Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater Sony ES STR-DA4ES + M80's

gerrys,
I can't say whether the 192khz DAC option is worth the extra $200 or not, especially onboard the receiver. You do have to consider the overall package of paying more for a 'higher' end item.

We had a discussion about DACs not long ago. You can try doing a general search for the term and see what comes up.
The type of connection you make between your cd/dvd (analog or digital) and your receiver will actually determine which DAC will be used, either the one in your cd/dvd or in the receiver.
If you have a cd/dvd player capable of 192khz sampling, then it really would not matter much. Not unless you do some ear testing and feel that you prefer one DAC over another, but i highly doubt you will hear much of a difference to make any of it worthwhile.

My Toshiba DVD supports DVD-A and has built-in 192/24-bit DAC's, and it says it must be mated to a receiver with the same for the best audio. Since my DVD supports it, I think it necessary for my receiver to as well.

Hi all,

Don't get all worked up over 192 kHz/24-bit data rates. Although DVD-A supports this, if a music producer selects that rate, it limits the number of channels that he can use, so few if any DVD-A's are mastered at 192 kHz. Moreover, the thermal noise generated by solid-state circuitry exceeds the theoretical advantages of 24 bits (6 dB x 24), which in theory would yield a 144-dB dynamic range. Impressive, but not practical. What happens when your furnace blower or refrigerator cycles on? So much for usable dynamic range in a domestic environment.

Regards,

This was the older post i had referred to earlier where we discussed DACs on the cd player vs the receiver:
the old post

Alan:

In other threads, you stated that other brands such as Denon can handle the 4 ohm load adequetly. Have you heard any negative feedback on the Sony 4ES's capability to handle the 4 ohm load?

Thanks,
Gerry

Hi Gerry,

Sorry, I haven't heard any feedback on the Sony ES and low-impedance loads. Among my colleagues, I don't know of anyone with a Sony receiver. There's a consensus that Sony's ES line has much higher standards than the low-priced stuff, but that's not enough to make judgments about its performance with low-impedance loads.

Regards,

I have M-60 matched up with this Sony receiver. No problems with driving these speakers. These receiver has much to offer as indicated in many treads. There should be ample power to drive the M-80s.