. guess that it wouldn't matter which way i hooked it up?

Wouldn't it be more of a quality of a stream from the transport to the receiver via. optic if you had a better DVD player, via a cheesy one? that was my main question now??