Player decoding or Receiver decoding, that is the question

[Tok]

Originally Posted by axe79

Yep, totally confused, but my EARS aren't. (don't do DVD)

Point 1) What you don't take into account with this theory is the length of the signal path and timing issues, or the chip quality doing the decoding!

Point 2) Bitstream I get 5:1 sound, I watch and enjoy the film. Not bothered that the 7:1 is stripped out, or that I don't get the directors talk about how he made the film. I just want to enjoy the film and be emotionally moved by it. Give me the movie sound track and let it rip.

On another note, I really enjoy my food (and wine), I mean really enjoy!
Personally can cook to a Michelin Star standard and have high end wines laid down in bond. There is a saying in chefing about customers "they can't tell the difference between shit and chocolate" meaning they can't tell good from bad. It appears the same can be said on other things.

People have Music / AV systems of various quality and what configuration sounds good on one doesn't mean it will sound as good on another. Serious upgrades (and costs) are made in getting a three dimensional sound stage having sweetness/attack/balance/texture/ foot taping involvement.
The problem is that on AV systems without having the background knowledge and doing mods you can't buy off the shelf anything that will hold a candle to really good Hi Fi.
It is a great pity that not much attention is placed on the Main supply and the noise carried on it which effects everything, or on the crossovers in speakers.
Address that and discover what a clean signal path really is like and you will be amazed. (or your Ears will be!)

We are talking about sound, and I don't really care what buttons light up on the receiver, what I care about is the performance!
Just as if I went to a concert and got lifted by the music/acoustics of the theater.
Having heard a opera singer perform in the Roman amphitheater in Lucca/Itally (Puccini's home) that was one bloody good reference performance that moved my soul.

That's what matters, what moves ones soul.

wow? sounds like an induction into the world of audiophile snobery...

Have you ever heard of law of diminishing returns? A $100,000 system is not necesarily 10x better than one costing $10,000.

Just because you spend more does not make it better, there are way too many factors involved to audio reproduction that can colorize the final sound. Sounds to me like you like to look at the fancy nameplates you overpaid for.

There's a lot of snakeoil in the audiophile world, I have some purple markers that will reduce the jitter with your BDs if you would like?