home theater - oppo 203 dac or marantz hdmi

[xandrellas]

On a lark I bought a set of BJC 7.1 LC-1's for my oppo 203 into a marantz 6011 a/v.

I wanted to be able to compare music outputted to hdmi (sounds a lot wider and dispersed) vs 7.1ch from the oppo's dac (sounds extremely focused). In regards to the application for home theater I am a bit confused.

I have ML ESL's for L/R speakers, 2x PSA v1801s and a ML esl-C center.

Which input would make the most sense for HT? Granted I get that my ears should be the judge but I wanted to find some input on pluses/minuses of both. Installation of surrounds/overheads to come at a later date.

Thoughts? Thanks in advance

 

[j_garcia]

For movies, I use HDMI. The bass management benefits on the AVR/Pre tend to be significantly better. For music I use analog from the Oppo.

 

[xandrellas]

I think your comment closes the loop. Thank you J.