Using a stereo DAC with DVD?

Apologies for the number of threads I've put up tonight, but it's been a busy day.

I have a question for anyone who has or is presently using a purely stereo DAC with a DVD player (for DVDs).

Can you please tell me what you've been using and how you found using a stereo DAC for DVD?
Did you typically have to switch the disk to play in stereo mode, or will a DAC take the 5.1 output and simply compress it into stereo.

I know it sounds a stupid question, just not sure that's all.

 

I used a Loewe Xemix DVD player with a Micromega DAC,but this was purely for stereo NOT for films,it improved the playback by a noticeable margin over the straight loewe,but I sold it,as i didn't want a house ful of boxes,I have my hi-fi upstairs,and a cheap and cheerful AV set up downstairs,KEF eggs REL sub,Yamaha amp,Loewe TV/DVD and suits me fine.

 

I put my Tosh 220DVD player into the Eclipse CDP (as it has a digital input) and use the eclipse as a DAC. I change the digital output setting on the Tosh to PCM and hey presto, it works.

The sound I get is pretty damm good, and as a result, I feel in no particular need to get a multichannel system, which would involve a lot of extra boxes and expense for no real increase in sound quality.

 

Interesting Robbo - this is something I've had on the back-burner since I got the 861 (digi-inputs was a principal decision factor but I've never got around to using them). How does the sound of the DVD->Eclipse compare to CDs in the Eclipse on its own. Do you have any DVDs with the same audio tracks (Diana Krall anyone?) to do the comparison. Does your Tosh do DVD-A (although I guess it would still need downsampling to 24/96)?

 

I use a Tosh 200e into a Musical Fidelity X24K.

I also have an av processor, so MOst of the time with DVDs it's sent to this rather than the DAC. I've tried it a couple of times in the past, and it's good some DVDs which are stereo only. FOr me this involves making sure i've got the output set correctly. Trying to send a bitstream through my DAC makes some unpleasent noises!

If you're not going to be using surround set up too, then you'll be able so just switch it to PCM.

Also, check what the DVD is capable of outputting through its digital outs. Not 100% (I started a thread a while back), but my tosh is capable of using it's internal DAC with higher rates than it will output at. I'd imagine newer/better DVD players will output all the way up to the max possible rates available today.

The thread I started was asking if anyone had perhaps tried comparing the same album (in stereo only) on DVD (standard - not DVD-A) against a standard CD version, played on the same kit. I've not got any music DVDs to compare with, but would imagine the higher rates possible with DVD would make the DVD version would be superior to the CD version.

CJRoss uses a DVD into stereo DAC set up I believe. He's impressed with it and I think he's mentioned good results when using music DVDs (Lauryn Hill unplugged), through the DAC.

 

I'm not sure what kit it was, but I remember a while back a CD player (possibly Meridian) with digi inputs being tested as a stand alone player, v's using it as a DAC for an offboard transport. They said that using it as a DAC only worked better (if used with a better transport). The Wadias transport may prove better, and this was a WHF? review

 

Graham,

The Eclipse sounds miles better with CDs. I think the DVD player downmixes to 48Khz, as I used to do the same thing with my dpa DAC, and that would not accept 24/96 signals. no ideas about howDVD-A discs sound though.

Cheers, Robbo