IMHO, I doubt anyone has the ears to hear a difference but if someone does try to compare the two make sure the levels are matched because in every case the louder signal will sound better. I used to run my OPPO 83 to my 990 via analog connections and it was very good. When I switched the systems around I ran the OPPO 83 to my Onkyo via HDMI. To be honest I can't tell any difference but...(here is the disclaimer) I am 63 and my hearing is much worse than it used to be and the two systems are in completely different environments. Try both setups and see which one you like best. Personally I would stick with HDMI for simplicity.