I have that receiver, and IIRC, the adjustments available for the multichannel inputs are pretty limited. I think its limited to level-matching. So, using this input would by-pass any Audessey processing, bass management and delay settings. This could (and probably will) degrade sound quality. I haven't directly compared DD and the analog inputs as I don't have a source that outputs 7.1 analog so this is purely conjecture. The cables are cheap and it won't take too much time to compare, but this is a significant trade-off I think you should be aware of and factor into your evaluation if you decide to test the 7.1 channel inputs.