Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater Tos Link or analog 5.1

Can you tell a big difference between the optical and analog 5.1 for normal dvd audio. I was planning on getting the OPPO dvd player and using analog 5.1 Thanks

Drew

optical/rca (digital) lets your AVR do the decoding

analog lets your player do the decoding

I believe thats the biggest difference (there are other minor ones).

Hold on there! Do you mean DVD-Audio or audio from a DVD-Video? If you mean DVD-A, then you must use the analog ins to get the uncompressed, multichannel sound. If you use the optical or digital coax, you'll either get stereo or Dolby compressed multichannel.

I have never heard the DVD audio format. However, listening to two channel music is drastically different whith optical/coax vs. analog!!

I set up my player with a digital coax and with the L/R analog connectors. Digital Coax was hooked up to "DVD" on the reciever and the Analog was hooked up to "CD". I simply switched between the two while playing a CD. WOW, the differance was incredible! Louder, and with tighter bass with the coax indeed!! The analog sounds muddy. Most of you probably have done this, but try it if you havent!!

Mike

For movies on Standard DVD, the sound quality should be identical between SPDIF/Coax or analog.

Some/most receivers however do not apply the bass management (redirected bass below crossover settings) to the 5.1 analog inputs. Some do, if they digitally sample in the analog input. This may be why SkiTaos prefers the sound of the bass using the digital input vs. the analog. For systems that do apply bass management on the analog inputs, this shouldn't be a problem.

The difference in sound will depend on the quality of the DAC in the player and the receiver or processor. Some players scimp on the DAC so even compressed multichannel in a receiver may sound better than analog 5.1 or analog CD stereo. It depends.

The Oppo 971 supposedly has better DACs than the 980 but its best to let your ear be the judge when comparing the digital or analog outputs to your particular receiver.

Whatever sounds best to you is the way to go. In theory the component with the highest quality DACs should do the work and sound best. Just trust your ears, as jakeman said.

I'm surprised JohnK has not yet added the usual to this thread full of myth.
Is it my turn to stir a pot again John?

Drew, as Ken pointed out, it isn't entirely clear what you meant by "normal dvd audio". Assuming that you weren't taking about DVD-As, but simply the audio on regular DVDs(if it's something different, specify it), there's no good reason not to use a simple single cable digital connection, either optical or coaxial. There'd be no sound difference between the optical or coaxial cables, or the analog cables for that matter. There's also no need with modern equipment such as you have to be concerned about whether the DVDs in the player or the receiver are used. As Alan, among others, has repeatedly pointed out, DVDs are now a mature technology; small measurable differences between them still exist, but these are well below the audibility threshold. Audibly flawless DVD chips are bought in large quantities by manufacturers for as little as $1 each.