I also noticed the lower level with the 5.1 analog outputs, but to be honest, that's all I thought about it. I was still able to balance levels. Yes, the 47ai has Burr Browns, but the older 47a had Crystal (Cirrus) DACs. But I personally would place the Burr Browns ahead of the Crystal DACs in terms of performance. Remember, output level has absolutely nothing to do with sound quality itself.