I previously posted about my Yamaha HTR 5740 having trouble driving 3 zones for stereo music. For Christmas, I upgraded to an HK 3480 stereo receiver which does very well from a power perspective (it doesn't cut off when I turn it up and will continuously drive all 3 zones for hours at high volume levels), but the sound seems somewhat less detailed. Is this because I am now relying on my cheap (I think it was $99 at Circuit City) Sony CD player's (CDP-CE375) DACs (the 3480 has no Toslink input so it is connected by the R and L CD output into the R and L CD input) - whereas before when I had the CD player connected by the Toslink I was using the receiver's DACs - and they were presumably better? And if so, what is the most expeditious solution? Send the 3480 back and get an HK AVR 230 for an additional $50 - even though it is a 6.1 receiver with less power? Get a better CD player? Are there affordable stereo receivers with Toslink input? Or am I just hearing things - perhaps because I am now turning the music up louder and it gets somewhat more distorted (although I don't recall ever hearing anything sound particularly distorted in any way on my M22s with the Toslink hookup on the Yamaha)? Thanks in advance for any input.
