What input renders best audio quality in stereo

[Remomoreira]

To listen to music in stereo, does a CD Player (or a Blu Ray Player) connected to a receiver play with better audio quality if it is connected to the HDMI, Coaxial, Optical or Analog input?

 

[JSmith]

To listen to music in stereo, does a CD Player (or a Blu Ray Player) connected to a receiver play with better audio quality if it is connected to the HDMI, Coaxial, Optical or Analog input?

If you use analog, then you're using the DAC in the CD/BD player. If you use a digital out to an AVR, then you are using the DAC in the AVR.


JSmith

 

[DVDdoug]

There's generally no audible difference. It's possible for the DAC (digital-to-converter) built into the player to be better or worse than the DAC built-into your receiver (or whatever) but measurably better doesn't always mean audibly better.

And apparently, there is some "jitter" in HDMI but I'm pretty sure it's never audible (in a proper blind ABX test).

If you have ground-loop noise an optical connection means you can break the ground connection between the two devices and that may eliminate the noise.

Only HDMI supports the Blu-Ray surround formats, unless you have a Blu-Ray player with analog surround outputs.