I have a quick question regarding DVD/CD audio connection to the 990:

I am using the optical (toslink) ports to connect my DVD player (Momitsu V880) to the 990. My question is: are there times when this is the wrong thing to do?

For instance, I have seen several posts where people are using a separate CD player, with analog connections to the 990 for 2 channel audio listening. Do they do this because they believe the DA conversion in the CD player is better than the 990 circuitry? Unless you're in bypass mode, isn't this analog signal converted to digital, processed (say for bass management) and then converted back to analog? Seems like using the CD/DVD player as a transport mechanism, and using a digital connection would almost always be the way to go...

What about SACD? I have a 2nd DVD player capable of playing SACD's. Would the optical out on this player enable 5.1 channel playback?, or would I need to hook up those 5.1 analog inputs?

Just curious really-
Thanks.

The only times when I recommend an analog audio connection from a CD or DVD player are when the player has better DAC's than the receiver or processor (which is going to be a bit rare with the 990 considering the quality of the DAC's it uses) or the format in question only allows analog output (which would be the case for SACD and DVD-Audio).

Redrob hit upon a question I've been wrestling with for a couple of months. I have been enjoying stereo music with the 990 and I too use a digital connection between my universal player and the 990. I have wondered if a CD player with its own high quaility DAC would improve the sound. The Rotel 1072, Arcam 73T, and NAD 542 used are in my price range and from the opinions shared on several forums have devoted fans. But it is it necessary to have a separate CD player given the DAC ability of the 990?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but a CD player has two main functions. First is the electro/mechanical function of getting the 1s and 0s off the CD and second is to convert the 1s and 0s to analog (DAC). I can imagine there are a number of concerns with the first function but I wonder what the relative impact on the overall sound produced by a CD player between the DACs and the mechanisim. Any thoughts on this?

Also, how do you compare DACs other than listening to the different CD players? Does anybody know of comparisons (subjective or objective) between DACs in the players noted above?

although i've only had my 990 for a couple weeks.. I have my CDP (Marantz cc4300) hooked up using the analog connection.

I to am curious about how it will sound using a digital connection. I haven't tried it yet because I'm waiting for a digital cable to be built for me.

So far I am very impressed with the 2 ch music I've been hearing from the 990 using analog cables. Open, wide and spacious are words that flow easily from the CDP and the 990 now. Bypass and upsampling sound the best to me.

I mostly use my 990 for HT. For 2ch music I use an Aragon D to A processor and Aragon preamp into the same power amp channels that the 990 would feed if I used it for 2 ch music. There is not the difference I had expected in music listening when I purchased the 990. The imaging and clarity is better with stand alone processor and preamp but, if I did not already own the Aragon equipment I would not spend $2-3000 for the difference in the sound. And it is always back to what do you like your music (speakers and electronics) to sound like.
The 990 has (imo)a very good D to A processor in it though and you would have to just try different combination of equipment to see what you like.
I have not tried to send an analog signal from the D to A to the 990 to see how the sound differs if at all from the 990's processor. I am just about finished building a switching unit so I don't have to change interconnects when I change from one piece of equipment to another. It should make comparing the 2 D to A's and the 2 preamps with the same analog signal less difficult. I will let you know what I hear if anyone is interested.
I would be curious to know if most manufacturers of DVD and CD players build their own processors or if many of them use units from the same supplier. I'm sure Gonk and other will probably have information on this.

I am using a Parasound DAC with a LD player as CD tranport for serious cd listening. It sounds better than 990 marginally at timbre matching and bass extension.
Again, we can only get the most from the weakest link along the chain, not just the DAC, nor just the 990, but cable and wires.

Kwok

What interconnects are you using? I buy mine locally from a guy who uses copper wires that have a silver tinning to them. They are nice and revealing in the top end. Not as harsh as complete silver wires.. which can be way to bright.

I am using a Rotel 1072 cd player with my 990. I use it in analog/Bypass mode (RCA interconnects-MIT). I also have it connected with a coaxial cable. I can easily switch from Bypass to Digital/Coax Upsample mode. The sound (to MY ears) is more detailed in analog/Bypass; it seems that soundstaging is wider. It is very close; as someone above stated, if I didn't have the Rotel unit already, I probaly would just use my dvd player as a transport with the 990 DAC's.

For all intents and purposes, is using the Toslink connection same as using SPDIF digital coax?

Skyblazer and anyone else, can upsampling be used on an analog input?