5.1/7.1 multi-in vs. Optical/Coaxial in.

[corysmith01]

Is there difference. I was just wondering. Is there a benefit to using interconnects to hook your cd player to your receiver via 5.1/7.1 multi-channel in, or is it virtually the same as using an optical or coaxial interconnect? If I'm running an optical from my player to my reciever, doesn't the receiver perform the decoding/seperating. I don't know anything about multi-channel music, so I was just wondering if there's a benefit. It seems like both dvd players and multi-channel cd players keeps building these outputs on there units and it got me wondering whether there was something to this, vs making all units with either a 2 channel analog out, or optical/coaxial for multi-channel. Just curious really.

Thanks.

 

[s2pdname]

Until recently (read the Denon Link 3rd edition review) SACD and DVD-Audio hi-rez discs had to be connected from the player to the receiver via the 5.1 analog inputs to play the hi-rez portion of the disc. Without getting into too much detail (mainly because I can't), the hybrid SACD's and DTS or DD enabled DVD's could be played via the digital out (on player) to digital in (on receiver), but when played this way the hi-rez portion of the disc is not being heard.

 

[corysmith01]

Follow up to this question...can you hook up both? Meaning, what if I have a DVD player (say the Denon 2910 for instance) that's really capable of performing great in terms of CD audio, but it is also my main DVD player. Can you run the optical out for Dolby and the likes with movie soundtracks, but then also have the 5.1 analog outs for listening to DVD-A...or will this not work properly or muddy the signals in anyway (sending simultaneous analog and digital signals)? Or, is the player smart enough to know what signal to accept when appropriate? Just trying to figure it out...don't know if I want to reconsider my DVD/CD player combo and go with seperates...I'd like to not have to since I've read that some players (like the Denon 2910) provide exceptional audio in ad DVD player.

 

[Leprkon]

Cory,

your best bet would be to run the optical into one input on the receiver (DVD, for example) and run the coax inputs into a second input (say CD). You just choose the input based on what you plan to play, so your receiver will know which type of signal it's supposed to be getting.

You don't want to run both sets of cables to the same input.


<<<NOTE- this paragraph has nothing to do with your question and may only confuse you.. Ignore if necessary. You can also use this trick if you like to run in "pure" or "direct" mode. Many receivers will only process an analog signal as "pure" or "direct". You can send an analog signal to the CD input and your digital signal to DVD >>>

 

[9f9c7z]

I was playing around with a Parasound Halo processor and hooked up the Denon 3910 that way, both digital and 5.1 analog. I engaged but didn’t take the time to check/verify the Halo’s auto-setup for speaker placement (distance and volume) because every review I had read said the Halo is good at that. Anyway, switching between digital input and direct (bypass/pure/Halo calls it '7.1 mode') made a believer out of me for multi-channel analog input.

 

[JVC]

It is fine to hook both up (1 digital and 6 analog).
You have to have the 6 analog outputs, from player, hooked up, to hear the High Resolution 5.1 surround from sacd and dvd-audio discs. Must use Multi-channel mode (EXT. IN on Denon receiver), instead of dvd mode.
The digital (coax or optical) will be for movies and regular cds. You can use the Multi-channel for movies, but the digital usually works best, for them, because the receiver usually has better DAC's, than the dvd player.
Good luck!

 

[mwheelerk]

Typically

If you have a player that will play regular cds and dvds and/or SACD or DVD-Audio disc you would typically hook up both the digital optical or coax and the multichannel analog connections.

I have my DVD input defaulted to the digital coax 1 input on my receiver. When I want to play DVD-Video with DD5.1 or DTS or CDs with HDCD (my Denon 2900 Universal Player does not process HDCD but my Denon 3805 receiver does) I select that input. I have the EXT-IN (multi channel connection) assigned to another input, it really does not matter which one, and when I want to play DVD-Audio or SACD I use the multi channel input.

Basically it comes down to "watch movies" and "listen to CD with HDCD" via digital input and "listen to high res music" via the multi channel hook up. It is like selecting two different components but in this case it is a single component with two hook ups.

 

[shokhead]

If the player doesnt do HDCD,then it doesnt matter if the receiver does as it wont.

 

[PENG]

If the player doesnt do HDCD,then it doesnt matter if the receiver does as it wont.

Actually the 3805 will decode HDCD, if you use one of the digital connections, as mwheelerk did.

 

[corysmith01]

Funny you should mention that...I had that problem a while back. I always had trouble playing this one Beck CD. It would never play. I was using an Onkyo TX-SR602. It would play in my car, on my computer and everywhere else, just not on my home system. I then upgraded to a Marantz SR8400, which does HDCD decoding and for s*&%$ and giggles, put the cd in again...suddenly it played. And I noticed it did something different to my receiver...as opposed to all the other cd's I had played through it, suddenly the red "HDCD" light was lit up on the receiver face. I had no idea that Beck cd was an HDCD. Having seen that, I've got to believe that if your receiver does the decoding, you can play them...it worked for me.

Back to the issue at hand. So I guess what I'm hearing is that, yes, I can hook my optical cable as well as the the multi-channel outputs up. Just to make sure I understand this, should I designate the inputs for different devices. That is, for movies, should I assign the "optical in" for my DVD input, and then assign say the CD input for multi-in? Just want to make sure I do this right. My current DVD player doesn't have multi-out and I'm interested in getting a player that does so (probably a Denon 2910 like mentioned earlier) as i'm getting interested in DVD-A and SACD discs.

 

[Leprkon]

That is, for movies, should I assign the "optical in" for my DVD input, and then assign say the CD input for multi-in?

that's the way I would do it.

 

[corysmith01]

If the player doesnt do HDCD,then it doesnt matter if the receiver does as it wont.

Just a follow up to this because I was curious myself, since I have a non-HDCD player, but I do have an HDCD receiver. You CAN get HDCD decoding through a non-hdcd player into a hdcd receiver...so long as you're using a digital output from the player so the receiver does the decoding. From HDCD.com:

Q: Do I need an HDCD receiver (in addition to the HDCD player) to take full advantage of HDCD technology or will a regular receiver work as well?

A: You need an HDCD CD player or an HDCD receiver for HDCD to work, not both. However, for a non-HDCD CD player to work with an HDCD receiver, it must have a digital output that is connected to the HDCD receiver, which then decodes the signal. The analog outputs of a non-HDCD CD player cannot be decoded.