Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater Oppo BDP-83 on the way.

You know, I just shocked myself a few days back. For years I've owned a Sony DVD/Super Audio player, and I've always had it hooked up through the digital optical audio connect. Well with all I've learned through this site I was looking and the player has 5.1 channel analog outs... holy shit, I've been missing out all these years!!!

So I walked, no I ran down to RadioShack and grabbed myself 3 sets of RCA cords. Got home, hooked them up to the 5.1 channel extention in inputs on the back of the Denon, and sat back to enjoy the music the way it was meant to be heard... I was truely disappointed! In a direct comparison the digital optical audio connection was a million times better. Switching back and forth was absolutely no contest. The 5.1 analog connection volume was lower, it lacked bass, and the sound field was extremely narrow. Switch it back to the digital optical connect (a simple switch of a button on the Denon, the digital optical connect is hooked up to the DVD connection, and the 5.1 anolog connects are connected to EXT. IN) and the music comes to life. The sound field is huge, it engulfs my entire livingroom, the bass pounds, and it's loud as hell.

I'm not sure if this is a Sony issue? Like if the analog outs just aren't of very good quality, or if it's because I'm not listening to actual Super Audio CD's? Maybe an actual SACD would sound better through the analog outs than the digital optical connect? I don't know, but I did learn that in my player at least, digital is the way to go.