Fibre optic or analgue connections ?

robst3

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I have just got a DENON cd player which boasts 32 bit/ 192Khz DAC.

I have a Yamaha DSP-AX620 A/V receiver from 2003 - it still works great.

What would give me the best CD sound reproduction:

a) Using optical cable from cd player to AMP
b) Using analogue cable from cd player to AMP

?????
 
It depends on the DAC onboard the receiver?

I'd suggest you try both methods for yourself and determine which to use by listening to each ;)
 
I have just got a DENON cd player which boasts 32 bit/ 192Khz DAC.

I have a Yamaha DSP-AX620 A/V receiver from 2003 - it still works great.

What would give me the best CD sound reproduction:

a) Using optical cable from cd player to AMP
b) Using analogue cable from cd player to AMP

?????

Use option a above and you bypass the dac on the player , instead sending the data to the amp.

Option b uses the dac on the cd player.

Try both , see which one you prefer , in theory the higher quality dac should sound better !
 
Option b will use the A/D converter in the receiver as well as the D/A converter in the player.
Option a goes straight into the signal processor of the receiver and takes the D/A and A/D out of the chain, I don't see how it can do anything but introduce errors - even if they are minuscule.
If it was an analogue amplifier without digital processing then it is worth paying for a very high performance DAC of course but AV receivers have digital processing.
 
I wonder what your Cd players 32/192 DAC is doing when it only receives 16/44 from CDs?
 
I wonder what your Cd players 32/192 DAC is doing when it only receives 16/44 from CDs?

I believe the idea is that if you are feeding an analogue amplifier then it will provide interpolation which an analogue amplifier cannot do.
 
I believe the idea is that if you are feeding an analogue amplifier then it will provide interpolation which an analogue amplifier cannot do.

Only if it implemented that way - so may just advertise big numbers cause big numbers are 'better sir' and do nothing more than redbook 16/44
 
Checked the manual of my AMP, it says the DAC is 24bit/96 Khz
 
As already suggested, try both and pick the one that sounds best to you. ;)
 
As already suggested, try both and pick the one that sounds best to you. ;)

Hmmm, could give that reply to any question regarding sound quailty.

In the light of the replies let me enhance my original question.

CD player has 32 bit/ 192Khz DAC. Amp has 24 bit/ 96 Khz DAC.

What should produce the best sound quality?

Connecting

a) Fibre optic from cd player to AMP
b) Analogue from cd player to AMP

?
 
Hmmm, could give that reply to any question regarding sound quailty.

In the light of the replies let me enhance my original question.

CD player has 32 bit/ 192Khz DAC. Amp has 24 bit/ 96 Khz DAC.

What should produce the best sound quality?

Connecting

a) Fibre optic from cd player to AMP
b) Analogue from cd player to AMP

?

Okay then, use string!

Only you the listener can tell whether one or the other sounds better. How can someone who can't hear what you are hearing tell you which is best? Why can't you, the person sat in the room where the audio is playing, not tell the difference? :confused:

There's not a definitive answer, The best connection is the one that sounds the best to you! ;)
 
Last edited:
Hmmm, could give that reply to any question regarding sound quailty.

In the light of the replies let me enhance my original question.

CD player has 32 bit/ 192Khz DAC. Amp has 24 bit/ 96 Khz DAC.

What should produce the best sound quality?

Connecting

a) Fibre optic from cd player to AMP
b) Analogue from cd player to AMP

?

As you have said you are playing CDs which are 16bit 44kHz. It depends if CD player DAC or your amp DAC upsamples and if they do it well as to whether they will alter/improve the sound -sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't, it depends on the implementation.

If they don't then you are left with std CD resolution going to both DACs. Either way nobody can second guess what will sound better, only you can do that. You seem to be after an answer based on the specification but that is far from the full story when it comes to DACs. It is all about implementation. How do you tell how good the implementation is on your devices and which is better - by doing what Dante suggested - use your ears rather than the numbers.
 

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