How should I connect my RCD 1070?

[rotel&energy]

Currently, my RCD 1070 is connected to my receiver (1055) via analog cables. Does anyone suggest connecting the 1070 w/ a digital interconnect to my receiver? Just wondering what other people's opinions were and if they've tried it.

Thanks :T

Chris

[Dmantis]

I would get the best Analog interconnects your money can buy.It also depends on which DAC's sound better.They actually might be the same.I'm no Rotel expert so looking into the DAC's might be the key.Also one other thing,biggest one is which one sounds better.It doesn't matter which way you go as long as it's the best possible sound reproduction method possible.

Thats the goal here,
Dan

[Aussie Geoff]

Unless you are listening in Pure Stereo - Digital may be best

Chris,

This is a good question and an often misunderstood issue.

Some basics:

• All sounds on a CD are digitally recorded.
• Generally a high quality CD player like the RCD-1070 will have dedicated digital to analogue converters (DACs) optimised for playing back the 44Kz PCM signal on the CD.
• These CD dedicated DACs will generally be better at CD sound than the quality of the DACs in your receiver.
• Hence many people recommending the high quality analogue cables from your CD player.
• Now for this to work, you mast have the receiver set in a Pure Direct, or Bypass mode where it does no processing on the analogue signal.
• As soon as you introduce a subwoofer or any surround processing such as Dolby Prologic IIx, then the receiver will re digitise the analogue sound using Analogue to Digital Converters (Ads), process it digitally, and then convert back to analogue.
• Each such conversion will involve a audible loss of quality – essentially more than loosing any benefits of using the DACs in the CD player.
• So if you regularly listen to the CD using the subwoofer or in anything other than pure stereo – almost certainly you will be better off with a quality digital cable (I like Coax).
• With a quality digital feed all the bass processing or the other surround processing is done on the raw digital signal.
• Interestingly (and to my amazement at the time) I (and many others) have found that a quality CD player like the RCD-1070 or RCD-1072 produces a markedly better digital signal sound that a cheaper one - IE even with the digital cable the benefits of your investment in the good CD player pay off.
• Equally (and to my even greater amazement) I have found that digital cables affect the sound significantly - so try and get a good one and listen carefully (forum sponsor www.catcables.com has bood digital and analog cables).

Personally I have both set-up for my Rotel RCD-1072 into different device inputs on my surround processor – that way I can choose to listen in either pure stereo on one via analogue , or ProLogic IIx Music on the other via digital.

Geoff