It always pays to read the manual. So, I'm leafing through my receiver's manual tonight, and I stumble across this parameter in the chapter on other parameters called High Bit / High Sampling. The book says that by enabling this parameter, you "create a wider dynamic range with digital sources like CDs or DVDs." Oddly, the default status of this parameter is off.
My questions are these:
1. Do I need to turn this on to enable the super-duper bit-rate stuff from my SACDs and DVD-As?
2. If, as I assume, a wider dynamic range is good, and if all turning on this parameter does is unlock a path to better sound quality, can I harm my system by leaving this on?
3. If the answer to 1, above, is Yes, and if the answer to 2 is No, why is the default status of this parameter OFF?
I haven't yet had sufficient time to experiment with how it sounds on a wide variety of sources. All I know is that switching this parameter off and on doesn't seem to produce much effect on Etta James' Blues to the Bone CD.
Oh, yeah, and one other newbie-style question: When I play SACDs, my receiver's display shows "SACD Direct" to indicate that it's processing a DSD signal. Is this better than PCM?
Thanks.