I just purchased a Panasonic DVD-F87K 5-Disc player. The main purpose of this unit is for playing cds. I know most will say you get better sound from a dedicated cd player, but that's besides the point. I need to know if I will get better sound using the digital coaxial connection or the analog cables. The DAC rate is higher (192khz/24 bit) with the DVD player compared to my Yamaha HTR-5660 receiver (96khz/24 bit), but does that necessarily mean that it's a better DAC? I also don't know if my receiver has a true analog bypass, so if I go the RCA route, the receiver might still be converting the signal to digital and then back to analog again...right? Am I making this too complicated? I'll probably just hook it up withthe dig coax and see how it sounds.
I'd try both and see which one one sounds better. I have often been surprised, after comparing all the numbers, by which one sounds better. In *theory* the 192khz DAC provides a richer sound, but the slight difference between that and the 96khz DAC in your receiver is probably not audible. The quality of the DACs (is either one a Burr-Brown, Wolfson or other decent name?) is going to have a greater impact. Personally I like to maintain a digital signal all the way to the receiver to minimize loss (my H/K receiver has 96/24 Wolfsons).