|   can you use the 5.1 inputs to achieve analog bypass? | ptt660
Feb 21, 2002 4:02 PM | | is it possible to run a high quality cd player thru the two main l/r multi-channel inputs and completely avoid a dac conversion from my onkyo tx-ds777 receiver? i am considering a cd player upgrade, but only if this is possible. i am not sure how the 5.1 inputs alter the signal, if at all, from a cd player. thanks for any clarification here. |
| re: In some cases, yes... | Woochifer
Feb 21, 2002 4:45 PM | | I know that with Yamaha receivers, the six-channel input is a de facto analog bypass because according to their information, the volume control is not a pure digital control, but a digitally regulated analog signal. The six-channel input physically bypasses the ADC/processor/DAC stage, and only has the volume and tone (bypassable) controls before reaching the amplifier stage. I've tried this on my receiver and it does improve the sound, not by leaps and bounds, but definitely a noticeable upgrade over the internal DAC and analog CD inputs.
I think the quickest way to check whether your Onkyo's six-channel input can POSSIBLY function as an analog bypass is to hook up your CD player to the input and see if you can use any of the DSPs, Intellivolume, or bass management functions. If they're nonfunctional, then you MIGHT have an analog bypass. If you can use those digital features, then the six-channel input is probably still part of the digital chain. I'm not sure, but I think that Onkyo receivers have a pure digital volume control, which makes it unlikely that the six-channel input is analog. You could also call Onkyo and see if they know the internal workings of the receiver. |
| re: In some cases, yes... | ptt660
Feb 21, 2002 5:02 PM | | thanks for the response, woochifer. i will try those dsp modes thru the mult-channel input. good idea! i'll let you know how that turns out. |
| re: In some cases, yes... | Woochifer
Feb 21, 2002 5:29 PM | | Definitely do, and also let us know if you can detect any audible improvements. With my Yammie, I was able to hear the difference compared to the CD player's digital connection because I don't think the Yamaha DACs handle PCM CD audio very well (they're fine with higher res PCM, DD, and DTS). Smoother and less grainy highs and better coherence in the midrange. The difference was less using the analog CD input with the DSP turned off (supposedly that's also an analog direct mode, but unlike with the six-channel input, the CD analog input does not physically bypass the processing stage altogether). g'luck... |
| re: In some cases, yes... | ptt660
Feb 21, 2002 6:05 PM | | ok, here is what happened. i could not engage any dsp modes while the cd player was in multi-channel mode. i then toggled back and forth between the optical input and muti-channel input to see if i could discern any differences in sound. i was able to level match the db levels of both because my onkyo has the "intellivolume" feature to even out sound output from various sources. when comparing, i did notice the the bass response was deeper and more prominent with the multi-channel input. i did not notice much difference if any with the midrange or treble response. but with the extra bass, i did prefer the sound thru the multi-channel. i have a yamaha cdc-685 carousel which is a 8 months old. it is a decent player($200.00) but certainly not high-end. but it seems i slightly prefer the dac's in the yamaha. the onkyo tx-ds777 is 3 years old so it could be the yamaha, since it's fairly new, sounds better because it has a more updated dac within? some food for thought as i decide whether to upgrade. |
| re: In some cases, yes... | Woochifer
Feb 21, 2002 6:47 PM | | Actually, that Yamaha is a pretty decent CD player, and its DAC probably handles does CD audio better than the internal DAC in the receiver. From what others have posted, this seems pretty common. I know for sure that with my receiver, the CD player's analog output is better than what I get using a toslink. |
| re: In some cases, yes... | ptt660
Feb 22, 2002 3:51 PM | | there is another reason i'll use the analog outputs of the yamaha cd player for now. the digital connection will cut off the first second or two of music on the first track played. this seems to be a common fault of dd/dts receivers playing cd's in the digital mode. i assume this occurs because the receiver recognizes the signal coming in is digital but it's too late, the cd has already started playing. once i stop playback and hit play again, the cd will play from the very beginning. really weird. i do not have this problem using the analog inputs on my receiver. has this problem been rectified in the current crop of dd/dts receivers? thanks again for your help woochifer. |
| re: In some cases, yes... | Woochifer
Feb 23, 2002 11:56 AM | | I have heard of this problem cropping up in earlier digital AV receivers. It seems that receivers with the newer chipsets handle the auto detect better, but I haven't tried enough of them first hand to say this definitively. Does your receiver have a way of "force feeding" a PCM signal (i.e. shutting off the auto detect and setting it only to receive PCM signals. I know with my receiver I can force it to only recognize DTS or DD signals.)? That might eliminate the delay because the receiver's now set to only recognize one type of data stream. I assume the lag occurs because the receiver's trying to figure out what type of digital signal it needs to convert. |
| re: In some cases, yes... | ptt660
Feb 24, 2002 6:46 PM | | i will try messing around with the input set-up to see if i can get a quicker auto-detect response from my receiver. by the way, i e-mailed onkyo support this morning on the 5.1 inputs and they responded tonite assuring me that these inputs will serve as an analog by-pass and a signal will not go thru any digital processing. |
| re: can you use the 5.1 inputs to achieve analog bypass? | sam9
Feb 22, 2002 2:51 PM | | Depends on the reciever. I have a DVD/SACD/CD player that I connect that way and use only the 5.1 inputs regardless of the disc I'm playing. Works well for me. |
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