Here's one for you guys (and gals)...

The other day I toggled the input to my Audiotron DAR (optical out into the 990) before I had stopped the source connected to the 7.1 inputs. As soon as I did this I heard not only the feed from my Audiotron, but also, what was connected to the 7.1 inputs (as if they were being summed on the analog bus).

It seems logical that from a hardware perspective that the 7.1 input signals (analog) would be downstream of the DACs and that they 'meet' the analog outputs (i.e. the analog signal bus) of the DACs in the 990 without any sort of mutual exclusivity. That is, it's acting like a preamp whose source select switch is an 'and' condition rather than an 'or' condition.

In other words, when listening to the 7.1 inputs, if I switch to another input (without stopping the 7.1 source) I hear both sources - not the source other than the 7.1 that I just selected. I believe (though it was late so I am not 100% sure) that stopping the DAR with the 7.1 source still playing allows me to hear the 7.1 source (albeit, as before, about 10 dB down).

I am pretty sure this happens for all inputs (though I have not tried, nor have I nailed it down to an 'optical only' issue or a 'spdif only' issue etc).

I tried a processor reset thinking this might fix it (and then set up the inputs etc once more as they are (naturally) wiped by a reset, but the same thing occurred.

Question: Is this an inherent design flaw or is it something that could be fixed with a firmware update? Maybe one of the Outlaw cats can answer that, but I was curious to hear if A) anyone else had noticed this or B) if anyone else had tried this and NOT observed the same thing.

Granted, if I stop the 7.1 source then I get no crosstalk, but I don't think that I should have to do this.

Anyone?...

Anyone?.....

Bueller?...

Bueller?........

Umm, he's sick.

Sick you say?...and here I thought this was a friendly forum.....

I can't speak for Bueller, but I just tried to reproduce this with my unit (I'm at the house while Time Warner tries to fix a weak signal issue with my cable service). I toggled between 7.1 Direct (with an SACD playing) and a bunch of different inputs, both analog and digital and both active and inactive. I was not able to get even a faint hint of the 7.1 Direct input on those other sources. Based on that, I am either trying to duplicate the problem incorrectly or your unit is doing something a bit unusual somehow. Drop the Outlaws a line and maybe they can get you fixed up.

Thanks Gonk. I will do that. I am hoping it's simply due to something I missed in the setup.

One other bit of information that may or may not be relevant: I am using the balanced outputs (rather than single-ended) as my monoblocks all have differential inputs and are across the room in another rack. Are you using single-ended or balanced outs?

Perhaps this is related to a hardware issue in the balanced stage...

I'm using single-ended, as a matter of fact.

Let us know what you find out...

OK...

It dawned on me that only the fronts are balanced sends - the rear channels are driven from the unbalanced (RCA) and yes, I can hear whatever is being fed to the 7.1 input along with any other source selected on the rear channles. So, it doesn't appear to be a balanced vs. unbalanced issue. It seems to be independent of whether the source is optical or S/PDIF.

One other thing...as a sanity check, I fed all inputs from a distribution amplifier which itself was being fed a two-channel signal; the distribution amp has provisions for selecting whether left, right, or left + right is sent to the corresponding output.

So..in essence I had a DAR (Audiotron) feeding the distribution amplifier, and the channels receiving signals as follows:

Left Front: Left
Center: Left + Right
Right Front: Right
Surround L: Left
Surround R: Right
Sub: Left + Right

Now...here's what also weird...the rear channels have a very bizarre reverberant quality to them when getting signals as outlined above. Again, this was done ONLY for diagnostic purposes, but as I understand it, the task of the 7.1 inputs is to simply pass what's being fed through the 990.

I should not be getting any sort of Dolby / PLII etc processing applied to a 7.1 signal...should I?

I'm stumped here guys (and "gals" to be fully PC). I have a ticket in to the Outlaws, but I thought someone might have some insight.

Mark