As I said, for DVD and CD you can use the optical output. The problems arise when you move to DVD-Audio and SACD. DVD-Audio uses multichannel PCM, which requires too much bandwidth for a coaxial or optical cable. The best you can do with an optical connection on DVD-Audio is downmixed PCM stereo. SACD is even more prohibitive. The raw data is in DSD format, which HDMI can carry, but many players convert DSD to PCM internally. Either way, the multichannel DSD or PCM bitstream is too big for optical or coaxial. On top of that, though, SACD includes copy protection restrictions that basically "turn off" the optical and coaxial outputs. That leaves you with either HDMI or analog output as the only viable options.

Your Mac Mini outputs either PCM stereo (just like CD's) or a lossy bitstream such as Dolby Digital or DTS (just like DVD's). It is equivalent to a standard DVD player, not a DVD-A or SACD player.
Sounds like a good plan.

Ah, I see. So I can utilize the optical input on my 990 for 5.1 audio from Dolby Digital / DTS sources, because the audio stream is lossy-compressed enough to fit within the bandwidth of optical (and probably by no coincidence).

But 5.1 audio from DVD-A has too much bandwidth for optical, and additionally copy protection limits SACD digital output only to HDMI, so lowest common denominator is that I've got to resort to analog.

I'm glad I asked. I saw a thread on AVSforum.com that indicates that the Pioneer DV-48AV applies a 200Hz high-pass filter to the signal coming out of its analog outputs, which cannot be disabled . I can only assume this used to be a "feature" to prevent blowing out smaller satellites? It's a bug, not a feature, now.

If I were able to use its HDMI digital output, I could circumvent the DV-48AV's on-board 200Hz high-pass filter and this wouldn't be an issue, but since I am forced to use its analog outputs to my 990, it makes no sense to buy a super-high-quality audio player that has a fixed 200Hz high-pass!

Looks like it's back to the drawing board to find another SACD player that better matches my setup. Watch me eat my words and end up shelling out $300 for an OPPO (or $1399 for the 997 with HDMI inputs?)

Thanks again for the technical details, it's very helpful for me.

-Jeff

You might also look for a different used player. There are universal DVD-A/SACD players from Denon, Yamaha, and OPPO as well as ones from Pioneer. I've used several of the OPPO DVD-A/SACD players, and you may be able to find a used 981HD or 980H for under $150. The 970HD would also do what you want, although it may cost more - it's the only one of those players that can be made to scale DVD output via component video, so there's always been a bit more demand for it on the used market. THe 983H would also work, but they still sell for their original $399 list price (or sometimes higher) on the used market.

If you did get the OPPO player that's due to be announced this week (and I'm guessing that $300 is a reasonable price point to expect), it would also give you Blu-ray.

Hay guy's, what's the big problem with 5.1 analog?
Yeh, it needs 6 cabels, but that won't break the bank and WAF generally doesn't have a bearing on the rat's nest behind the components.
For years the industry leaders advertised their equipment as being "future proof" because they had 5.1 or 7.1 inputs. Well the future is now.

Generally, nothing is wrong with 5.1 analog. Some issues were brought up in the past day or two relating to using the Pioneer DV-48AV with the 990, which you can see in the messages above.

If the 200Hz issue didn't exist for this player, 5.1 analog would work fine for me. Unfortunately it does exist, so I need to find a different SACD / DVD-A player.

-Jeff

'Scuse me, guys, but isn't this "200Hz issue" really a 200KHz issue? 200Hz is about a half octave above the subwoofer crossover range.

Nope. The AVSforum message I reference in my post clearly states the DV-48AV has a 200 HERTZ high-pass filter on its 5.1 analog outputs:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=14421922#post14421922

-Jeff

We got a Philips BDP-5010 BlueRay/DVD/CD player (approved by Consumer Reports) for Christmas and it's now connected to my 990 along with the Pioneer DV587A DVD/SACD/DVD-Audio/CD player I already had. The two of them together cost a bit more than half the list price of the Oppo (which by the way was at the top of the Consumer Reports list). Integrating the three units was kind of a kick. The Philips shares the 990's two DVI inputs with my SA cable box, both via Outlaw adapter cables, and of course the third Outlaw cable runs from the 990 output to my Panny 42" plasma TV. Audio-wise, an optical cable feeds the Philips's digital output to the 990 while a Mapleshade Ultrathin coax does the honors for the Pioneer. Both units play CDs and both play DVDs; the Pioneer handles high-def audio (so it still has 5 analog cables to the 990) and the Philips plays BR. The Philips does fine on DVDs, I was pleased to find, so I can now remove that bulky triple video component cable that ran from the Pioneer to the 990.
And everything works fine. We tested it on "The Dark Knight": terrific video quality and awesome sonics over my Maggie 1.6s. Now I hope to find another BR film that's maybe a little lighter.

Not doubting your message, jishaq, but it surprises me. A 200-Hz rolloff on the "5" past of the 5.1 outputs means an awfully high crossover to the ".1" subwoofer. Wouldn't directional effects, or the absence of direction for sounds in the low-midrange, be audible? Maybe someone else can clear this up.

My Pioneer DV587A doesn't seem to lack bass on its 5.1 outputs (which I use for the couple of DVD-Audio and SACD discs I have), so this puzzles me.

Oops - I meant "part", not "past" on the first line of that last message/