AsSiMiLaTeD
07-10-2004, 01:45 PM
I've got a wierd situation, hoping someone can explain this to me.
I have Pioneer 563A pulling CD, SACD< and DVD duty right now. I like the SACD performance, DVD video is okay, but the CD is kind of odd.
When I put in just a regular CD, I have two ways of hearing that CD through my receiver.
1 - I use the standard CD out jacks from the Pioneer to the receiver - Denon 3801 - and set the receiver to Direct mode.
2 - I use the 5.1 out jacks on the Pioneer to the 5.1 inputs on the receiver - obviously only the two channels would be passing a signal when listening to CD. With this setup, I set the receiver to ext-in, to use the 5.1 inputs.
I have it hooked up both ways and just switch to my preferred on the receiver.
I can do this with Hybrid SACDs also, and obviously I hear quite a difference when I go from Direct on the receiver (thereby using the CD in jacks) to Ext-In (using the 5.1 jacks). Obviously I get better better sound using the 5.1 jacks since that's where the Hi-Rez track is coming in.
Anyway, here's the odd thing. When I am playing a CD, I also hear a significant difference when switching the two. I can't figure out why??? Either way, the receiver shouldn't be doing anything except amplifying the signal, right? When in either Direct (CD) or Ext-In (5.1 input) mode, the receiver doesn't do anything to the sound except amplify it right?
So the question is - What is causing the discrepancy in sound? Is it something in the Pioneer working differently (like maybe the DACs in the 5.1 output path are different than those in the CD out path)??? I don't know, anyone got a clue?
By the way, the differences in sound: Through the CD out I get considerably more bass, through the 5.1 I 'think' the mids and highs are a bit better, not for sure there though...bass is the most noticaeble difference though.
I have Pioneer 563A pulling CD, SACD< and DVD duty right now. I like the SACD performance, DVD video is okay, but the CD is kind of odd.
When I put in just a regular CD, I have two ways of hearing that CD through my receiver.
1 - I use the standard CD out jacks from the Pioneer to the receiver - Denon 3801 - and set the receiver to Direct mode.
2 - I use the 5.1 out jacks on the Pioneer to the 5.1 inputs on the receiver - obviously only the two channels would be passing a signal when listening to CD. With this setup, I set the receiver to ext-in, to use the 5.1 inputs.
I have it hooked up both ways and just switch to my preferred on the receiver.
I can do this with Hybrid SACDs also, and obviously I hear quite a difference when I go from Direct on the receiver (thereby using the CD in jacks) to Ext-In (using the 5.1 jacks). Obviously I get better better sound using the 5.1 jacks since that's where the Hi-Rez track is coming in.
Anyway, here's the odd thing. When I am playing a CD, I also hear a significant difference when switching the two. I can't figure out why??? Either way, the receiver shouldn't be doing anything except amplifying the signal, right? When in either Direct (CD) or Ext-In (5.1 input) mode, the receiver doesn't do anything to the sound except amplify it right?
So the question is - What is causing the discrepancy in sound? Is it something in the Pioneer working differently (like maybe the DACs in the 5.1 output path are different than those in the CD out path)??? I don't know, anyone got a clue?
By the way, the differences in sound: Through the CD out I get considerably more bass, through the 5.1 I 'think' the mids and highs are a bit better, not for sure there though...bass is the most noticaeble difference though.