2. digital
  3. 1311982111

Denon DVD-3910 Universal Player; help with digital

Hi. I recently moved my Denon 3910 universal player into my listening room to use its DVD-Audio and SACD playback capabilities. My reference digital player is the venerable Cambridge Audio Azur 740C vII upsampling 24-bit 192/384 unit. The 740C has digital optical & RCA inputs so you can use it as an external DAC (it has dual Wolfson 8470 DACs run in dual differential mode and extremely high upsampling software). It was my intent to use the Denon's optical digital output to transmit the raw digital DVD-Audio signal and (perhaps?) the direct SACD signal through the 740C's DACs (the Denon has a "Pure Direct" feature). I also have the Denon connected to my preamp (Musical Fidelity A3cr dual-mono unit) directly through high-end analog interconnects (the Denon does have triple Burr-Brown 24-bit DACs per channel in its own right). The DVD-Audio signal passes through the digital connection some of the time with some DVD-A discs, but often the digital output is silent and the signal passes straight to the preamp via the analog cables. ????!! Since the 3910 is in my audio room now, I don't have a monitor to play with the onscreen setup menu. Before taking the 3910 into my audio room, I used the TV in my den to view the onscreen setup menu to enable the digital output, and also to change the multi-channel default settings for DVD-Audio & SACD 2-channel playback. If anyone has experience with this popular unit, or otherwise has advice, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks!!
klipschking
elizabeth
6,726 posts
 
DVD-A and SACD cannot be transmitted via a standard optical cable.
The special "Denon Link" cable CAN transmit that data from transport to a Denon Receiver.
What you are getting 'sometimes' with the DVD-A is some two channel stuff downrez to CD standard.
So if you want DVD-A and SACD, they would have to be transmitted via the Denon Link and only to a Denon receiver.
(I own Denon 5910 DVD, and 3910 players, and a Denon 4806 receiver)
klipschking OP
80 posts
 
I understand "Denon link" is a type of interconnect that is also used by other manufacturers under different proprietary names. As my Cambridge Audio unit does not have that type of recepticle/input, I'm wondering if there is a conversion cable with the I-link connector at one end and another digital receptical on the other; or a converter box of some type??
elizabeth
6,726 posts
 
The problem is the DVD-A and SACD are doing thier best to make it impossible to get the data stream out of the system. So the cables, and formats are hard to get intermediary bits of gear for. The 'boxes' must be secure against data grab or they will not be permitted by the powers that be in SACD/DVD-A land.
So no such box exists to my knowledge.
The only sort exists within such receivers, (which defeats your purpose anyway)which could turn the data from a bitstream to a CD form capable of being decoded by your Cambridge.
The manufacturers do thier best to confound anything one might do.
unsound
6,115 posts
 
have you just tried the Denon on it's own, you might be pleasantly surprised, as the Denon's sound isn't shabby.
klipschking OP
80 posts
 
You are right Unsound, the Denon's DACs are pretty good, and do sound nice given the quality of the rest of my system, I just really wanted to try it through the Cambridge's DACs. I think Elisabeth has hit it on the nose!
More to discover