There seems to be alot of confusion over which way to play your music through a DVD player. I will be hooking up a New Sony 5 disk DVD changer to my home theater system with Axiom speakers and a HK 525 receiver. Does the CD quality sound better if it is output in analog to the receiver, or is it better digitally?(I will be using a coaxial digital cable) The DAC converter of the Sony Dvd player is 192/24.
How do you tell the DAC of the Receiver, I can't seem to find it on any of the specs?
Thanks
The HK 525 uses Cirrus Logic 192/24 DAC's. YOu can get that info at harmanaudio.com.
As far as the best to use, I would hook it up both ways with good quality cables. You can toggle between the analog and digital input selection modes on the receiver (I am sure you can do that witht the 525) and see which sounds better. Also keep in mind that If you plan to use the extra to amp channels to power music in a second zone, that will most likely only output an anaalog signal, so you would want to have your analog connection from the CD to receiver.
My guess is that the DAC's in the 525 would be superior to the Sony CD changer
I just noticed that you said DVD not CD changer. You definately want to use the coaxial digital or else you won't get DD 5.1 unless you hook up 5 analog cables to your 5.1 "ext. in" on the 525.
I would still simultaneuosly use the front L-R analaog audio outs on the DVD player into the 525 if you want to poweer a second zone for DVD/CD audio.
Are you sure the 525 doesn't convert digital to analog before it sends to the multiroom? I mean, it converts it before it sends to the tape outs...
I am not sure.
I have a Denon 3803 and it does not allow digital music to be played in Zone 2. I believe the reason would be that the DAC's cannot process 2 different digital signals at the same time. For example you want to listen to a movie in DD 5.1 in the main room - that occupies the DAC's, so you wouldn't be able to listen to a different digital signal through a cd player (for example)in Zone 2. Another source would need to do the DAC. I think thats why they are designed that way. I am not 100% sure with the 525 though.
Let me know if that works for you, i would be interested to know
Aha! OK. I understand now. I'll have to try it some year (when I get a working amp in my other room...)
You don need another amp.
All you need is another set of speakers in another room. That's the great thing about having a 7 channel receiver, you use the 2 unused amp channels to power the second zone (unless you have a 7.1 surround configuration) Your 525 will act as the pre amp and power amp for zone 2.
The only trick is getting the additional speakers inconspicuously wired to the second zone from the 525.
Well, with the 525, you can either use another amp, another set of speakers, or A/BUS. There are many options... In any case, ain't happening right now. :-)
to clarify, I will be using a digital coaxil cable for the 5.1 surround, however I have read that the better way to play Cd's is through the regular analog cables.
Another question.
If I playback Dvd and cd's, through the coaxil digital cable, are they getting converted twice, once by the Sony Dvd player and then again through the receiver?
1. Doubt it. I see no reason why the DVD player's DAC would be better than the reciever's DAC for CDs and vice versa for DVDs. You have to watch what you read. There is a lot of crap floating around out there...
2. No. It goes straight from the (digital) DVD out the digital jack, into the receiver's digital jack, where it is converted to analog.
It all depends on the DAC's in the source player. If you were using a $1000 plus audiophile DVD player I would suggest letting that unit perform the DAC and use the analog outputs (5.1) Built into the price of an expensive unit are, among other things, a real nice set of DAC's.
I doubt the Sony's DAC's are near the quality of the 525.
So it's only converted by the receiver when connected by the digital cable, correct?
If so, when would the signal be converted using the DVD player DAC? I.E what types of connections.....
Either 1. using 2 L-R RCA analog cables for the front L-R channels for 2 channel audio or 2. using 6 (5 plus 1 for sub) analog cables to decode the DD 5.1 signal. Those would go to your 5.1 channel inputs on the back of the 525
final question, and I appreciate the help.
I see the RCA type of cables on the back of the HK for the analog hook up for 5.1- 7.1. However, I have never seen this many outs on the back of a DVD player (I haven't gotten the sony yet, xmass present). Are they common on DVD players? I was curious until you responded to my posts what they were used for on the receiver, since I had never seen a DVD with those amount of outs to match the ins on the receiver.
Correct. The DVD player's DACs are used when its analog jacks are used (either the 2 L-R jacks, or if you have a DVD-A or SACD player, the 5.1 jacks).
If the DVD player has a built in Dolby Digital decoder it should have the 6 channel analog outs (FL,FR,C,SL,SR,SW). Also if the DVD player supports DVD-Audio or SACD it definaltely will have analog outputs for 6 channels.
My Pioneer 563A has those plus an extra set of FL and FR analog outs specifically for 2 Channel music because it decodes SACD.
lots of the cheaper DVDs do not have the seperate channel outs. The are becoming more common though, even in cheaper models.
Not sure if the 525 can do this or not, but I can use the analog output of my dvd player for two channel audio, and the optical output for movies. The 1066 remembers that when I select "CD" to use the analog, and when I select "Video 3" to use the optical. That way if my dvd player's DAC's sound better than my 1066's, I can take advantage of them for two channel audio, and still use the optical output for Dolby Digital soundtracks.
Did that make any sense?
Y, your original question appears to be based mainly on possible differences between the DACs in the player and in the receiver. DACs cost the equipment manufacturers roughly $1-$10 apiece and have reached a high state of excellence. Although there are measurable differences between them, it's highly doubtful whether they create audible differences in the real world. My view is not to be concerned about the matter, and if you're using the coaxial digital connection, continue to do so.
I'm actually surprised their isn't more people being anal about possible sound degradation with one extra analog connection in the system (instead of a digital one). Maybe that'll be the new snake oil product, interconnects specially designed for connection from the multi-outs on a DVD player to the receiver that will 'improve' the sound of your multichannel music....
In reply to:
Y, your original question appears to be based mainly on possible differences between the DACs in the player and in the receiver. DACs cost the equipment manufacturers roughly $1-$10 apiece and have reached a high state of excellence. Although there are measurable differences between them, it's highly doubtful whether they create audible differences in the real world. My view is not to be concerned about the matter, and if you're using the coaxial digital connection, continue to do so.
There is definately a difference in sound between using my Pioneer DVD players DAC's and the DAC's in my Rotel. I currently use the optical output of my Pioneer, because my Rotel DAC's sound better. When I get the Denon 2900 I'll check again.
In reply to:
1. Doubt it. I see no reason why the DVD player's DAC would be better than the reciever's DAC for CDs and vice versa for DVDs. You have to watch what you read. There is a lot of crap floating around out there...
Many companies use different DACs for DVD and CD players. It can be easily seen in specs and in reviews. Usually stand alone CD players focus on giving the best signal in 2 stereo...be it isolated stronger power supply...vibration dampening in the inside of the chassis. Although minimal this still adds value to a transparent clean signal. (I can see JohnK alarms dinging)
DVD players needs to put costs towards ADC and processing of video so cheaper DACs would normally be installed. Sound maybe not as noticeable unless you have ears like Spiff and me.
We hear the difference.
In reply to:
Although there are measurable differences between them, it's highly doubtful whether they create audible differences in the real world.
If you think all DACs between all players are the same (something JohnK would say
) then go be happy with your $85 china made DVD player. Power to you guys. Your Ford Windstar is as fast a BMW 328 in city streets too...because of traffic.