DVDA/SACD Connections to 1066

[Mike Hayes]

I am considering purchasing a Pioneer 563A ($180) universal player to replace my Toshiba SD5700. I am currently using just the digital connection (not using the 5 analog cables for DVDA). This will be my first experience with DVDA/SACD in conjunction with my 1066 so please bear with me.

1. When using both the digital and analog connections, will the analog connections be used only for DVDA and SACD? Does the DVD player usually automatically send the DVDA/SACD signal through the analog cables and DTS/DD DVD movie tracks through the digital cable?

2. Assuming that the DVD player passes the signal for movies via the digital cable, it seems that bass management would be handled via the 1066. Assuming that the DVD player has bass management capability, when the dvd player sends SACD/DVDA out via the analog cables, does bass management take place via the 1066 or the DVD player? Which is preferable, BM via the DVD player or the 1066 for SACD/DVDA?

3. I have a sub/sat system and always have all speakers set to small, sub set to yes, and the crossover on the 1066 set to 60HZ. What should I expect if I leave these settings in place and pop in an SACD output to the 1066 via the analog cables from the DVD player?

Some of this is redundant but I a complete newbie when it comes to multichannel connections, BM, universal players, and how all of this will work with my 1066.

[Mike Hayes]

2 more questions:

Does the 1066 treat a DVDA/SACD just like any other CD if you are not using the analog cables but rather the digital cable?

Can you use 2 or 3 analog cables to the 1066 from the DVD player to get a 2 or 3 channel stereo DVDA/SACD playback? My surrounds are 601s while my fronts are 805s and center is a HTM2 and so, my thought would be to perhaps try 3 channel SACD/DVDA but do not know if there would really be a benefit to this.

[Andrew Pratt]

1. When using both the digital and analog connections, will the analog connections be used only for DVDA and SACD?

Yes

Does the DVD player usually automatically send the DVDA/SACD signal through the analog cables and DTS/DD DVD movie tracks through the digital cable?

Yes...And you will select the DVD in[ut for movies and the MulitChannel input on the Rotel for SACD etc

2. Assuming that the DVD player passes the signal for movies via the digital cable, it seems that bass management would be handled via the 1066.

correct

Assuming that the DVD player has bass management capability, when the dvd player sends SACD/DVDA out via the analog cables, does bass management take place via the 1066 or the DVD player?

It should occur in the player.

Which is preferable, BM via the DVD player or the 1066 for SACD/DVDA?

Depends For the 1066 I'd say the player.

3. I have a sub/sat system and always have all speakers set to small, sub set to yes, and the crossover on the 1066 set to 60HZ. What should I expect if I leave these settings in place and pop in an SACD output to the 1066 via the analog cables from the DVD player?

Depends on a number of factors. First have you done the resistor fix on your pre amp and are you using the latest frmware? If you have done both these then what you get will depend on what bass management features are available on the DVD player. Assuming you have the flexibility to set speaker size and cross overs etc it should function in a similar way to a regular DVD. If you don't have the resistors cut though what will happen is that any signal below 100 hz sent to the mains will automatically be copied and sent to the sub as well. This would cause a much louder signal being sent to the sub then what its supposed to get. Interestlying enough though in theory if your DVD player has good bass management and you've set your fronts to small so that no bass below 100 goes to the fronts the bass "doubleing" wouldn't effect you that much since the sub 100 hz material would already have been rerouted by the player...this would only work if you set the cross over high enough and you set your mains to small in the player...setting them to large would trigger the problem again.

[Danbry39]

Just want to stress one point that Andrew made, because it threw me for a loop when I was first trying out DVD-A a few months back.

To play multi-channel DVD-A's or SACD's, you have to push either the "Multi-imput" button on the Rotel's front panel or the EXT-IN button on the remote. That just tells the Rotel that you want the sonic path to default to the audio connections. If you have the older 969 remote, the EXT-IN button is found in the groupings of buttons under the slide down panel. If you have the newer, 970?, remote, I think, but am not sure, that the button is found near the top of the remote and needs to be held down for 2 or more seconds to activate. Hopefully, someone with the newer remote will confirm this.




Keith

[med]

I can't remember the model number for the new remote. I think it may be the 1050. And yes, you are correct; to select the 5.1 analog input, you must hold down the 'ext in' button on the top right (far right of the second row i believe) for 1-2 seconds.

Also, I'm not sure about the pioneer player, but my universal player (Denon DVD-2900) ALWAYS passes a signal out of the analog outputs, regardless of whether it's music, movies, SACDs, or DVD-A. Of course, using a digital connection is preferable for movies, especially since no players decode the extra centre back channels for 6.1 or 7.1 systems, as far as I know...

[Mike Hayes]

Thanks, Club Rotel! This is very helpful.

Andrew, I have not done the BM fix. It makes me somewhat nervous - I would hate to void the warranty. I guess at some point I need to buck up and send the unit in. This will be tough because I do not have a back up pre/pro.

I have decided to hold off on buying a new player for now. It looks like there are going to be a lot more companies coming out with less expensive universal players and so, I think I will just try to connect my Toshiba via the analog connections to the 1066 and try it out. I am also interested in the new Rotel 1060. I would like a good all around player but audio is probably more important to me.