Second Hi Rez Source, One Outlaw ICBM, Uh Oh!

I have a Toshiba SD9200 DVD Audio player which I stole from uBid (not really an outlaw, but I got it for under $400, original MSRP $2000), then got an Outlaw ICBM and enjoy the few titles available. Sounds great.

Then I started hanging out at Audio Asylum's HiRez forum. DVD-A is dead, I kept hearing, SACD is the only way to go. My sleep was disturbed. Then I found out that Tweeters was selling $2000 Philips SACD 1000 players for $399. Oooh! I grabbed one. (Please don't tell my family). My friend is dropping off the Philips SACD player tomorrow, so I finally got around to thinking about how to hook this thing up.

Wait a minute, it finally occurred to me, I only have one ICBM-1. How am I going to set up a second HiRez source?

So, fellow outlaws, what do you all suggest. SOL here or not?

I'm going to get in trouble for saying this....but this is how I would do it.
Hook up the DVD-Audio player through the digital connection. I know, DVD-A doesn't have a digital connection. The discs, however, will play on a regular DVD player and output a regular digital output. It may not be as hi-res as it can be, but you will still get the information from it.
Hook up your new SACD player through the ICBM into your receiver/pre-amp. This is the only way you're going to get the advantages of a SACD. If it's a good disc, it will sound great.
Now, let me offset my idea by saying this also. Any hi-res disc is only as good as the recording that's on it. Duh... Here's my reason: It's only going to truly blow away your regular cds if it was recorded at a high enough resolution throughout the entire recording process. You'll notice that most SACD releases come from either DSD recordings or from the analog masters. That's because these recordings haven't met a PCM bitstream yet. I believe this point is really overlooked by most people. Let me put it another way. Let's take a regular cd and put it on a record. Now all the analog people say, "Yippee, it's analog!" Umm, not quite. The recording has still experienced "ugly digital." This is the equivalent of taking a regular cd and putting it onto a SACD. I know, plenty of people out there swear by "upsampling." Personally, I don't get it. There is a value to have DACs that can handle higher bit rates processing your audio but "upsampling" still doesn't make sense to me.
Wow, sorrying for rambling like that.
Ok, back to your dilemma. I would say to use the money you saved on your players and put it towards a second ICBM. Then put together two systems...one for home theater and one for music. Dedicate the DVD-A player towards the home theater system and the SACD player towards the music system.
Unless your receiver/preamp has two seperate preamp ins, the only options I can think of are my first suggestion or cable jockeying.
Good luck!

Hi Jason.
If the SACD sounds as good as the DVD Audio, it'll really be something! 2 ICBMs may be a better solution than the alternative, getting a 5 channel amp and putting a single ICBM between the receiver and outboard amps. Boy, this hobby is getting expensive!

Another option...

put both the DVD-Audio and SACD players in front of the ICBM, with a switch between them and the ICBM. Switch for 6-channel analog? Well, yeah -- several ways, actually. One is this lovely beastie . Another is a series of Radio Shack switch boxes (it sounds horribly low-tech, but many people at HTF have reported good results). Of course, there's also the Sony TA-P9000 -- the 6-channel analog preamp/switch that Sony had to come out with when they're TA-E9000 pre/pro's lack of a 5.1 analog input became a major impediment. No longer made, I believe, but still available used and with a very devoted following.

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gonk -- Saloon Links | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | 950 Review

Hi Gonk
Wee Beastie looks good, but is more expensive than a second ICBM-1.

It may be more expensive, but it lets you have both sources connected at the same time using the same ICBM that you already have. A second ICBM won't solve the central problem of hooking two 5.1 analog sources to a single 5.1 analog input...

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gonk -- Saloon Links | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | 950 Review

You need one of Shawn Fogg's switch boxes. I use one and it works just great: http://home.attbi.com/~shawnfogg/

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Nigel Pond
SMR Home Theatre
SMR Forums
SMR Group
HighFidelityReview

I'm using the "lo-tech" Radio Shack switch approach. Just get two of their inexpensive 2x1 A/V switches and wire them up. You run 3 signals in/out of each for your 6 channels (5.1). To select your input you just press either the A or B switch on each of them to switch all 6 signals. Works like a charm.

I am not completely following the lo-tech instructions. Can someone elaborate?

DB

Sure.

You will need two A/V switch boxes (composite video and left/right analog audio -- two inputs, one output). On the first box, connect the center channel from each source (DVD-A and SACD) to the composite video inputs and the left and right channels from each source to the left and right analog audio inputs. Connect the video output to the center channel in on your receiver's six-channel analog input and the left/right to the left/right inputs. On the second box, connect the sub outputs to the composite video inputs and the surrounds to the left/right inputs; connect the output to the receiver. If the DVD-Audio player is hooked to the "A" input on both switches, then pressing "A" on both will let you use the DVD-Audio player. By the way, the six audio channels can be connected to any of the switch's inputs as long as you are consistent on both players; I picked specific inputs (center to composite video, for example) just for the sake of the example.

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gonk -- Saloon Links | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | 950 Review

A couple of links:

A/V switch
A/V switch with remote
page of switches

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gonk -- Saloon Links | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | 950 Review

[This message has been edited by gonk (edited July 16, 2003).]

Thanks, gonk, that is just what I needed!

DB