Digital Out on CD

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  • 02-02-2005, 05:39 PM
    Arc45
    Digital Out on CD
    Now I am showing my ignorance but what the heck is that Digital out for on my CD Player. what does it go to? How do I use it? Should I use it?
  • 02-03-2005, 07:24 AM
    bargainseeker
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Arc45
    Now I am showing my ignorance but what the heck is that Digital out for on my CD Player. what does it go to? How do I use it? Should I use it?
    Assuming you are talking about a conventional 2 channel CD player, the digital output is used to provide a stereo PCM signal from your CD player to a digital audio input on your receiver, preprocessor or preamplifier. You need a digital coaxial or composite video cable to make the connection and then you need to go into the menus on the CD player to turn on the PCM digital output and go into the menus on your receiver/prepro/preamp to associate that particular digital PCM input with the CD player. As to whether you should use it or not, I suggest you experiment to see if your system sounds better one way or the other.
  • 02-03-2005, 08:14 AM
    Feanor
    A little more explanation
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by bargainseeker
    Assuming you are talking about a conventional 2 channel CD player, the digital output is used to provide a stereo PCM signal from your CD player to a digital audio input on your receiver, preprocessor or preamplifier. ... As to whether you should use it or not, I suggest you experiment to see if your system sounds better one way or the other.
    Using the digital 'Out' on your CD player will by pass the DAC (digital analog converter) in the CD itself; instead, the DAC in your receiver will be used to perform this necessary function.

    Depending on the quality of the DAC in the player versus the one in the receiver, one might sound better than the other.