I have a hookup question regarding the new Oppo BDP83 SE:

My pre/pro does not have HDMI inputs so I know that to get the HD audio codecs for HT I would need to connect 6 cables (for 5.1) from the Oppo's multi channel out to the pre/pro.

But, I am also interested in stereo SACD. To do this would I also need to connect 2 IC's from the the "stereo out" to my pre/pro? I've read that if I play stereo SACD using the mult channel out configuration the music will be downmixed to 2-channel.

Is "downmixing" inferior to a direct 2-channel connection?

Thanks
Doug

Are you referring to SACD's that are purely stereo discs, or surround SACD's that you want to listen to in stereo mode? If you disable Pro Logic II on the BDP-83, the multichannel analog output will provide you with unaltered stereo playback of a stereo source (stereo SACD, CD, etc.) and you can rely on just the multichannel analog output for everything.
I'm not sure where you came across that or exactly what the person was referring to. The BDP-83 does have a speaker configuration option for "downmix" that converts multichannel sources to stereo, but that setting doesn't really affect stereo sources. It also has a setting for SACD priority that defines which SACD layer or track it should default to (options being CD for the CD layer of a hybrid disc, stereo for the stereo track on SACD's with both stereo and multichannel mixes, and multichannel for SACD's with multichannel mixes), but that doesn't create any downmixing. It just determines which separate version of the disc gets played.

I was referring to playing the stereo layer of a hybrid SACD disc.

I came across the "downmixing" notion in an AVS forum thread. It got highly technical at one point and way over my head so it's possible I misinterpreded what I read.

Sounds like I can do everything I need using the multi channel out configuration.

Thanks Gonk.
Doug

Check this out everyone. I don't understand some of it but the findings seem interesting.
http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/trans....y/oppo-bdp-83se

Got mine yesterday and just hooked everything up this morning (of course followed gonk's setup guide for 83 and the 970...thanks gonk!). Am listening to a cd (audio performance is the primary reason I bought it), and can't believe the difference in sq. I am quite impressed.

Did you get the upgrade to your existing 83 or purchase a new one? I would like to hear from someone who has lots of listening time to the original and the 83SE before I send mine in for the upgrade. Sounds like it will be worth it though for my primarily analog audio needs.

I bought a new one. I'm hearing detail on the current cd I'm listening to that I've never heard before. Wow.

After a number of listening sessions in various formats (cd, SACD, DVD-A) I have to say the 83SE really brings forth the detail and nuance in recordings. My wife and I were listening to a DVD-A (The Police) the other day and I commented on some background instrumentals on a track I'd never heard before...she agreed. It's really 'opened up' the music!

Thanks for the post. I was wodering how much difference the upgrade made for 7.1 analog. If it makes that sort of improvement with the 970, I would expect similar results with the 990.
I'm assuming that the 970 does the same sort of A/D/A conversion on 7.1 analog input as the 990. Is that correct?

Actually the 970 and 990 are totally different designs in this regard. The 970 is a platform developed by Outlaw with the manufacturer (Eastech) and has a rear panel switch that allows three different options for multichannel analog bass management: none (pure analog pass-through), analog bass management (using an 80Hz crossover), and digital bass management (the a/d/a process that the 990 uses).