Yamaha's Pure Direct Observations

3db

3db

Audioholic Slumlord
Ive run some listening tests for both digital and analog inputs of Yamaha's Pure Direct function and Ive observed the following results. Please note that the AVR was set to straight mode which sets the AVR to output into its channels, what it gets at the input. There is no muxing of any kind in Straight mode. Straight mode also maintains all the settings from the results of running YPAO.

Analog In
Pure Direct works as described shutting down all DSP including bass management.

HDMI In
Here's where it gets a little quirky Running an ATMOS source or a 5.1 source, Pure Direct maintains outputting to all channels as I expected. What is quirky is that it only shuts off PEQ filters but bass management is still maintained as I was receiving bass from my subs in Pure Direct mode. This is not mentioned in any of their manuals up to and including the RX-A3060. The way pure direct is described in their manuals, it would shut off all DSP and to me bass management is a DSP function. My thoughts are Pure Direct with digital inputs is nothing more than a Blue LED indicator that by passes PEQ only.

Ive also had email discussions with Yamaha support reps and they maintain that all inputs whether analog or digital get converted to digital. Yeah, I scratched my head on the digital inputs being re converted to digital . Looking at Gene's preliminary reports, its very clear to me that analog in and even digital inputs with Pure Direct engaged has a much greater bandwidth then with Pure Direct disengaged. Could Yamaha be doing a double conversion on digital inputs? I hope Gene can chime in.
 
P

PENG

Audioholic Slumlord
Ive run some listening tests for both digital and analog inputs of Yamaha's Pure Direct function and Ive observed the following results. Please note that the AVR was set to straight mode which sets the AVR to output into its channels, what it gets at the input. There is no muxing of any kind in Straight mode. Straight mode also maintains all the settings from the results of running YPAO.

Analog In
Pure Direct works as described shutting down all DSP including bass management.

HDMI In
Here's where it gets a little quirky Running an ATMOS source or a 5.1 source, Pure Direct maintains outputting to all channels as I expected. What is quirky is that it only shuts off PEQ filters but bass management is still maintained as I was receiving bass from my subs in Pure Direct mode. This is not mentioned in any of their manuals up to and including the RX-A3060. The way pure direct is described in their manuals, it would shut off all DSP and to me bass management is a DSP function. My thoughts are Pure Direct with digital inputs is nothing more than a Blue LED indicator that by passes PEQ only.

Ive also had email discussions with Yamaha support reps and they maintain that all inputs whether analog or digital get converted to digital. Yeah, I scratched my head on the digital inputs being re converted to digital . Looking at Gene's preliminary reports, its very clear to me that analog in and even digital inputs with Pure Direct engaged has a much greater bandwidth then with Pure Direct disengaged. Could Yamaha be doing a double conversion on digital inputs? I hope Gene can chime in.
Those customer reps may not be always right unless you go up to level 2 or higher. I took a quick look of the schematics for the 2060 (3060 should be similar) and I could clearly see a path that would let the analog input signal to be routed directly to the volume control LSI IC without being converted to digital. If I have time later I would take a more detail look, or you can do that yourself. It is time consuming to trace it all the way from input to output because of the way they arrange the schematics. Too bad they don't tell you that in the Owner's manual.
 
P

PENG

Audioholic Slumlord
Forgot to mention, the SM for the 2060 is available for download for about $13 but you can view it on hifiengine anyway if you register. I think they have the one for the 3070 as well but not for the 3060.
 
3db

3db

Audioholic Slumlord
Those customer reps may not be always right unless you go up to level 2 or higher. I took a quick look of the schematics for the 2060 (3060 should be similar) and I could clearly see a path that would let the analog input signal to be routed directly to the volume control LSI IC without being converted to digital. If I have time later I would take a more detail look, or you can do that yourself. It is time consuming to trace it all the way from input to output because of the way they arrange the schematics. Too bad they don't tell you that in the Owner's manual.
Thanks for looking at this PEng. I've made an assumption that Pure Direct hasn't changed in the last 15 years of Yamaha model runs and Gene's measurements of the A6A confirmed my doubt of the support staff's response for the analog signals being put into the digital domain and then changed back into the analog domain at the output. It didnt make much sense to me to pull an analog signal into the digital domain just to convert it back at the output. I still don't like the fact that Pure Direct still allows bass management and only removes the PEQ filters. To me, thats a duplication of the Through mode. I really do hate the Yamaha manuals as they omit pertinent information and the information they do present is either unclear or inadequately explained or both.
 

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