Which DACs are being used?

[mitch57]

How do you know which DACs are being used when playing either a multi channel DVD-A or SACD? My DVD player has the 6 analog connectors as well as both digital and coaxial, connected to my receiver. I am using the base management setup in the DVD player and am setting up the receiver to use the "Ext In" connections from the DVD player.

Based on the above options does that mean I am using the DACs from the DVD player? If I setup the receiver to play back through either coax or digital does that mean I am using the DACs in the receiver?

Please advise this poor old ignorant wanta be.

Thanks!

 

[Spiffyfast]

Right now you have it setup to use the DAC in your DVD Player which, as far as I know, is the only way to listen to DVD-A or SACD without using proprietary digital connections like I-Link or firewire.

 

[j_garcia]

When using analog connections, you are always using the player's DACs.

As Spiffy notes, you CANNOT listen to DVD-A or SACD via optical or coaxial digital, on any player. There are other types of digital connections that will pass hires formats digitally, but you have to have both a compatible player and receiver to do that.

 

[malvado78]

When using analog connections, you are always using the player's DACs.

As Spiffy notes, you CANNOT listen to DVD-A or SACD via optical or coaxial digital, on any player. There are other types of digital connections that will pass hires formats digitally, but you have to have both a compatible player and receiver to do that.

Why is this? What is the reason receivers cannot decode it just like a movie?

 

[racquetman]

If I setup the receiver to play back through either coax or digital does that mean I am using the DACs in the receiver?

If the signal is in the digital domain it hasn't been decoded yet (converted to analog by a DAC). I assume you meant coax or optical (not coax or digital). Since coax and optical carry digital audio signals, the player hasn't decoded them yet - they travel to the receiver digitally to be decoded by the receiver.

Think about the flow of information and it should make perfect sense. Sounds like you already had it figured out in your head.

 

[MDS]

Why is this? What is the reason receivers cannot decode it just like a movie?

The s/pdif specification supports a max of 24 bits at 48 kHz.

 

[Spiffyfast]

The s/pdif specification supports a max of 24 bits at 48 kHz.

Is this just s/pdif, or digital coax too, b/c on my DTS Demo Disc 9 there is a Blueman Group recording and I have my receiver set on auto surround and it says DTS 96/24?

 

[racquetman]

Is this just s/pdif, or digital coax too, b/c on my DTS Demo Disc 9 there is a Blueman Group recording and I have my receiver set on auto surround and it says DTS 96/24?

s/pdif is digital coax (or optical). I believe the s/pdif can handle 96/24. I know the DVD spec goes to 96 khz, 24 bit but only for 2 channels.

**obviously the s/pdif can handle it, because it is being decoded at the receiver **

 

[Spiffyfast]

s/pdif is digital coax. I believe the s/pdif can handle 96/24, but not 100% positive. I know the DVD spec goes to 96 khz, but not at 24 bits.

I thought that was digital coax, wasn't sure, but regardless, I dont have a universal player, and that was the signal that my receiver was getting. I think its all just copywrite protection. And this just being a demo disc didnt have it built in so I could play it with a normal player

 

[MDS]

My mistake, it's 24bit/96 kHz. But the hi-res sacd / dvd-a tracks are up to 192 kHz.

 

[Spiffyfast]

My mistake, it's 24bit/96 kHz. But the hi-res sacd / dvd-a tracks are up to 192 kHz.

oh ok, gotcha, i know pretty much nothing about dvd-a that blue man group track was the first time i had ever heard multi channel music and I was blown away, its so cool

 

[mitch57]

If the signal is in the digital domain it hasn't been decoded yet (converted to analog by a DAC). I assume you meant coax or optical (not coax or digital). Since coax and optical carry digital audio signals, the player hasn't decoded them yet - they travel to the receiver digitally to be decoded by the receiver.

Think about the flow of information and it should make perfect sense. Sounds like you already had it figured out in your head.

Okay... With that said I hear people talk about using the receiver's DACs instead of the player's DACs to play CDs if the receiver DACs are of higher quality then the player's DACs and vice versa.

So what are they talking about? Are they strictly referring to standard red book CDs being played through Left and right analog rca cables? And if so, what do you set the player and the receiver at to switch between receiver DACs and Player DACs?

 

[racquetman]

Okay... With that said I hear people talk about using the receiver's DACs instead of the player's DACs to play CDs if the receiver DACs are of higher quality then the player's DACs and vice versa.

So what are they talking about? Are they strictly referring to standard red book CDs being played through Left and right analog rca cables? And if so, what do you set the player and the receiver at to switch between receiver DACs and Player DACs?

You've got it. If you hook the red and white RCA cables into say the CD input of the receiver, then you would set the receiver to the CD input to hear the sound and the player would have done the decoding (digital to analog conversion). If you also have an optical connection between your CD player (or optical or coax connection between your DVD player) and the receiver, then set the receiver to that input and you will be hearing the result of the receiver's DAC doing the decoding (because the signal on that input is being sent across a digital interconnect).

 

[mitch57]

I guess I can really learn something after all.