Player decoding or Receiver decoding, that is the question

[welwynnick]

Originally Posted by EWL5

Was Source Direct "ON" for the Denon when outputting LPCM? If not, you were applying bass management to the PCM for any speakers designated as SMALL in the Denon player. The Denon 3800 is unique in that it treats PCM like the analog outputs when Source Direct is "OFF" and some speakers are SMALL. Since it treats PCM like analog at this point, there is an additional -5dB hole in LFE when it arrives to your prepro. If your prepro can only boost LFE by the nominal +10dB, that will not be enough with speakers set to SMALL in the Denon player!

In other words, the only fair comparison to Denon bitstreaming is Denon decoding to PCM with Source Direct "ON."

Good point, but no - I had speakers set to large. I have been depending on the bass of my front speakers, Acoustic Energy Evo 3, or Acoustat hybrid electrostatics, depending on the day (I've been chopping and changin a great deal).

I've been varnishing my home built Rythmik DS12 servo sub this week, and I only finished screwing it back together tonight.

Nick