I purchased a Marantz SR 4500 AV receiver about 3 years ago. Paired with Wharfedale Diamond 9s, works beautifully. It's capable of decoding DTS:ES (6.1 channel). Just wondering what is the best way to use it to decode DTS-HD Master Audio in Blu-Ray discs. As I see it, I can do one of 4 things:
[*]Option 1: Buy an expensive Blu-Ray player capable of decoding DTS Master Audio and feed the audio stream directly to a 7.1 in analogue input of my Marantz, thus bypassing its internal DTS circuitry. But that would amount to using Marantz as merely an amplifier. Is this a good option?
[*]Option 2: Buy an ordinary Blu-Ray player, capable of decoding DTS-HD Master Audio, but connect from its digital coaxial or optical out to my Marantz input counterparts. I believe it may still process the DTS core sound, and perhaps not the extensions - so not true DTS-HD Master experience. Does anyone know the transmission loss in this case?
[*]Option 3: Buy an external processor and a normal Blu-Ray player. Use the DTS decoding of the processor to feed into the Marantz 7.1 analogue inputs Even this option reduces the existing Marantz into a mere amp.
[*]Option 4: Upgrade to a new Marantz or Denon receiver. Hate the idea of 'wasting money' (spent considerably on this Marantz just 3 years ago!).
Can someone suggest what's the best option, both from a monetary and audiophile perspective? Also, am I missing any other trick to scale up the existing Marantz (like, can one add DTS-HD Master Audio decoding circuitry externally to an AV receiver, like we upgrade firmware of computers?).
Cheers!
[*]Option 1: Buy an expensive Blu-Ray player capable of decoding DTS Master Audio and feed the audio stream directly to a 7.1 in analogue input of my Marantz, thus bypassing its internal DTS circuitry. But that would amount to using Marantz as merely an amplifier. Is this a good option?
[*]Option 2: Buy an ordinary Blu-Ray player, capable of decoding DTS-HD Master Audio, but connect from its digital coaxial or optical out to my Marantz input counterparts. I believe it may still process the DTS core sound, and perhaps not the extensions - so not true DTS-HD Master experience. Does anyone know the transmission loss in this case?
[*]Option 3: Buy an external processor and a normal Blu-Ray player. Use the DTS decoding of the processor to feed into the Marantz 7.1 analogue inputs Even this option reduces the existing Marantz into a mere amp.
[*]Option 4: Upgrade to a new Marantz or Denon receiver. Hate the idea of 'wasting money' (spent considerably on this Marantz just 3 years ago!).
Can someone suggest what's the best option, both from a monetary and audiophile perspective? Also, am I missing any other trick to scale up the existing Marantz (like, can one add DTS-HD Master Audio decoding circuitry externally to an AV receiver, like we upgrade firmware of computers?).
Cheers!