Audio out to RCA input on new Sony TV's?

As I understand it, you need to get the analog audio TV output into your preamp with the best quality audio possible.

As was stated by Rbrowne above, I also take the RCA output from my cable box to my Ayre integrated amplifier. I use an HDMI cable from my cable box to my TV for video.

My Wave Broadband/TiVO cable box has a setting used to output the audio to the RCA jacks and NOT the HDMI cable. This means the HDMI cable carries the video to the TV and the cable box outputs the audio to my amplifier (in your case, a pre-amp).

What cable box are you using? Does it have RCA output jacks? If yes, I suggest you take the audio output from your cable box direct to your pre-ampliifier. Please check the audio output setting on your cable box to enable the capability. Does this solve the problem?

Another problem I had was that my Sony BDP-S6500 Blu-Ray player (new model priced at $129 at Best Buy) does NOT have RCA output jacks. Unfortunately, the newer blu-ray players do NOT have RCA jacks.

In my case, I used the HDMI cable to my TV (Video & audio) and ran RCA jacks (audio only) from my TV to my Ayre integrated amplifier. Unfortunately, in your case, your TV does not have RCA jacks. Do you have a blu-ray player? If, yes, what output jacks does it have? If your blu-ray player has RCA jacks, the audio problem is solved. You connect the blu-ray player audio RCA output signal to your pre-amplifier.

For example, the Music Hall DAC15.2 (Amazon price is $249) is a three input solid-state DAC that has 3 digital inputs (usb, optical, coaxial). Hopefully, your blu-ray player has outputs that match the Music Hall DAC. I know you said you preferred not to buy a DAC. I believe the only way to take the audio output from a blu-ray player (without RCA jacks) is to convert the digital signal to analog using a DAC.

See this link for the Music Hall DAC (If the link does not work, copy it your your browser):

http://musichallaudio.com/dac15-2/

There are many DAC’s on the market that could be used for this. I selected the Music Hall DAC15.2 because its price is reasonable (under $300) and it supports usb, optical, coaxial connections. What do you think?

Dbphd: I totally agree. The problem is the Ayre AX-7e integrated amplifier ONLY has balanced (XLR) and RCA input jacks. Unfortunately, the Ayre amplifier does not have HDMI or coaxial inputs.

While I prefer to get high quality sound from my blu-ray player, the Ayre AX-7e does not provide that option. The only solution, I guess, is to sell the Ayre and replace it with another unit that has HDMI or coaxial inputs. I really like my Ayre AX-7e and prefer to keep it. Any suggestions?

Dbphd: My problem is solved. I purchased the Musical Fidelity M1 DAC and run a coaxial cable from my Sony BDP-S6500 Blu-Ray player to the MD M1 DAC.

Since the MD M1 DAc is "balanced", I can run balanced interconnects from the M! DAC to my Ayre AX-7e amplifier. I received the MD M1 DAC today and hope to receive the coaxial and interconnect XLR cables next week.

As I described above, I am using a coaxial cable from my Sony BDP-S6500 Blu-Ray player to the MD M1 DAC. It sounds great.

My next step was to improve the audio from my TV. I tried the optical (Toslink) output from my Pioneer TV to my Musical Fidelity M1 DAC but discovered it does not work. Since I am using HDMI from my cable box to my TV, the optical output signal is blocked. Pioneer said there is NO digital signal if HDMI is used for the inout.

I then noticed my TiVo Cable Box has a optical digital output connection (Toslink). I connected my Wireworld Supernova 7 Glass Toslink cable from my cable box to my Musical Fidelity M1 DAC and it worked. Well, not exactly. I had to change my TV audio settings to PCM output and then it worked.

The sound is much improved from using my cable box RCA's to my Ayre AX-7e amplifier. I am running a balanced cable from my M1 DAC to my balanced Ayre AX-7e amp. The MF M1 DAC has four inputs for source inputs.

If you are looking to improve the audio sound of your TV, you might want to check your cable box and see if it makes sense to use a digital output to a DAC.