SACD via HDMI to AVR600?

[pete321]

The Arcam AVR600 can't decode DSD, but can you still send a PCM decoded DSD signal from your player via HDMI? I assume this would be preferable over using analogue outputs from the player.

 

[hammill]

I don't think it is preferable (depending on the quality of the DACS on the SACD player). I think your PCM signal is lower quality than SACD.

 

[hammill]

Should have ended "via DSD"

 

[pete321]

hammill:I don't think it is preferable (depending on the quality of the DACS on the SACD player). I think your PCM signal is lower quality than SACD.

I don't have the option of DSD with my AVR600, so the only choice is to let the player (Oppo BDP-83) decode and send either via analogue or PCM over HDMI. I'm assuming the 1 cable HDMI option to be the best out of these 2 available to me.

 

[pete321]

Just found the answer elsewhere. The Oppo apparently gives the unusual option when using analogue outs of being able to choose between DSD to analogue or DSD to PCM to Analogue conversion. The DSD option being the better missing out on the unnecessary PCM conversion. In view of that using the analogue outs on the Oppo for SACD playback seems to be the best option rather than HDMI which would have to be PCM to the AVR600.

More cables!

 

[Anonymous]

"The Arcam AVR600 can't decode DSD"

Pete - are you sure? There is a review of the Arcam AVR600 in another publication this month where they have an Oppo hooked up to the Arcam and it does decode DSD. It doesn't display DSD on the Arcam but it does do it.

I would dig out the article for you but am in hospital almost 24/7 at the moment as my son popped into the world rather earlier than we expected!

 

[Anonymous]

Had the magazine in my hospital bag. The reviewer had an Oppo DV980 H feeding DSD into the Oppo. This capability wasn't listed in the manual and apparently the Chairman of Arcam wasn't aware that this was possible but it was and apparently sounded fantastic.

 

[pete321]

The SACD signal being sent by HDMI to the AVR600 will be converted from DSD to PCM by the Oppo, still a lot better than normal CD, but not as good as a straight DSD to analouge conversion. In effect you can only get DSD to PCM to Analogue via HDMI to the AVR600. Other cheaper receivers incorporate DSD decoding, but Arcam it seems failed to add this on a £3.5K receiver!

 

[Anonymous]

Tried both HDMI and multichannel analogue to the Arcam from the Oppo and the HDMI sounded better. A little fuller, deeper and clearer. Said PCM on the amp, but no idea whether it was or not, either way, we calibrated the analogues and still found it sounded better for SACD over HDMI. So there you are One cable to rule them all. LOL.

 

[pete321]

Interesting, with the analogue outs for SACD, did you set the Oppo to DSD rather PCM. If not, the conversion would be DSD to PCM before being converted to analogue, effectively the same as HDMI albeit that the type of analogue cables would affect the sound more than HDMI.

I can't find it now, but there was a quite a bit of technical info on it on another site (not that one) relating to the Oppo. If the Oppo has to convert DSD to PCM because the AV amp doesn't accept DSD via HDMI, the sound is comprimised. The deduction was to set the analogues on the Oppo to DSD and thereby cut out the PCM conversion. Guess I'll find out for myself tomorrow!

 

[Anonymous]

Indeed you will. My Oppo arrives either on Friday or Saturday, so will need to buy some SACDs and get back to you!

 

[pete321]

Will Harris:Indeed you will. My Oppo arrives either on Friday or Saturday, so will need to buy some SACDs and get back to you!

I've already ordered several, I've found Play.com and Amazon to be the cheapest.

 

[Anonymous]

Which discs have you ordered. I guess Pink Floyd will have to be on the list. It's a shame more pop/rock doesn't go to SACD. It's a fantastic format for taking music to the next level of immersion, though to be honest, it's nothing that couldn't be done on BluRay at the highest bit-rates. This is the way the music industry should go. It's the added value that is currently missing from CDs. I've never been able to understand how a CD could cost £10 and a DVD the same. The level of work that goes into them both is in a different league. At least with SACD you have a great deal more resolution and a lot more sound-scaping. It feels like a more thoroughly engineered "performance". I'd pay for that. CD's just don't immerse me in the performance. They sound flat and very two dimensional. That's just my view of course.

 

[pete321]

No Pink Floyd, not my thing. Final Straw - Snow Patrol / Scary Monsters - Bowie / Shaking The Tree - Peter Gabriel / Thriller - Michael Jackson (HMV, Japan) / Decade of Song - Celine Dion / Mozart's Finest Pieces.

Wouldn't mind but I used to have quite a few until I sold them and they cost a fortune to replace now, have you seen how much The Best of Roxy Music goes for! Just wish we could have some more mainstream releases, the Snow Patrol SACD was the only recent one (and that's not that recent!) which took my fancy. I don't mind the odd bit of classical and jazz, but it's certainly not my favourite choice, apparently audiophile music can only be considered in those two genres.