sound difference

[audiovette]

Hi
How big of a difference do you hear when connecting a receiver to a CD player using:
1 analog inputs
2 digital inputs
3 optical inputs
In your opinion which connection sounds the best?
If using analog connection does the sound seem to be muffled

 

[nibhaz]

?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? aaaahhhh what?

Generally you can have only one of each at a time....and for most one of the digital options are the best if you have good receiver

 

[nibhaz]

oh....were you trying to make a poll question?

 

[Francious70]

The ever popular answer is: It depends.

The analogue input has the posibility of distortion being inducted between the sources.
The coax digital connection can have the same problem.

The real factor will be, which component has the better D/A converter?? If it's the reciever (in most cases it is) then run a digital connection.
If the CD player has the better D/A converter, then use the analogue connections.

Listen to all three options and see which you think sounds best. If they sound the same, then use the connection that's most convenient.

Paul

 

[Red]

The ever popular answer is: It depends.

The analogue input has the posibility of distortion being inducted between the sources.
The coax digital connection can have the same problem.

The real factor will be, which component has the better D/A converter?? If it's the reciever (in most cases it is) then run a digital connection.
If the CD player has the better D/A converter, then use the analogue connections.

Listen to all three options and see which you think sounds best. If they sound the same, then use the connection that's most convenient.

Paul

The ever popular follow-on response: I agree

 

[mtrycrafts]

Hi
How big of a difference do you hear when connecting a receiver to a CD player using:
1 analog inputs
2 digital inputs
3 optical inputs
In your opinion which connection sounds the best?
If using analog connection does the sound seem to be muffled

Certainly between the digital and optical, there would be no differences, bith are digital streams decoded by the receiver.

An analog signal from the CD player may be converted to digital first, then back to analog again. I would not loose sleep over any of these.

Comparing which sounds better is very not an easy task as your bias is th efirst getting in the way of facts. The technical how to is the second.

So, don't worry. Just enjoy the music

 

[Dumar]

Certainly between the digital and optical, there would be no differences, bith are digital streams decoded by the receiver.

Ah yes ... but the optical source has to pass through that dam opto.

On the other hand, the digital source is more susceptible to noise, so ya ... you're probably right ... there wouldn't be too much difference.

 

[PENG]

On the other hand, the digital source is more susceptible to noise, so ya ... you're probably right ... there wouldn't be too much difference.

You meant coax? Both optical and coax are for digital signals, right?

 

[jaxvon]

Correct, they're both for digital. One transmits the information using optical pulses, the other electrical.

And yes, while the coax is more susceptible to noise, I really don't how it would be a very big problem...

 

[mtrycrafts]

Ah yes ... but the optical source has to pass through that dam opto.

Why would that be a problem for the digital signal stream?
On the other hand, the digital source is more susceptible to noise, so ya ... you're probably right ... there wouldn't be too much difference.

Do you mean the analog?
Then yes, it is but there is not much of that either.

 

[mtrycrafts]

Correct, they're both for digital. One transmits the information using optical pulses, the other electrical.

And yes, while the coax is more susceptible to noise, I really don't how it would be a very big problem...

Noise could not affect the digital data stream. How can it? What would it show up as?

 

[nibhaz]

Noise could not affect the digital data stream. How can it? What would it show up as?

From my own experience digital signals are not impervious to errors ...0's and 1's in packets as they travel through the internet get screwed up all the time. My wireless network fails sometimes....files get corrupted...yada, yada,yada. I'm not sure how 1's and 0's are represented as they travel electrically down a connection (coaxial), but if it is in anyway like the vertical/horizontal polarization of an RF wave then I could see how the error could occur. However if the error rate was rare then doubt the effect would be audible...wait where was I going with this?

I guess this is a long winded way of saying...I agree

 

[toquemon]

Some DAC's you can find in common CD players are pieces of crap. So it's better to use the DAC's of the receiver. In some other higher-end CD players the DAC quality is better so it's up to you to decide wich one to use (the one of the CD player or the one of the receiver).

