Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Stereo Interconnecting for 2-channel listening

Hey all,
I'm awaiting the arrival of an Oppo BDP-83 and looking for some advice with 2-channel listening. I have M22's for my mains and currently a Harman Kardon AVR-354 for power and processing. I want to be able to take advantage of the Oppo's dedicated analog stereo output as it is supposed to have a decent stereo DAC. However, I need to get information to my sub to fill in the low end for the 22's. Can anyone suggest how to accomplish this without having to reconfigure interconnects between home theater listening and stereo listening. If the AVR does processing to apply bass management and send info via RCA sub-out, it's my understanding that the signal would be redigitized and any thing gained from the Oppo's stereo DAC would be lost when the HK runs the signal through its DAC.
I'd appreciate any advice.
Thanks,
Sips

Sips, your understanding is correct that the 354 would run an analog stereo input through its ADC/DAC in order to apply bass management in the digital realm. The rest of your discussion, however, appears to be based on a faulty premise: that the DAC in the player would somehow be audibly superior to the one in the receiver. DACs these days have advanced to the point that the small measurable differences which exist aren't of audible significance. Nothing appreciable is "lost" by the HK. Use the digital output of the player and don't worry about trivialities.

Sips, although JohnK speaks with an informed authority, his opinions are not universally accepted by people who also take seriously our ... what is it, a hobby, preoccupation, obsession, delight? whatever, our friends over at

AudioKarma

took the time to review various DACS and concluded that no 2 DACS had the same sound quality. Disturbing as that may be, this conclusion is based on the experience of a group of folks who took the time to inform themselves about this question.

Here is how one enthusiast ranked the various DACS compared:

1. MDA-1000 - all by itself at the top. Nothing else even came close.

2. Modwright Perpetual Technologies P3A with CIA power supply
3. Cambridge 840C CD player
4. Grace m902
5. Monarchy M24
6. Lite Dac-Ah modified by Pacific Valves
7. Lite DAC60
8. Music Hall CD player
9. McIntosh MDA-700
10.Adcom GDA-600

All DACS sound the same;
All CD players sound the same;
All solid state amplifiers sound the same;
All interconnects sound the same;
All speaker cabling sounds the same.

Now, I respect JohnK for the congenial uniformity of his opinions and his zeal in espousing what comes close to an orthodox set of opinions on the Axiom forums. On the other hand, I respectfully disagree with JohnK.

I agree DACs will not sound the same, but I wonder if I'm splitting hairs at the price point of the gear I'm talking about? The Oppo does, however, make a point of mentioning that the analog stereo output uses a different DAC chip than the multi channel output DAC via your pick of digitals (optical, coax, HDMI) This is what prompted me to come up with a solution to using the analog stereo output of the Oppo and still get low end info to my sub without using the bass management of the AVR, keeping the signal analog from the source. This is what I'm trying to figure out.

Yes, I know that's what you're trying to figure out, but the solution might not be acceptable: connect the sub with speaker wire to the speaker level inputs instead of running a coaxial cable from the receiver's sub output. Of course the bass management of the receiver wouldn't be available and you'd have to try to blend the sub output with its low pass filter control with the "natural" roll-off of the M22s.

From Audiokarma, the proof that this test is once again useless for concluding anything reasonable or rational other than personal preference for the pretty colours of boxes the DACs came in:
We listened to approximately the first two minutes of each of the three tracks listed above, in the same order, on each DAC, with me switching cables and matching levels as best I could.

Thanks for playing the game though.
Try spinning the wheel one more time...just for luck.
And remember audiokids, the world is flat...the world is flat...

One of these might help. They go for 59 Euros in Germany. You can find them on ebay once in a while.

Well, Chess, I suppose since those folks didn't meet your standards for a true, scientific double blind experiment, you just discount their observations altogether.

Seems like you have a bit of an attitude thing going for you there Chess. Just a thought ... it's not necessary to make it personal just because you disagree with someone about audio issues. Think about it.

Holy crap, those are some big pics. Makes this thread impossible to read.

No kidding. It is giving me a headache trying to get through it with all the side scrolling.