Best AV processors for under $10K

jdub39,

A bug in the Cary 11a causes it to not distinguish between LPCM and DSD via HDMI, so it provides no bass management with digital input. I presume the 8801 distinguishes the two and does provide bass management with LPCM. Is that correct? Can the 8801 be set to bypass XLR input from the 105, so you can listen to the analog output of the 105 rather than that of the 8801? If so, that does seem like a very nice setup.

db

As I understand it, DSD does not convey information for bass management; you need to convert to LPCM if you want bass management. The Oppo 105 can use either mode to achieve analog output. I use LPCM so the analog output from the 105 has bass management. The inputs of my Cary 11a are set to bypass, so the Oppo does the processing.

As I read a reply I got from Oppo service, the crossover is not operable with balanced (XLR) stereo output -- full range is sent to the mains. That's what I use for most music. Fortunately, my mains have LF extension to 20 Hz. The crossover is active for unbalanced (RCA) analog 7.1 output.

db

Kal, what is bass management? Are you saying the sub is only activated by LFE? What's the role of crossover? I thought when you set a crossover frequency in the Oppo menu, frequencies below the crossover would be sent to the SW output with LPCM conversion but not if the signal is maintained as DSD. With digital output, presumably setting a crossover in the processor menu sends frequencies below the crossover to the sub output of the processor. I've seen few 2.1 or 5.1 SACDs with an explicit LF channel. So please inform us. What is bass management?

db

Jdub39 wrote, "For the stereo version on an given sacd I prefer pure DSD but if that same disc has a 5.1 mix I prefer to covert it to PCM with Audyssey"

Doesn't that require changing the Oppo menu each time you switch between stereo and 5.1, or can you elect to convert DSD to PCM in the Marantz 8801, assuming you use digital input?

db

Dtc,
Your explanation comports exactly with my understanding, with the one caveat that the essence of DSD, Direct Streamed Digital, is purist, so the digital signal is unlikely to be manipulated.

Kr4 (Kal),
I don't understand your first paragraph; your second paragraph comports with my understanding.

Audiooracle,
I think the Cary Cinema 12 has the same problem as the 11a in that it does not distinguish between DSD and PCM so there is no bass management with digital input even if you select PCM. The 11a, and presumably the 12, is a fine sounding processor that, according to Michael Fremer's review, needs no passthrough to a separate preamp.

Thinking that the development of analog stereo preamps is much more stable than that of processors, I opted for Oppo 105 processing with pass-through to a Parasound JC-2 preamp. Stereo from the Oppo, a Sony 5400ES, and JC-3 phono stage go through the JC-2. Surround from the Oppo goes directly to the amps, SW to Velodyne SMS-1 that provides LF acoustic room correction for a pair of HGS-15s. The Oppo is set to output LPCM from SACDS; the Sony can output DSD.

db