Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Technical Questions ?? on DVD-A/sacd player

If you get DVD-A/SACD player, do you need a receiver that has a sacd input or can you connect this to your current receiver with a digital audio/video cable. If so what would be the differance between this and having a receiver with a SACD input.

metier

Yes, you can connect a DVD-A/SACD player to a receiver that does not have the multi-channel (5.1) analog inputs via the "traditional" coaxial or optical digital cable (S/PDIF connection). However, you will NOT be able to hear the high-resolution audio material recorded in these media -- all you can hear is the materials "co-recorded" on DVD-As/SACDs in the traditional digital formats (with lesser sound quality).

In order to listen to high-resolution audio, the DVD-A/SACD player has to be connected to the receiver via six analog cables, or via the new i.Link/FireWire digital connection, the budding industry standard for digitally hooking up DVD-A/SACD players.

Metier;

If you get a SACD/DVD-A player, you will need a receiver with analog 5.1 inputs, unless your receiver and player have a fire wire connector. These are usually called "multi-channel in" on the rear panel of your receiver. My understanding of this is that the digital connection between the player and receiver (fiberoptic or coaxial) cannot handle the bandwidth of 6 channel high resolution sound. This is not explained well anywhere, and I had to figure a lot of it out for myself when I got my DVD-A player (of course, that was before I found this board!). Just make sure that when you buy your DVD-A/SACD player, you buy 3 sets of high quality stereo RCA cables, or you will be awfully disappointed when you tear open that box and realize you have to make another trip to the store.

Mark

In reply to:

---

My understanding of this is that the digital connection between the player and receiver (fiberoptic or coaxial) cannot handle the bandwidth of 6 channel high resolution sound. This is not explained well anywhere, and I had to figure a lot of it out for myself when I got my DVD-A player (of course, that was before I found this board!).

---

That's exactly it.

Thanks, for the info. That cleared things up for me.

That's really helpful to know, seeing that I'm starting to price DVD-a/SACD players now. I'm quite sure that my older Adcom dig. unit won't have input connections described above. Maybe I need to start thinking about upgrading the entire system, opposed to just the DVD player now. Thankfully, I don't have any kids, so they won't be upset when I go spend their college fund on new audio gear.

But this does lead me to another question about HDCD reproduction, which I'm going to open a post about now.

Kevin, if I were to update the entire system now, I would definitely go with an i.Link/FireWire-savvy player and receiver. I know that at least Pioneer, Sony and Yamaha have already released, or will soon release, such products.

Has anyone tried the Pioneer DV-563A Universal player? Its $179 at Compusa and on the web. It plays sacd and dvd-a. (Tell me, does a regular dvd player play dvd-a?)

That Pioneer unit is considered a heck of a bargain. Certainly not "top-of-the-line", but for the price it does everything well.

No...not all DVD players can play DVD-A.

recently purchased a mits dd8040 which has the analog outputs and finally got cables monday night. i was blown away to hear the difference between the 6 cables and the optical cable. went rushing to my wife to have her listen to the difference but was told, later...law & order was just starting, man. wait til she see the other discs i just ordered from aix. well, it will take a few weeks til the card bill arrives. good bottle of wine is in order to soften the blow(s).
dan