Can I send a 5.1 signal to a DAC and get it pull the stereo out

[Xanderzdad]

This is a slighter simpler version of a question I posted elsewhere.

Can I send the 5.1 signal from my BluRay to, say the MDAC and then get the DAC to process the stereo data and onto my stereo amp?

If so can I then pass the same signal digitally on from the DAC into my AV amp and get that to process the 5.1 data.

 

[dannycanham]

This is a slighter simpler version of a question I posted elsewhere.

Can I send the 5.1 signal from my BluRay to, say the MDAC and then get the DAC to process the stereo data and onto my stereo amp?

If so can I then pass the same signal digitally on from the DAC into my AV amp and get that to process the 5.1 data.

If it is a 5.1 signal then there is no stereo data.

If it is a stereo signal then the AVR 2808 has digital out which can be passed to a stereo dac.

 

[Xanderzdad]

How can a 5.1 signal have no stereo signal? Surely it has ALL the various components and then they are split into stereo, centre, surround etc.

 

[Anonymous]

I'm not the right person to answer, but maybe here one piece of the puzzle:

The answer I did get on "Why the Rega DAC have a digital output?"

http://www.whathifi.com/forum/hi-fi/basic-hopefully-digital-signal-question

Some (stereo) DACs will pass through a multi-channel signal when detected, so the digital out could be connected to an AV amp for surround purposes, without having to split the digital output from the source (a universal disc player for example).

 

[nads]

This is a slighter simpler version of a question I posted elsewhere.

Can I send the 5.1 signal from my BluRay to, say the MDAC and then get the DAC to process the stereo data and onto my stereo amp?

If so can I then pass the same signal digitally on from the DAC into my AV amp and get that to process the 5.1 data.

to sum up.

no the DAC will ot see the 5.1 so it can not do anything to it. it may allow the 5.1 to pass through but I am not sure. there is no stereo info in a 5.1 audio track. if you want the DAC to "see" a stereo track you maybe able to downmix the 5.1 in the player to stereo.

 

[Anonymous]

A 5.1 single may contain some info for your front left/right, but these two channels on their own will sounds pretty naff. You'll be missing lots of bass, that's in .1 6th channel. Most dialogue will be in the centre, so you'll just hear music, some light effects and very quiet dialogue, if any.

The other thing to bear in mind, is a 5.1 signal over optical/coax will be compressed/encoded as Dolby Digital or DTS. You DAC won't understand this and can't uncompress/decode it - it'll show 'no lock' or similar. Where as a stereo signal over optical/coax is uncompressed PCM. You DAC, doesn't need to uncompress/decode it. It can simple convert it straight to analogue.

What you want, is some digital processing to down mix 5.1 channels to 2 channels. Where the information from all 6 channels is merged together into 2 stereo channels, which your DAC can handle (as PCM). I bet your Bluray player can do this, have a scoot around the options. Either that, or select the stereo audio track on your DVD/Bluray, then no down mix is required!

 

[Xanderzdad]

Thanks for all your replies. I think I am slowly getting it.

It appears that I may be able to send the full signal through the DAC to the AV amp. If I want the DAC to take the signal and send it to my stereo amp then I need the signal to be a stereo one. This could work as the only signal I WANT my DAC to handle would be stereo music from a CD (via the BluRay), stereo radio (via Sky HD) or the output from my Airport Express.

So long as the DAC can pass any 5.1 signal along to the AV amp without affecting it then I think everything will work without me having to unplug leads each time. Basically I would just utilise the DAC for a purely stereo signal.

Thanks again.