raypalmer:Salesperson should have explained all this to you already...
The DAC (Digital Analogue Converter) takes the binary code from a Digital Source and transforms it into musical waveform. The quality of a DAC dictates the sound quality you will receive. Thing is, your Onkyo doesn't have a particularly bad DAC, so running things straight to that should sound fine. Difference between the CA and Onkyo should still be noticeable to a critical ear though. The quad Wolfson arrangement in the CA has garnered a lot of praise.
The most simple explanation for you is to use stereo interconnects from your cd player to your 905. This way you are using the DAC in the cd player which is a very good one. If you used a digital connection from cd player to 905, you will then be using the DAC from the 905, which although decent for an AV receiver, no where near as good as the 840C. You can use the 840C as a DAC by connecting it to a computer, tuner, Sky/Virgin/Freesat box with digital output. This will then send the digital feed to the 840C and the DAC would be used before sending it to your 905 (which should be connected to the 840C by RCA again).