What is?............

[kingpin]

Forgive my noobness.

Could I get some definitions to these terms that are used here often?
I know Google is my friend but I think this could help other noobs also.

1.Red Book CD.
2.Transport
3.Pre/Pro
4.CDP

I have always wondered about red book. Does this just mean a regular cd?

Another question I have is.

When someone says they are listening to or buying a DVD Audio disc is that a special dvd. I have bought The Eagles(Hotel California), Tragically Hip(One night in Toronto), Ozzy Osbourne(Live and Loud) and Chris Isaac(Soundstage). The Eagles and the Hip sound awesome but the other 2 are un-listenable.
I was wondering is there something specific that makes a quality DVD audio disc that you look for.

Thanks
Mike

[P-Dub]

1. - Red Book CD - I think this is a standard on how regular CD's are recorded.
2. - Transport - This just spins your CD. There is no digital to analog conversion done. Therefore you would need a seperate digital to analog converter to process the data to actual music.
3. - Pre/Pro - Preamplifier/Processor - Think of a receivier with out the amplification. You fee the signal in, it does the number crunching and you feed the signal out to a seperat amplification unit.
4. - CDP - I have no clue.

A DVD Audio disc is a different format. It requires a DVD-A decoder. I think when you bought the Eagles and Trigically Hip those were hybrid discs. So you could have played them on a regular CD player. The other DVD-A discs will only play on a DVD-A player.

Those are some simple definitions. I hope somebody can provide a bit more detail.

[dtb300]

4. - CDP - I have no clue.

CD Player

[wkhanna]

.....definitions to these terms that are used here often?

4.CDP

CDP or CDp = Compact Disc Player

Typically, here it refers to a single disc player that also incorporates the DAC, aka, Digital to Analog Conveter ( the thingy that a pure transport does not have).

[kingpin]

Thanks Paul.

One thing I have just noticed are the Eagles and Tragically DVD's say they are"encoded with an uncompressed OCM soundtrack for optimum stereo fidelity".

I am playing them through my Oppo DV981 which can play dvd-a.
Although I am palying them through the optical connector.

Mike

[kingpin]

So a lot of you guys go...

speakers--amp--dac--pre--dac--transport

Is this correct.

[wkhanna]

I go backwards.......

Transport > DAC > Pre > Amp > Speakers.

But my DAC is actualy in my CDp.

A pre/pro is synonymous with an AV receiver except it does not have an amp. But both have DAC’s.

Most all CDp's have two types of outputs, analog and digital.
If you use the analog outputs, you are using the DAC in the CDp.
If you use the digital output, you must use the DAC that is in your pre/pro / AV receiver to convert the digital information from the CD to an analog signal that the amp can use. Or use a separate DAC. An amp must have an analog signal.

[PewterTA]

Mike...

In order to play DVD-A you must have the analog connections hooked up to your DVD player. Not the stereo L/Rs, but the 6.1/7.1 connections from your DVD player out to your Pre/Pro. If you are using the digital signal then you are listening to the DD/DTS version of the disc and not the true uncompressed version.

Bill has it right, there should be no DAC between your Amp and Pre...though you could have some time of equalization unit to account for room calibrations and what not. Heck, even an active crossover could be put in there to separate the signals to go to different amps to drive different drivers on your speakers...

Bill, as far as the quality of the DVD-A or SACD, it's all dependent upon the same thing Redbook audio is... the mixer/engineer. He/She can make something sound like crap in any format. :rofl: But if they are good, even a Redbook audio disc can sound very similar to a DVD-A/SACD disc...but you can hear the limitations to the Redbook Audio when comparing.

[kingpin]

So, if I hook up my oppo with the analogue connections to an open input on my receiver can I also have the digital connected at the same time to use for movies.

I am currently running a 4.0 system. Fronts and rears. Although it is really a 4.2 system. My mains have a couple of 12"woofers on top that are used as subs. I have an active crossover that I cross my mains to the 12's at anywhere between 60-100hz.

