Hello everyone: I know that if I connect my cd player to my receiver via the analog connections that the cd player is doing the DA conversion. However, isn't the receiver converting the signal back to digital in order to apply base management (or surround modes for that matter)then back to analog to be sent to the speakers? My thinking is: If that is true, why not just use a digital connection to avoid the extra conversion? Thanks for your help!
I got a response to this on the CD thread but am still trying to see if my reasoning is sound.
If you have a sub connected to a receiver and are using the receiver's base management, it doesn't make sense to connect a cd player to to the receiver via analog. The receiver has to convert the analog signal to digital to apply the base management, then back to analog to send to the speakers. That's TWO conversions done by the receiver and ONE by the cd player. RIGHT? Wouldn't it just be better to use a digital connection in this case? To me, the only time an analog connection makes sense is when there is no base management (or surround processing for that matter) being applied.
"However, isn't the receiver converting the signal back to digital in order to apply base management (or surround modes for that matter)then back to analog to be sent to the speakers?"
On most receivers I don't believe that is the case. Some manufacturers (Panasonic, JVC, Onkyo) however have produced some "all digital" receivers which do all processing in the digital domain. In this case then it would probably be better to use a digital connection.
Thanks DA. I thought perhaps the receiver had to convert the analog signal coming in from the cd player via the rca connection to a digital signal to be able to seperate it via the crossover setting then convert it back to an analog signal to be sent to the sub and speakers? I'm pretty sure that's the case when using the surround modes but am not sure it that's true when just using the stereo moe.
This should clear things up for EVERYONE. See NAD's answer to my question below. Conclusion: Unless you're using full range speakers, it probably doesn't make sense to connect via analog with the followint exceptions.
Submitted Category: Receivers Scott Jordan 09-11-2005 07:28 conversions Hello NAD, Question: If the cd player is connected via analog, does the receiver have to convert the signal to digital in order to apply base management? Then convert it back to analog to send to the speakers?
If this is true, I don't see the point in connecting the cd player via analog ( no matter how much better the DACs are in the cd player) because there would be 3 conversions being done to the signal. One in the cd player and 2 in the receiver.
Thank you for your time again - Scott Karen Pritchard 09-14-2005 13:57 re: conversions Thank you for your recent request via the NAD Electronics web-site.
1) the analog is converted to digital for bass management, then back to analog for the speakers. 2) Connect to analog for a few reasons: - pure stereo performance bypassing all tone controls and digital processing. - configure the main zone for 7.1 so then you need the analog input for the second zone. - tape recording of the music from the C542 via the tape monitor loop.