In other cases the DAC you can find in the CD Player is intentionally modified to put a "sonic signature" and tend to favour some frequencies over others. If this is your taste, use the analog connections.

 

[Dumar]

I was trying to be facetious.

I agree with you that there “would be no differences” in the sound produced using the two mediums.

How can there be a difference if both data streams arrive at the receiver's inputs intact?

I wanted to point out that the coax cable is susceptible to interference, and the optical path has to pass through additional electronics.

Please don't get the idea I know how to scribe a legible post.

Dumar

 

[kta]

I have a NAD c542 and use the analogue output through a Yamaha RX v2500 on pure direct mode. I also have linked the optical output of the NAD to the receiver.

So using the CD on the Yamaha's analogue input uses the NAD's DACS (which by the way is the best sound) and bypasses the Yamaha's DACs into its pure direct amplifier.

If I want to use the Yamaha for Neo 6 or any other DSP program, I swap the input to receiver to Auto and the digital stream from the NAD goes directly to the Yamahas DACS, - If I used analogue with the DSP modes, it would digital to analogue twice.

 

[mtrycrafts]

I was trying to be facetious.

Oh, good.
Some of it just flys over my head

 

[Dumar]

Noise could not affect the digital data stream. How can it? What would it show up as?

Noise (which is unwanted signal alteration) in the digital domain can show up in several ways. Jitter for example, can cause audible distortion when the digital information is converted back to analogue. Ground contamination can occur in unbalanced interfaces. Also, on longer cable runs, capacitive loading can become an issue.

It's an ugly world out there.

 

[av_phile]

Hi
How big of a difference do you hear when connecting a receiver to a CD player using:
1 analog inputs
2 digital inputs
3 optical inputs
In your opinion which connection sounds the best?
If using analog connection does the sound seem to be muffled

Analog Connection: Different digital players employ different DAC circuits as well as after-DAC buffer amps. Depending on the model used, the DAC of the player may be superior to that in the Receiver or Preamp, so you are better off using the player's DAC, hence an analog connection may be better. Also, those after DAC buffer amops have been known to introduce their own sonic coloration that makes different digital players sound slightly differently when using analog connection. Because of this coloration, some may unwittingly prefer analog over digital connection.

Digital Connection: Use this if you know that that DAC of the receiver or preamp is superior to what you have in the player. Use only coax cables that are 75 ohms, those typical RCA interconnects ar enot 75-ohm cables and may cause bit losses or degradation in the transmission. Bear in mind that the industry standard for S/PDIF signal transmission requires 75-ohm coax cables. Using optical toslink cables can be an option as they are impervious to electrical interference over long runs, (though there is still an optinum limit.) Digital signals have been known to suffer losess and errors over long runs of coax cables.

 

[mtrycrafts]

Analog Connection: Different digital players employ different DAC circuits as well as after-DAC buffer amps. Depending on the model used, the DAC of the player may be superior to that in the Receiver or Preamp, so you are better off using the player's DAC, hence an analog connection may be better. Also, those after DAC buffer amops have been known to introduce their own sonic coloration that makes different digital players sound slightly differently when using analog connection. Because of this coloration, some may unwittingly prefer analog over digital connection.

Digital Connection: Use this if you know that that DAC of the receiver or preamp is superior to what you have in the player. Use only coax cables that are 75 ohms, those typical RCA interconnects ar enot 75-ohm cables and may cause bit losses or degradation in the transmission. Bear in mind that the industry standard for S/PDIF signal transmission requires 75-ohm coax cables. Using optical toslink cables can be an option as they are impervious to electrical interference over long runs, (though there is still an optinum limit.) Digital signals have been known to suffer losess and errors over long runs of coax cables.

Did you ever hear about or read the coat hangar experiment? Coat hangar used as the digital cable? This was on the net a number of years ago but no longer
He measured the bits, etc. No loss, nothing. But, it was a short length, perhaps several feet.