[Art_Chicago]

http://www.stereophile.com/news/naxos_blu-ray_breakthrough/

just saw this article and thought it might be of interest for this circle.
my understanding that a user is stuck with the built-in DAC of a blue-ray player, cause the signal from the digitial out has less than 24/96 resolution. So, the external DAC would not get the hi-rez signal, and there is no point to use blue ray for music unless the built-in DAC and the analogue line are really good. Is it correct?

[ted_b]

http://www.stereophile.com/news/naxos_blu-ray_breakthrough/

just saw this article and thought it might be of interest for this circle.
my understanding that a user is stuck with the built-in DAC of a blue-ray player, cause the signal from the digitial out has less than 24/96 resolution. So, the external DAC would not get the hi-rez signal, and there is no point to use blue ray for music unless the built-in DAC and the analogue line are really good. Is it correct?

Well, the user is "stuck" with whichever he or she feels is the better DAC/analog stage:
*  the BluRay player via analog outs
* the surround processor/receiver via bitstream HDMI from said BD player, then decoded and sent to the processor's own DACs and analog stage.

There is a third option that I'm gonna investigate. 
http://www.markertek.com/Video-Equipment/Video-Processors/HDMI-Converters/Atlona-Technologies/AT-HD570.xhtml
We've brought it up here in this Circle before, but most of us are skeptical.  It's an HDMi break-out box that de-embeds hirez audio (that's the claim) from HDMI and sends it in full resolution to a DAC of your choice (via SPDIF).  Says it's capable of 24/192 cuz it gets around both the BluRay Consortium digital spec (that only HDMI can have hirez, i.e 24/192) and the handshake necessary for HDMI to its receiver/display.  It's $200 and has a 30 day return from places like Markertek.

[mooglie]

Well I'm confused.  I use a JVC Blu_ray player with coax SPDIF out to a CIA VDA*2 DAC.  The JVC player will pass through the LPCM signal at its native rate, up to 24 bit/192 KHz.  The VDA*2 will decode up to 24 bit/192 KHz.  My system is 2 CH only. I've listened to a number of concert BD discs.   The latest Chris Botti is 24 bit/ 44KHz, and the previous had a 24 bit/96 KHz LPCM soundtrack.

I'm pretty sure that I'm listening to hi-rez LPCM soundtracks.  However, I don't have a way to verify the bitrate.  Whatever, it sure sounds good!

[ted_b]

Mooglie,
Sorry but BluRay discs only output 24/48 max via coax/toslink.  It's not a player thing, it's a BluRay spec thing.  Glad they sound good, though.

[mooglie]

Ted,  Ok, but then why does the first Chris Botti BD disc list a 24 bit/96 KHz 5.1 LPCM soundtrack?  From what you're saying there would be no point in having this as it would be downsampled.

[ted_b]

Like any other BluRay codec a 24/96 LPCM soundtrack will be played in all it's 24/96 glory via:
* analog outs, or
* HDMI (uncompressed lossless streamed to processor/receiver).

The only way it's not going to be converted correctly is through the digital coax/toslink.

[mooglie]

Ted,  ok, my player has settings to allow for 192KHz, 96KHz, or 48KHz SPDIF output (user choice).  If the SPDIF is limited to 24/48 SPDIF, then it would seem these selections would be moot for a BD.

[gitarretyp]

The digital output is down-sampled to 16/44, if the material is copy protected (evil DRM ). If it's not copy protected, then the output will be unprocessed.

[ted_b]

Ted,  ok, my player has settings to allow for 192KHz, 96KHz, or 48KHz SPDIF output (user choice).  If the SPDIF is limited to 24/48 SPDIF, then it would seem these selections would be moot for a BD.

Just BluRay software content is protected.  The player also plays DVD's, which output 24/48, 24/96 and if DVD-Audio, then a possible 24/192.

[mooglie]

Thanks for the clarification.  So it appears I am listening to either 16/44, or 24/48, when listening to a BD hi-bit PCM.

I have listened to a lot of 16/44 CDs (including some very good masterings), and I?ll have to say these Chris Botti discs sound exceptional.  I would tend to think I?m listening to 24/48, but is there any way to check? 

Is that disc or player dependant?

[Brax]

There is a third option that I'm gonna investigate. 
http://www.markertek.com/Video-Equipment/Video-Processors/HDMI-Converters/Atlona-Technologies/AT-HD570.xhtml
We've brought it up here in this Circle before, but most of us are skeptical.  It's an HDMi break-out box that de-embeds hirez audio (that's the claim) from HDMI and sends it in full resolution to a DAC of your choice (via SPDIF).  Says it's capable of 24/192 cuz it gets around both the BluRay Consortium digital spec (that only HDMI can have hirez, i.e 24/192) and the handshake necessary for HDMI to its receiver/display.  It's $200 and has a 30 day return from places like Markertek.

I use an Octava HDMI switch modified with a splitter board which does what this unit claims to do. I run the signal into my Meridian processor without a problem, although the processor is limited to 96Khz. One note, this unit will output an analog signal, my modded Octava outputs a digital signal. If you wanted to go this route, you may be better off getting an Oppo player that outputs the analog signal.

[ted_b]

One note, this unit will output an analog signal, my modded Octava outputs a digital signal. If you wanted to go this route, you may be better off getting an Oppo player that outputs the analog signal.

?  What do you mean by this?  The Atlona's (and Monoprice, Porta, etc) put out a digital signal; it's the whole (and only) reason for this thread.   

[Dan Driscoll]

So, the external DAC would not get the hi-rez signal, and there is no point to use blue ray for music unless the built-in DAC and the analogue line are really good. Is it correct?

Correct, and is 1 of the 3 reasons why I bought an Oppo BDP-83SE. The other 2 are 24/192 DVD-Audio and SACD.