CD player/receiver interconnect

[ric]

I just got a Sony STR-DA1000ES receiver and a Sony SCD-C2000ES CD/SACD
changer. The changer has digital optical and coaxial outputs. The receiver
has an assignable coaxial CD/SACD digital input. My questions:

1) Is it more likely that the ES receiver has an internal D/A converter
for this signal, or is this connection only for switching (like to
a MD recorder?) Do you think I can listen to CDs with *only* the
coaxial digital connection, or is the analog connection needed, too.
[I don't have a coaxial optical connector, so I can't "just try it."]

2) If, indeed, the ES receiver has a D/A converter, which is likely to
be better - the CD/SACD changer D/A converter, or the ES receiver D/A
converter? Would just using the digital coaxial interconnect be an
advantage over using the analog coaxial digital interconnect?

Sorry, but both the manuals are woefully inadequate in this regard, and
Sony's "tech support" answered my email inquiry with a form e-letter.

Thanks for your opinions.

[Kalman Rubinson]

1. You can listen to CDs with only this single coax/optical digital
connection since the receiver has on-board DACs for this purpose. You
cannot listen to SACDs via this link.

2. I cannot answer your question about which DAC is superior but you
can decide for yourself after you get the digital cable connected.

3. There is no such thing as an "analog coaxial digital
interconnect."

Kal


On Mon, 27 Jun 2005 12:46:17 -0700, ric > wrote:

>I just got a Sony STR-DA1000ES receiver and a Sony SCD-C2000ES CD/SACD
>changer. The changer has digital optical and coaxial outputs. The receiver
>has an assignable coaxial CD/SACD digital input. My questions:
>
>1) Is it more likely that the ES receiver has an internal D/A converter
> for this signal, or is this connection only for switching (like to
> a MD recorder?) Do you think I can listen to CDs with *only* the
> coaxial digital connection, or is the analog connection needed, too.
> [I don't have a coaxial optical connector, so I can't "just try it."]
>
>2) If, indeed, the ES receiver has a D/A converter, which is likely to
> be better - the CD/SACD changer D/A converter, or the ES receiver D/A
> converter? Would just using the digital coaxial interconnect be an
> advantage over using the analog coaxial digital interconnect?
>
>Sorry, but both the manuals are woefully inadequate in this regard, and
>Sony's "tech support" answered my email inquiry with a form e-letter.
>
>Thanks for your opinions.

[ric]

Kalman Rubinson wrote:

> 3. There is no such thing as an "analog coaxial digital
> interconnect."

Agreed. Major brain cramp. It should have read "analog RCA-type
interconnects.

Thanks for the reply.

[Mark D. Zacharias]

ric wrote:
> I just got a Sony STR-DA1000ES receiver and a Sony SCD-C2000ES CD/SACD
> changer. The changer has digital optical and coaxial outputs. The
> receiver has an assignable coaxial CD/SACD digital input. My
> questions:
>
> 1) Is it more likely that the ES receiver has an internal D/A
> converter for this signal, or is this connection only for switching
> (like to a MD recorder?) Do you think I can listen to CDs with
> *only* the coaxial digital connection, or is the analog connection
> needed, too. [I don't have a coaxial optical connector, so I can't
> "just try it."]
>
> 2) If, indeed, the ES receiver has a D/A converter, which is likely to
> be better - the CD/SACD changer D/A converter, or the ES receiver
> D/A converter? Would just using the digital coaxial interconnect be
> an advantage over using the analog coaxial digital interconnect?
>
> Sorry, but both the manuals are woefully inadequate in this regard,
> and Sony's "tech support" answered my email inquiry with a form
> e-letter.
>
> Thanks for your opinions.

You can listen but it's likely that analog recording, for example to an
external cassette deck, would not be possible unless the analog cables were
also connected. This would apply to most receivers with digital inputs
anyway, but YMMV.

Mark Z.

[ric]

"Mark D. Zacharias" wrote:

> > 1) Is it more likely that the ES receiver has an internal D/A
> > converter for this signal, or is this connection only for switching
> > (like to a MD recorder?) Do you think I can listen to CDs with
> > *only* the coaxial digital connection, or is the analog connection
> > needed, too. [I don't have a coaxial optical connector, so I can't
> > "just try it."]
> >
> > 2) If, indeed, the ES receiver has a D/A converter, which is likely to
> > be better - the CD/SACD changer D/A converter, or the ES receiver
> > D/A converter? Would just using the digital coaxial interconnect be
> > an advantage over using the analog coaxial digital interconnect?
> >
> > Sorry, but both the manuals are woefully inadequate in this regard,
> > and Sony's "tech support" answered my email inquiry with a form
> > e-letter.
> >
> > Thanks for your opinions.
>
> You can listen but it's likely that analog recording, for example to an
> external cassette deck, would not be possible unless the analog cables were
> also connected. This would apply to most receivers with digital inputs
> anyway, but YMMV.

Would not the internal DAC that feeds the amplifier also feed the
output to the cassette deck?

[Mark D. Zacharias]

<snip>

>> You can listen but it's likely that analog recording, for example to
>> an external cassette deck, would not be possible unless the analog
>> cables were also connected. This would apply to most receivers with
>> digital inputs anyway, but YMMV.
>
> Would not the internal DAC that feeds the amplifier also feed the
> output to the cassette deck?

