[Steven Sullivan]

JimC wrote:
JimC wrote:
I have previously inquired about receivers or pre/processors that would
be good performers in a system with both audio (stereo and SACD
surround) and HD video. It was suggested that it would be some time
before receivers and/or pre/pros would incoporate or be compatible with
all the most desirable HDTV and SACD features/codexes. In other words,
those units intended primarily for video didn't include features I would
want for SACD surround, (such as adjustable bass management for
front/surround/center channels, good level matching from multiple
positions, etc.). Also, few "audio-centered" units seemed to include all
the possible video functions one might want in the future, such as HDMI
1.3, etc. - Since I don't upgrade very often (new electronics maybe
every 10 - 15 years), it didn't see, to make sense for me to replace my
existing system with one that lack features I may want in the next few
years, despite that fact that some of those features won't be in general
use soon (e.g., HDMI 1.3, deep color, etc.).

Recently, however, some new receivers coming on the market seem to
include lots of such capabilities and features.-----------

As understood (correct me if I'm wrong), SACD audio can be processed,
(with bass management and room equalization functionality) in the newer
receivers and pre/pros, provided both the SACD player and AVR receiver
or pre-pro are HDMI 1.2 or 1.3 compatible.

HDMI 1.2 and up offer the option of passing DSD digitally.
SACD's native sample rate is more than 2 MHz. More than
likely,any receiver that can process SACD will convert it to a more manageable
rate as PCM...say, 88.2 kHz/24bit.

Has anyone had experience
with such systems, and does anyone have an opinion as to the quality of
the resulting SACD audio? Would the equalization systems (e.g., the
Audyssey MultEQ system) utilized in some of the new receivers work with
SACD inputs in HDMI 1.3 format, and would the results be as good as I
get with line-level analog signals fed through an ICBM? (One current
problem being that not many SACD players are HDMI 1.2 or 1.3 compatible).

ilink (and Denonlink) could pass decoded DSD digitally to receivers,
and have been around for several years. In all cases I know of,
if any digital processing is done to the signal, it is converted
to PCM first.

More recently, HDMI 1.1 could pass a DSD--PCM conversion in the player,
digitally.

I would not expect either of these to be inferior to the ICBM, on the
contrary, keeping the signal digital allows delay and bass management
and room EQ and other DSP like Dolby Pro Logic to be applied more
consistently.

___
-S
"As human beings, we understand the world through simile, analogy,
metaphor, narrative and, sometimes, claymation." - B. Mason