DVD player DACS (1 Viewer)

[TonyWright]

I have a really dumb question. I have been reading up on a new DVD player and I came across a few threads that mention the ability to use the DACS in the DVD player as opposed to the DACS in the AVR.

My question is how do you set up your system to use DACS in one device and not in another? I have never knowingly done anything to force my setup to use my AVR's DAC's but my speculation is that if I want to use my AVR's DAC's I would simply pass the signal from DVD to AVR via toslink or digital coax. Then if I wanted to use the DACS in the DVD I would have to pass an analog signal to the AVR somehow. The only way I can see that happening is via 6 analog coax cables.

I think I may be confusing myself here. Does anyone have any insight for me?


Thanks in advnace.

Tony

 

[FeisalK]

you've got it right there.

some DVD players also have an additional stereo analog out (not part of the 6-ch analaog out)

 

[TonyWright]

FeisalK,

Thanks for the reply. So in order to use the DAC's (in a multichannel setting) in the DVD player, that DVD player has to be equipped with 6 channel analog outputs?

Is it generally preferable to use the DAC's in a DVD player (for instance, the Denon-DVD2910) instead of the AVR's DAC's when using it for watching films?

I guess I never really considered using the 6 channel outputs for anything other than SACD or DVD-Audio.

Tony

 

[EricRWem]

One thing I've always been told with all this is: You first need to determine which piece of hardware has the better DACs: The receiver or the DVD player. If it ends up being the receiver, then you're going to want to go all digital as much as possible. Unless you have Ilink or DenonLink, you'll have to use the multichannel outputs for high-rez audio regardless, but for everything else, including regular CD's, you'd use digital.

If your DVD player ends up having the better DACs, then you're going to want to go analog on absolutely everything and use the digital strictly for movies.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, someone.

 

[Adil M]

If you PCM it, are you using the player DAC's?

 

[TonyWright]

What if the DVD player has the better DAC's and you want to playback 2 channel audio. How do you mix in a sub?


Tony

 

[FeisalK]

Tony

As Eric mentioned, if your player doesn't have iLink/IEEE1394/Firewire 6ch analog is the only way you're going to be able to listen to SACD/DVDA anyways...

To mix in the bass, you need to connect the front l/r channels to one of the stereo inputs on the receiver. If you do this you can also run Pro Logic II processing on that signal. Have u tried this? i kinda like PLII on some stereo CDs

Eric, I guess eventually it boils down to which DACs you prefer.

I have my player connected in all the ways possible - digital optical, 6ch-analog and front L/R to the stereo-in on the receiver

Adil: PCM is digital, so you'll be using the DACs on the receiver

 

[LanceJ]

A lot of receivers now have the capability to derive a subwoofer channel from a stereo input. I know the H/K AVR630, and most(?) Onkyos and Yamahas can do this.

But........

AFAIK there is a 99% chance that the stereo signal will be digitized to accomplish that subwoofer channel derivation, so it sort of negates any advantage your player's DACs have over the receiver's own DACs.

To avoid this, you would have to use the sub's high level inputs. Device conflict! (or something like that ) I'm not sure how a subwoofer would react to having both its high AND low level inputs being sent signals at the same time when you switched back to 5.1 Dolby Digital, 5.1 sacd/dvd-audio playback, etc. Anybody here knowledgable about such things?

 

[TonyWright]

Interesting input. Thanks to all for their replies.

I think I am going to connect my DVD player to my AVR in every way possible(digital, 6 channel and 2 channel). That way I can make a game time decision.

I'll try the AVR630's ability to mix in a sub from 2 channel. Thanks Lance for this suggestion.


Tony

 

[EricRWem]

I own the 630 as well and I think it's an amazing unit. I am currently using the Zenith 318 for all purposes until I find something that I want to upgrade to at least for dedicated audio.

The Zenith is hardly an outstanding audio unit and its DACs probably aren't even worth considering, so I use nothing but digital all the way.

It's a testament to the 630 how awesome my CD's sound, coming through coax, from the Zenith to the receiver. I'm letting the receiver do everything and the Zenith is merely a transport. I adore Logic 7 for my music.

 

[Phil A]

It's not just the quality of which component has the better DACs, it's the manner in which the DACs are implemented and the circuitry it goes thru. I've had (either owned or on loan) source machines (DVD and CD players) or pre/pros or rec'rs with the same DACs and they did not sound identical. In receivers sometimes the DACs are piggybacked to the DSP engine and are available as a pass thru (vs. neo 6, PLII, etc.) for stereo listening. On some receivers there may just be an analog direct mode that bypasses all circuitry (tone controls, bass management and anything digital). Some other receivers may have a source direct mode that bypasses some or most of the same things even in a digital mode. As Lance also noted, some receivers allow the use of a sub on stereo listening. Not all of them do so with the same quality of circuitry either. So it always pays to play your favorite music and try the different set-ups to see what each individual prefers.

 

[EricRWem]

Phil's the man! 'Bout time you showed up!

Seriously, I'd connect the equipment every which way possible and just start experimenting. The golden rule ever shall be: Whatever sounds best to YOU is what you should go with.

 

[TonyWright]

Many thanks for all the replies! Gotta love this place. It looks like I need to grab some more cables and then start testing my audio setup. Actually I am really looking forward to it. I like to tinker with it.


Tony

 

[Phil A]

Eric, that's definitely the case. Music listening (cables, components, speakers, etc.) can be very subjective. Everyone should do whatever sounds best to them. I've helped many people set-up systems that I personally could not stand the way they set them up but I'm not the one who is going to be listening to their system. I think lots of people forget that we all hear differently, have different musical tastes and differences of opinion don't make them right or wrong. That's why Baskin Robbins has more than one flavor of ice cream too.:b

 

[EricRWem]

 

[TonyWright]

For those that are intested in the H/K AVR630's ability to mix in a sub, I contacted Harman support.



He went on to confirm that the signal stays analog the whole time if it was already decoded using the DVD DACs.

This is good news for those of us that have and AVR630 and a high end DVD player.


Tony

 

[EricRWem]