The signal that feeds the amp section is after the DSP, the tone circuits,
volume controls, etc. The ouptut for the Record Out signal is usually right
after the source selector IC(s). They certainly COULD feed the output of the
DAC to the record outputs, but most if not all manufacturers keep these
circuits separate, possibly for reasons of copy management.

In the same way, most receivers did not cross over regular composite video
to S-video or component video, but this has been changing with recent
models, many now allow up - or - down-sampling the video outputs etc as a
convenience.

[ric]

"Mark D. Zacharias" wrote:

> > Would not the internal DAC that feeds the amplifier also feed the
> > output to the cassette deck?
>
> The signal that feeds the amp section is after the DSP, the tone circuits,
> volume controls, etc. The ouptut for the Record Out signal is usually right
> after the source selector IC(s).

Yes, but if the "AUTO DETECT" circuit is detecting and using the digital
signal, would it not be easier to just ignore the analog signal entirely?
Why have to process the analog and the digital signal? Would it not be a
case of "either/or" and not a case of "some of this/some of that" ??

[Mark D. Zacharias]

"ric" > wrote in message ...
> "Mark D. Zacharias" wrote:
>
>> > Would not the internal DAC that feeds the amplifier also feed the
>> > output to the cassette deck?
>>
>> The signal that feeds the amp section is after the DSP, the tone
>> circuits,
>> volume controls, etc. The ouptut for the Record Out signal is usually
>> right
>> after the source selector IC(s).
>
> Yes, but if the "AUTO DETECT" circuit is detecting and using the digital
> signal, would it not be easier to just ignore the analog signal entirely?
> Why have to process the analog and the digital signal? Would it not be a
> case of "either/or" and not a case of "some of this/some of that" ??


In those I've seen, no. The signal paths essentially run parallel to and
independent of each other. You simply listen to one or the other, but the
analog record-out signal would still be available.

mz

[ric]

"Mark D. Zacharias" wrote:

> >> > Would not the internal DAC that feeds the amplifier also feed the
> >> > output to the cassette deck?
> >>
> >> The signal that feeds the amp section is after the DSP, the tone
> >> circuits,
> >> volume controls, etc. The ouptut for the Record Out signal is usually
> >> right
> >> after the source selector IC(s).
> >
> > Yes, but if the "AUTO DETECT" circuit is detecting and using the digital
> > signal, would it not be easier to just ignore the analog signal entirely?
> > Why have to process the analog and the digital signal? Would it not be a
> > case of "either/or" and not a case of "some of this/some of that" ??
>
> In those I've seen, no. The signal paths essentially run parallel to and
> independent of each other. You simply listen to one or the other, but the
> analog record-out signal would still be available.

Hmmm...ran some tests using a plain RCA to RCA (unused center channel
cable) for the digital coax: The cassette deck analog output IS present
when using only the digital CD input. One need NOT also use the analog
CD input.

[Mark D. Zacharias]

"ric" > wrote in message ...
> "Mark D. Zacharias" wrote:
>
>> >> > Would not the internal DAC that feeds the amplifier also feed the
>> >> > output to the cassette deck?
>> >>
>> >> The signal that feeds the amp section is after the DSP, the tone
>> >> circuits,
>> >> volume controls, etc. The ouptut for the Record Out signal is usually
>> >> right
>> >> after the source selector IC(s).
>> >
>> > Yes, but if the "AUTO DETECT" circuit is detecting and using the
>> > digital
>> > signal, would it not be easier to just ignore the analog signal
>> > entirely?
>> > Why have to process the analog and the digital signal? Would it not be
>> > a
>> > case of "either/or" and not a case of "some of this/some of that" ??
>>
>> In those I've seen, no. The signal paths essentially run parallel to and
>> independent of each other. You simply listen to one or the other, but the
>> analog record-out signal would still be available.
>
> Hmmm...ran some tests using a plain RCA to RCA (unused center channel
> cable) for the digital coax: The cassette deck analog output IS present
> when using only the digital CD input. One need NOT also use the analog
> CD input.

Okie-fine.

mz

[Bojack]

I just got a Sony STR-DA1000ES receiver and a Sony SCD-C2000ES CD/SACD
changer. The changer has digital optical and coaxial outputs. The receiver
has an assignable coaxial CD/SACD digital input. My questions:

1) Is it more likely that the ES receiver has an internal D/A converter
for this signal, or is this connection only for switching (like to
a MD recorder?) Do you think I can listen to CDs with *only* the
coaxial digital connection, or is the analog connection needed, too.
[I don't have a coaxial optical connector, so I can't "just try it."]

2) If, indeed, the ES receiver has a D/A converter, which is likely to
be better - the CD/SACD changer D/A converter, or the ES receiver D/A
converter? Would just using the digital coaxial interconnect be an
advantage over using the analog coaxial digital interconnect?

Sorry, but both the manuals are woefully inadequate in this regard, and
Sony's "tech support" answered my email inquiry with a form e-letter.

Thanks for your opinions.


You'll need the analog outputs (discrete channels) for true 5.1 SACD playback. I had the same question when I got my Sony SACD.