Surround Receiver...useless? :(

[RetroSmith]

Well, I just found out that my trusty Kenwood VR-357 receiver doesnt have 5.1 ANALOG inputs, only digital 5.1 inputs via coax and optical.


So, am I right that to hook up a DVD-Audio or SACD player to play multichannel disks, I will have to buy a new receiver?

If so, that sucks!! Are there any DVD-Audio players that have digital 5.1 outputs?

Any help is appreciated.

thanks!!

mikey

[SVL]

Today all DVD-Video players, including those that can play DVD-Audio discs, have digital outputs, optical and/or coaxial, but those outputs are only for Dolby Digital/DTS datastream, not for DVD-Audio or SACD signal.

You are right - it looks like with your current set-up you will only be able to play two-channel DVD-Audio or SACD:(.

[Kayaker]

I am in the same boat - I have a Meridian 565 processor. No uprgades for multi channel audio. I'd like to see the new formats survive, but too many of us have the same problem - it will cost too much to upgrade.

[RetroSmith]

Well......NOW I hear that that manufactures WILL allow Digital out on DVD-A and SACD, but NOT with the current interconnects (optical/coax). So there gonna change things AGAIN. So if I BUY a receiver WITH 5.1 analog inputs now, it WONT have the NEW digital interconnects, because they dont exist yet

AAAGGGRRRRHHHHH!!!!!!

No thanks!!

I'll just buy the DVD-A titles that I like and play them in 5.1 Dolby Digital (the downconverted mix). I do that now and I love the sound.

I'm gonna wait untill all this nonsense shapkes out, once and for all. I have a hunch that I wont have to worry about playing SACDs a year from now, tho I could be wrong.

I guess the manufacturers want me to upgrade everything every two years. I'm just not willing to do that.

Why does A/V have to be so complicated? Dont they know they arent gonna make money by confusing consumers, especially "niche" ones??

Mikey

[KLM]

Sorry to say that if you want to enjoy full multi channel SACD or DVD-A and don't have a 5 channel analog pass thru then you will have to buy a new receiver. Meridian has just introduced it's own digital pass thru system that will work with its line of digital speakers. Meridian owners may want to check with your dealers on this one and what if anything is available as upgrades.

For the rest of us, there is no digital pass thru technology that been agreed upon due to the legal issues of pirating/copying directly from the digital source.

There are many new receivers and processors that have the analog pass thru technology. For those on a budget, you may want to check out the Outlaw website that sells such a receiver direct for only $499 or get on the waiting list for their new stand alone processor. I have not heard either but have read many good reviews.

http://www.outlawaudio.com//products/1050.html

Good luck.

[RetroSmith]

Can I assume that the 5.1 analog pass thru is always 5 RCA jacks in a row, like on the receiver in the previous post?

My Kenwood VR-357 Def doesnt have THAT.

Mikey

[SVL]

Originally posted by mikey5967

Why does A/V have to be so complicated? Dont they know they arent gonna make money by confusing consumers, especially "niche" ones??



Well, IMO in this case they are simply afraid that people might copy the content digitally; should be the same reason why there is no DVD-R computer drives with DVD-A capability.

[mcow1]

Originally posted by mikey5967
Can I assume that the 5.1 analog pass thru is always 5 RCA jacks in a row, like on the receiver in the previous post?

My Kenwood VR-357 Def doesnt have THAT.

Mikey

All the ones that I have seen have the 5 RCA jacks grouped together. I hadn't realized myself how dvd-a worked I had gone out and bought a dvd player just to get the dvd-a got it home and found you have to have the analog jacks to plug it into but my semi-new receiver didn't ave this function. so the dvd player went back to the store, kinda wish I would have kept it now.

[stereo71]

My answer to surround sound involved calling in
the reserves. I bought a JVC DVD-A player, and
when it wouldn't play the bonus 5.1 track on
Hell Freezes Over because all the outputs weren't
hooked up, I hooked up another amp to the rears,
and just to finish if off with a flourish, a
tube mono-block to the center. Take that, I
said! And it did. Didn't sound too bad, either.
Gets pretty messy trying to adjust, though.

I think I'll stick to 2-channel as long as I can.

[krabapple]

Originally posted by mikey5967
Well, I just found out that my trusty Kenwood VR-357 receiver doesnt have 5.1 ANALOG inputs, only digital 5.1 inputs via coax and optical.


So, am I right that to hook up a DVD-Audio or SACD player to play multichannel disks, I will have to buy a new receiver?


Yes, if you want to play the multichannel tracks. You can still play the hi-rez 2-channel mix on your current receiver, though.


If so, that sucks!! Are there any DVD-Audio players that have digital 5.1 outputs?

Not as far as I know, currently the record biz is too frightened of hi-rez duplication to allow this.

Another problem witht using analog pass-through for 5.1 is that it usually bypasses the receiver's bass management. Outlook audio makes an outboard unit to ad dthis back in.

[krabapple]

I shoudl clarify that it's only the hi-rez (DVD-A) multichannel output that uses analog pass through. If your receiver has digital input, you can play multichannel Dolby Digital 5.1 or DTS mixes, and get proper bass management too. But for now DVD-A (and SACD) multichannel generally requires 1) a receiver with 5.1 analog (RCA) inputs and
2) either full range speakers all around or an outboard bass management module.

[Shoes4Industry]

Yeah, I'm in the same boat here since the Sony ES receiver I bought was right before they added 5 channel inputs to their entire line! :mad:

So I'm sitting out the SACD/DVD-A ride for the time being until I can manage to spend the bucks to upgrade the receiver...and there's always more vinyl to buy. :D

[RetroSmith]

My feelings exactly.

For now, I'll buy only DVD-A Disks, and listen to the downconverted 5.1 mix.

There is always the chance that the "no digital output" issue will get cleared up, also.


OR......some company will make an inexpensive converter to take the 5 analog outs of the DVD-A and convert them to Optical or Coax digital, so then, they WILL plug into my existing reciever. I'm sitting this one out till something breaks.

Mikey

[SVL]

Originally posted by mikey5967

OR......some company will make an inexpensive converter to take the 5 analog outs of the DVD-A and convert them to Optical or Coax digital, so then, they WILL plug into my existing reciever. I'm sitting this one out till something breaks.



That would mean converting from digital to analog, then back to digital, and yet once again to analog. Not good, IMO.

[RetroSmith]

>>yea, you are probably right. Wishfull thinking, i guess. :(((

[Richard Feirstein]

I too upgraded from my Pro Logic Sony ES receiver to a new Dennon 3802 with 5.1 analog inputs. It works great with my new Sony SACD/DVD player. By this time next year a new generation of DVD/SACD/DVD-A players will sport the new digital interconnects and yet a new generation of receivers will be offered. Then for the first time the consumer will get the proper bass management and time alignment adjustments for SACD and DVD-A that they have enjoyed with Dolby Digital and DTS for several years already. :D

[RetroSmith]

Yes, Richard is absolutely right. Thats why I'm waiting!!!