Need Help with Oppo Analog Out > Denon Analog In Setup

QuadraphonicQuad

Help Support QuadraphonicQuad:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

mrcond

1K Club - QQ Shooting Star
QQ Supporter
Joined
Jun 12, 2009
Messages
1,276
Location
Vernon, CT
I have an Oppo BDP-83SE and a Denon AVR 2312CI and want to try something but am having an issue that I hope someone can help with. The Denon AVR does not have multichannel analog inputs so I connect the two with HDMI and use the Denon's DACs for playback of anything coming from the Oppo. However, I would like to try using the Oppo's DACs for stereo sources such as stereo SACDs, because I believe they are superior to the Denon DACs. I connected the stereo analog out from the Oppo to the CD stereo analog in on my Denon, and when I choose this input in the Denon and try and play an SACD, it plays intermittently with stops and starts. I think it is trying to make an HDMI handshake or something. Is there a setting in either the Oppo or the Denon that would allow for the smooth transfer of stereo analog out without having to disconnect the HDMI cable every time I want to listen to a stereo source? Or am I stuck using HDMI connection (and therefore the Denon stereo DACs) exclusively?

I figure this must have been covered somewhere but I did a search and could not find anything. Thanks!
 
Yes,
Are you playing the SACD stereo layer? It couldn’t hurt to see if the Denon cd input is configured for analog.
Yes, it was a stereo-only SACD I was playing. SACD layer, not the CD layer.

I tried to find a setting like what you suggested but was not able to. It is an analog jack, so I would think it is automatically configured for analog.
 
I also have an 83SE. The big difference between it and a standard 83 was the upgrade to the stereo DAC, so you may well be correct with the idea that it offers better performance than your Denon AVR.

I don't recall any Oppo menu control that affects the stereo analog jacks. Choosing DSD or PCM shouldn't matter either with regard to the analog outputs, but if there is a DAC issue with the Oppo, it may get carried through. I keep mine connected with both an analog and HDMI connection and don't have issues.

I'd look to setup on the Denon. What are the settings for the analog input you are using on the Denon? What mode is The Denon in? Does it have a "Direct" audio mode so the AVR isn't re-digitizing the signal? Have you tried more than one disc? Do other analog sources play OK?
 
Last edited:
Thanks everyone for your help. I’m not home right now to check these settings but will later today.
 
Last edited:
I had a chance to tinker with this some more. I confirmed that the intermittent stop/start playing problem ONLY occurs with the SACD layers (multi-channel or stereo) and not the RBCD layer of a SACD. It does not occur with regular RBCDs at all - everything works fine through the analog inputs there. I tried virtually all settings in both the Oppo and the Denon AVR related to analog stereo outputs, SACD playback, HDMI ouput/input, or the CD analog input. So my best guess is it is some sort of digital conflict for HDMI when SACD is playing (SACD was always a tricky beast, with all its digital rights protection, inability to play through certain digital connections, etc.).

Here are the only 2 things that "fixed" the problem:
1. Disconnect the HDMI cable between the Oppo and the AVR.
OR
2. In the AVR setup menu, turn the HDMI setting for the Blu-Ray input (which is what I normally use for all my optical disc playback) to "None".

These are the only ways I can play SACD stereo through the analog outputs on my Oppo to analog inputs on my AVR. Both are too much of a hassle to be worth it.
 
Back
Top