Mike

[wkhanna]

So, if I hook up my oppo with the analogue connections to an open input on my receiver can I also have the digital connected at the same time to use for movies.

Mike

Yep, you got it. You just use your receiver to select which type of signal you want it to use form your Oppo. I use my Oppo 976 for movies, and for SACD or DVD-A . When playing movies, I have my RSP-1066 use the digital output from the Oppo, for SACD or DVD-A, I tell it to use the analog outputs.
Coincidently, my system is 4.0, too (for the time being). So I have the center and sub channels turned off and run my front mains in full/large mode. It is a compromise, but for now it works OK.

Dan, thanks for chiming in, your knowledge if far grater than mine in these areas, as is your ability to explain these technical details.

[OttoMatic]

So, if I hook up my oppo with the analogue connections to an open input on my receiver can I also have the digital connected at the same time to use for movies.

I am currently running a 4.0 system. Fronts and rears. Although it is really a 4.2 system. My mains have a couple of 12"woofers on top that are used as subs. I have an active crossover that I cross my mains to the 12's at anywhere between 60-100hz.

Mike

Yes, you could connect the 5.1 from the Oppo to the receiver, as well as the optical from the Oppo to the receiver. When watching movies, you could access audio from either source if it's selected -- if you select your analog 5.1 input, the movie's audio can come from there, and if you select the digital input, your recevier will do the processing.

This is similar to the DAC discussion as related to CD players. If you select the 5.1 input, then your Oppo is doing the DAC work for the audio. If you select the digital input, then your receiver is doing the DAC work.

Either way, be sure to set up your decoder (whichever piece is being used as the "DAC") to NOT use a center channel if you are using a 4.x system. That center channel information needs to be redirected to the main L/R speakers, and will be if you indicate to the decoder that there is no center channel present.

[John Holmes]

Hello Kingpin,

Just thought you'd like to know. There is a very well written glossary of terms at the "Starting Block" section of the forum. It's a sticky right at the top. It my give you even more info.

[littlesaint]

Mike...

In order to play DVD-A you must have the analog connections hooked up to your DVD player. Not the stereo L/Rs, but the 6.1/7.1 connections from your DVD player out to your Pre/Pro. If you are using the digital signal then you are listening to the DD/DTS version of the disc and not the true uncompressed version.

Some of the more recent DVD players (like my Panasonic S97) will output the DVD-A track as uncompressed multichannel PCM over HDMI to a receiver (or pre/pro) that supports multichannel PCM over HDMI.

[kingpin]

Thanks for all the info gentlemen.
I think I will try the analogue connections on my Oppo this weekend.

Can someone still clarify for me what I should look for when I am looking to buy DVD-A.

Thanks for pointing the glossary out to me John. It has helped answer some other questions.

Mike

[kingpin]

So I am hooking things up this way. If someone could look over this and tell me if I am correct.

Oppo is being connected with digital(spdif) for movies, and analog(RCA) for music.
This way I get the uncompressed version for music via analog, and the DD/DTS digital signal via SPDIF for movies. The receiver(Yamaha RVV-1600) will be the DAC for movies and the OPPO will be the DAC for music.

My older Yamaha dvd/cd 5-disc carousel(only for music) is connected with the SPDIF so the receiver is the DAC.

Next question. If I connect the analog connections for ONLY the front and rear speakers(my subs are part of my mains) will I still get a low frequency through the front speakers. Which is what I want.

Thanks
Mike

[wkhanna]

I am no expert, but I think if you configure your Oppo to use only the front mains in full/large setting with sub option turned off, it will route the decoded info for the center, surrounds and LF to the front mains.

Somebody jump in and correct me if I am wrong, I don't want to be putting up bad info here!

[John Holmes]

Thanks for pointing the glossary out to me John. It has helped answer some other questions.

Your welcome! Clive and David did a nice job with putting it togther and maintaining it. Glad it helped out.