Help! I need to Hook up Denon DVD-2910!

[lowkey37]

I am having problems hooking up to my Marantz SR-8300. When playing CD's (peak) lights up on the Marantz. Also, do I set the speaker config on the DVD or bypass the DVD and let my Receiver do the work. Basically I need someone to step me through a proper hook-up, I plan on using HDMI to the back of my Sony 42in. LCD but after that-I am clueless on how to properly hook this player to my Marantz. Thanks for any input!

[topspeed]

I'll tell you how I have mine hooked up and we'll go from there:

1) Run a digital toslink/coax from the 2910 to your AVR and assign the input in your AVR's menu's. This will allow DTS, DD, and if you want, use of the Marantz dac's for standard audio playback. For cd's, you should keep in mind the BB 1791 dac's onboard the Denon are state of the art. However, now you can choose which sounds better to you by simply choosing either digital or analog input.

2) Run 6 RCA's from the 2910 to the pre-outs/ext.in on your AVR. This will be for SACD/DVD-A. You'll use "External Input" on your AVR when listening to hi-rez.

3) Run the HDMI from the 2910 directly to your set.

That's it. Video is handled via HDMI and all of your audio is now good to go. Just remember when listening to hi-rez, you'll need to switch the input to "ext. in" or whatever Marantz calls it.

Hope this helps.

[lowkey37]

For digital the sound will go through the toslink-right? Analog will be hooked up through the red/white rca hookups and need to be on CD? So for cd's I can choose the digital or the analog by having two inputs? The digital out on the 2910 will go to a digital input on the Marantz and the analog out on the 2910 will go to the analog CD inputs on the Marantz?

[topspeed]

For digital the sound will go through the toslink-right? Correct. Audio, and only audio, is transmitted via toslink.

Analog will be hooked up through the red/white rca hookups and need to be on CD?If you are planning on listening to hi-rez (SACD/DVD-A) you will need to plug in the 6 rca's on the back of the Denon labeled "5.1 Ch. Output." not the "2ch. Audio Out." They do not need to be hooked up for RBCD (i.e. regular cd's). They do need to be hooked up for multi-channel hi-rez, which I'm assuming you want to hear as you bought a universal player.
So for cd's I can choose the digital or the analog by having two inputs? What you can choose is where you want the audio processing to take place. If you choose "analog" input on your AVR, the Denon will process the sound. If you choose "digital" input, the Marantz will process the sound. Which is better? You tell us. I don't know what Digital to Analog Converters (DAC's) the Marantz uses, but the Burr Browns in the Denon are some of the very best.
The digital out on the 2910 will go to a digital input on the Marantz and the analog out on the 2910 will go to the analog CD inputs on the Marantz?Yes on the digital, no on the analog. The 6 RCA's from the Denon will go the multi-channel inputs into the Marantz, not the cd.

Here's your back panel:
http://www.marantz.com/archive//e_sr8300_bck.gif

If you look at this image, you will plug the toslink into one of the three digital inputs, second row from the left. Pick one, it doesn't matter. Just remember to assign the input in your set-up menu. How do you do that? RTFM. The 6 RCA's will then go two rows to the right of the toslink in the row labeled "7.1CH-IN" (fourth row from the left). They're below the antenna input and ground. Make sure you label your cables so you know which goes where.

Hope this helps.

[lowkey37]

So when listening to the CD. I will need to change the source from digital(marantz decoding) to analog(denon decoding) or vice versa manually from my Marantz Input selector in the onscreen menu. And the analog signal goes through the 6 cables in the 7.1 ch.inputs. In order to judge which sound I prefer! Thanks again for your help-Now if I can get all the settings in the 2910 menu setup properly. My last DVD player Marantz dv-6200 was very basic but provided outstanding video and audio. Mike