Just got my 1050, now what cables should I use to hook it all up. I don't mean what brand, but what type. Components are dvd, satelite reciever, cd player and stereo vcr.

For instance, my dvd player has the option of toslink, s-video, and V/R/L cable. It also has digital coax for audio. What is the best option to use?

Satellite has s-video and V/R/L cable, which to use?

Also, will toslink and s-video carry digital audio?

Also, currently using 1050 with adcom amp and a pair of small maggies for a stereo config only right now. I have not purchased 5.1 or 6.1 speaker set up yet.

Love them maggies; would love to keep them as mains, but don't know what C and S speakers would be a good match for them at a reasonable cost......

Welcome to the crew, agorena. Let me take a stab at this.

First, you might want to read through here for some information on cabling for your setup (the receiver and sample wiring diagram sections may help a little, too).

Now, for your specific questions:

S-Video would be your preferred method of hooking up the DVD and satellite video (better image quality), but unless your VCR is S-VHS and your TV has an S-Video input you won't be able to get full use of the 1050's video switching (it can't convert between composite and S-video). We'll assume for simplicity's sake for the moment that your TV lacks an S-Video input. In that case, you should connect the DVD, satellite, and VCR video to the 1050 with composite video cables and then connect the TV's video input to the "Monitor Out" composite video connection on the 1050.

What about audio? You'll want to use the R/L analog audio connections from the satellite and VCR. I'm guessing that the CD player does not have a digital output (optical or coax), in which case you'll use the R/L analog audio outputs from it, too. Lastly, the DVD should be hooked up with a digital cable (planning for the future here, and making use of the 1050's audio DACs which are probably better than the DVD player's onboard DAC). You can use the optical (toslink) or coax digital audio output for this -- some people feel that coax is the "superior" connection, but I've had a very hard time proving that to myself. If you use the optical output from the DVD player, you will have the freedom to add a CD player or satellite receiver with digital output later and still have both a coax and an optical digital input still open on the 1050.

As for the maggies, I think there are some others around here using them in a 5.1 speaker setup -- you may get some ideas from the Speaker forum for companions for them.

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gonk -- Saloon Links | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart

Wonk thanks for helping me clear the fog.

So what we're talking about is using composite video cable from VCR, Satelite and DVD into the 1050. Then comp video out from 1050 to TV. For audio, I can use standard analog lines. Got it.

Now, I do believe my dvd and cd player have digital coax line outs. Are these better audio options than standard analog lines?

The coax digital (and the toslink, which is also digital) is definitely the way to go for the DVD player, and will probably sound better than analog cables for the CD player. The only way to use the 1050's onboard digital decoding (Dolby Digital and DTS) is to connect a DVD player with a digical cable (the optical/toslink or the coax, they both do the same thing). For stereo stuff (the CD player, the DVD until you get a center and surrounds), the 1050's onboard DACs (digital-to-analog converters) will probably sound better than the DACs in your CD player or DVD player. When the digital cable is used, the DAC in the CD or DVD is not used -- the digital data from the disc is passed on to the 1050 to be manipulated and converted to analog.

Keep on mind that you only have one coax digital input on the 1050, so if the CD player has a coax digital output you will have to use the optical (toslink) output on your DVD player. It's not a problem (I've used that arrangement about half of the time that I've had my 1050), just something to remember when you go to get cables.

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gonk -- Saloon Links | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart

So I guess while using a two speaker config, having a digital cable between the dvd and 1050 is pointless....

Scott told me that phantom mode automatically engaged when not using a center channel, but will it work with an anolog signal out of my dvd?

Actually, the digital cable isn't pointless -- it'll offload the duty of digital-to-analog conversion onto the 1050, which will probably sound better than using the DVD player's internal DAC.

If I had stereo speakers only (no center, surrounds) and had an analog connection from DVD to 1050, I'd just leave the DVD input on the 1050 set to "Stereo" -- there won't be any digital manipulation at all, which is what you want. I'd do the same thing if I had a digital connection -- the 1050 would decode the signal to the mains. Also, if you tell the 1050 that you don't have a center channel, it will do "phantom center" automatically (I am 99% sure on that, haven't ever tried to prove it and haven't double-checked the manual, but it matches what Scott told you).

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gonk -- Saloon Links | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart

Digital would also be less prone to noise. Always go digital if you can, and as Gonk said if you go digital you can use your 1050 to do all your processing with sound fields and such. Even without surround speakers and such, you can add different effects to the sound and such.

Thanks guys. Having bot the maggies/adcomp/nad stuff in the mid 90's, I had mentally checked out of the audio world. Feel like I'm back in the saddle.

Went out yesterday and got new radio shack cables for the 1050 to my adcom amp and a digital coax for cd or dvd. Don't know if I'll keep the radio shack cables for the long run, but for testing cable combinations you can't beat the price. The cable debate still seams to rage on, so not sure what cables I'll eventually settle on....

Going digital from my nad cd player to the 1050 really made a difference. The nad has a certain mellowness in the music that is not there with the digital direct. So I can see what your saying about the 1050's dac vs the cd or dvd.

Only problem is my entry level toshiba dvd only has digital coax out, no toslink. So when I watch movies, I'll have to switch cable from cd to dvd player. Hmmm, perhaps I need a new dvd player..... ;-\

-- Always an option, but you might also consider this solution. It should let you convert the coax digital out from your Toshiba to an optical. And at $14, it's probably cheaper than a new DVD player!

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gonk -- Saloon Links | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart

Wonk, perhaps still not completely in the saddle....

Coax to toslink cable! Got it! - I'm slapping myself on the head right now like in those V8 commercials!!

And will get the cable, Thanks!

I mean box....

[This message has been edited by agorena (edited April 04, 2002).]