Heritage_Head Posted September 30, 2014 Share Posted September 30, 2014 I learned something today then too. hdmi audio is better than optical. I currently run optical...until the next upgrade I guess... You guys are the best.... Why wait... Just pull the optical cable and start using your HDMI cables... Unless you don't have HDMI..im using hdmi out to projector, but optical out to amp. amp doesn't have hdmi yet. Dude you need a new avr now! lol jk but HD audio on your rig will be a really nice upgrade. Get an avr with two hdmi outs. Run one to the projector and the other to what ever else you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The History Kid Posted September 30, 2014 Share Posted September 30, 2014 I learned something today then too. hdmi audio is better than optical. I currently run optical...until the next upgrade I guess... You guys are the best.... Why wait... Just pull the optical cable and start using your HDMI cables... Unless you don't have HDMI..im using hdmi out to projector, but optical out to amp. amp doesn't have hdmi yet. Dude you need a new avr now! lol jk but HD audio on your rig will be a really nice upgrade. Get an avr with two hdmi outs. Run one to the projector and the other to what ever else you want. I know I do too. lol I'm working on it...planning on going up to a Marantz SR700X series. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris A Posted September 30, 2014 Share Posted September 30, 2014 (edited) Only way to take advantage of DTS Master and Dolby TrueHD is either HDMI or multi-channel audio outputs HDMI is also the only way that I know to get DSD (i.e., SACD data) in native format--including multichannel--to your preamp's DACs that I'm aware of. If your disc player is converting your SACD data streams to PCM, because you don't have a HDMI connection, you will likely hear a fairly large degradation in sound quality--at least that was my experience. Apparently the conversion to PCM itself is the issue. All this is apparently being driven by DRM issues. S/PDIF and other buses are legally not allowed to connect because of the fears of pirating videos and audio by the MPAA. The issues that you've likely heard about with HDMI "dying" or "dropping out" is more often than not a DRM issue with handshaking on passing the bus handshake security tests, and the balance of the HDMI channels/protocols are subsequently shut down. Chris Edited September 30, 2014 by Chris A 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Youthman Posted September 30, 2014 Moderators Share Posted September 30, 2014 Aside from the multiple cables, do you guys think it is a good idea to hook up multiple, meaning optical, digital, coax, HDMI and have the flexibility and just document and assign them accordingly to the virtual inputs names? I would not think that would be a good idea. If you cannot use HDMI only, I would use HDMI for video and then either Digital Coax or Optical for your audio. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heritage_Head Posted September 30, 2014 Share Posted September 30, 2014 (edited) Only way to take advantage of DTS Master and Dolby TrueHD is either HDMI or multi-channel audio outputs HDMI is also the only way that I know to get DSD (i.e., SACD data) in native format--including multichannel--to your preamp's DACs that I'm aware of. If your disc player is converting your SACD data streams to PCM, because you don't have a HDMI connection, you will likely hear a fairly large degradation in sound quality--at least that was my experience. Apparently the conversion to PCM itself is the issue. All this is apparently being driven by DRM issues. S/PDIF and other buses are legally not allowed to connect because of the fears of pirating videos and audio by the MPAA. The issues that you've likely heard about with HDMI "dying" or "dropping out" is more often than not a DRM issue with handshaking on passing the bus handshake security tests, and the balance of the HDMI channels/protocols are subsequently shut down. Chris I had always thought that pcm would/should sound no different than bitstream. But when I flip from pcm to bitstream on the blu ray player bitstream is a bump in sound size for sure (might just be louder idk). A little like how dsd sounds vs pcm. Edited September 30, 2014 by reference_head Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The History Kid Posted September 30, 2014 Share Posted September 30, 2014 My understanding is that multiple sources out from a component not designed to have multiple outputs can hinder audio and visual quality. I remember distinctively reading that when I still had my Yamaha PS-DVD Changer - "Use either Component or Composite outputs" - same with audio. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryant0086 Posted October 5, 2014 Share Posted October 5, 2014 Got to go HDMI. Night and day different that component/optical Help me here. Are we talking audibly better for BD movies, SACD's, DVDA's, or CD's? I know HDMI can pass high resolution audio and optical and digital coax can't but for redbook CD's, is there a noticeable difference? Bill For CDs, the biggest question is whether you have a higher quality CD player or receiver as far as doing the DAC decoding as well as if your CD player has a digital out. Two channel audio is probably the most scrutinized (ala the audiophiles) but it is one step up from morse code as far as carrying it digitally. Truth be told, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference (most likely) from a cheap CD player decoding it over an expensive AVR doing it or vice-versa, but just to take the high road, the higher end component should decode it and if both are equal, the receiver should decode it because you would have less loss from the cable as digital is easier to transmit. Basically, I said it doesn't matter for CD music. Sorry if I sound like a wordy know-it-all, because I definitely am not (not a know-it-all, but maybe wordy ^__^) an expert. Bryant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psg Posted October 5, 2014 Author Share Posted October 5, 2014 Got to go HDMI. Night and day different that component/optical Help me here. Are we talking audibly better for BD movies, SACD's, DVDA's, or CD's? I know HDMI can pass high resolution audio and optical and digital coax can't but for redbook CD's, is there a noticeable difference? Bill For CDs, the biggest question is whether you have a higher quality CD player or receiver as far as doing the DAC decoding as well as if your CD player has a digital out. But then you see the occasional person using analog output from the CD (because it's better) into an AVR with speakers set to small. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vital Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 The bigger the tv the more it will pop out good or bad. How did you run your sound then? Digital Optic I hope. I'm still not entirely sold that HDMI produces better audio than Optical. Its not even close. Hdmi holds 15x the audio size vs optic. I was also not sure many years ago tell I a/b them. Yeah, fiber optic can't handle DTS-HD or Dolby TrueHD, you need HDMI. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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