The short answer is no. I have to add this disclaimer when I say what I think is happening.
“It is my understanding” the use of the 7.1 analog inputs bypasses all internal digital processing (DSP, Audyssey, Bass management), and is routed straight through to the individual amps. And Pure Direct works differently with the 7.1 inputs, just turns out the lights, no difference in the sound. I don’t use PD unless I want to turn the receiver display off.
My OPPO 205 has speaker controls (distance and level) and bass management that I used with the 7.1 analog inputs when the receiver Audyssey Room correction was bypassed. SACD’s sounded wonderful with the OPPO doing the D/A processing with the 7.1 RCA connections. Not as good with the HDMI out from OPPO to receiver with the receiver doing the D/A processing and using room correction. Strange but true, to my ear anyway.
I was concerned about not having any control over the speaker settings or sound when adding a DAC but that concern has been eliminated. The DAC with the 7.1 analog inputs sounds so good that I have no desire to alter it in any way.
I’m sure its helps that I have B&W speakers (Front and rear towers, Center, and bookshelf surrounds). Audyssey left the Front and center channel set to large and full range, rear and sides set to small with the crossover at 40.
Since asking for evidence I was searching in parallel and stumbled on an ASR review of Marantz 8805.
There was a lot of confusion in the comments section, about whether 7.1CH IN is digitized or not.
I see @mitr was in that confusing back and forth discussion too.
After looking at Marantz schematics, it is safe to assume most Denon and Marantz AVRs don’t digitize their MC analogue inputs.
I can’t comment on Yamaha and Pioneer , Onkyo without seeing official schematics. Schematics is the hard evidence required and not always easily available.
I have to take that comment back one step. The normal 5.1 surround uses the rear towers for the back channels. That works fine if I’m up and moving around in the room, but when sitting in the recliners the rear towers, 7’ further back, are partially blocked by the head rest. For listening while seated I change the configuration in Roon from 5.1 to 7.1 and swap the rears to the sides surrounds. Very nice touch Roon.
Have no idea if that digitally alters the sound, since it occurs prior to the DAC/receiver, but it helps having the sound envelop the seating position with the rear channels pointed directly at the recliners.
I specifically asked Marantz at the time I reviewed the AV8805 and they confirmed that there is no A/D applied to those inputs in distinction to the stereo XLR inputs which can be switched between pass-through and A-D.
None of the DSP operations are permitted with the 7.1 CH IN. Using those would be the reason to justify adding the A-D conversions.
@dabassgoesboomboom I believe modern Denon ADC is done at 96kHz. This occurs when speaker is set to small, use bass management, use room correction for general source inputs (not the special 7.1CH IN), when not overriden by (Pure) Direct modes. I assume this covers the majority of AV receiver use cases, which will require digitization of analog inputs.
It is also true that for knowledgeable users they will be able to setup and configure it in a way that bypasses the digitization, but I believe this is not the dominant use case of an AV receiver (which is to play movies and play sound from TV to multi channel speakers with subwoofer in a room corrected manner).
I would like to post my great news on this topic…
I was looking at all those multi channel expensive dacs and players and I just decided to find a way how to play multichannel DSDs on my setup. And I succeeded. Without buying any extra stuff.
Recently I bought Mac Mini for my living room. Mainly as a Roon streamer to external DAC Loxjie D30. And I’m very happy with the result. I can play basically any file format without a problem.
And how I achieved to play multichannel DSDs?
Well, my pre-amp is Denon 4500h. So I connected Mac mini to AVR with HDMI cable. In Mac OS, midi settings I set my speakers correctly 7.1 and then I added 2nd audio output in Roon audio settings.
And it’s working!! So if you have an AVR and a Mac laying around, you’re sorted.
You, It’s downsampled because of DAC capability in AVR I’d say, but it’s working and sounds good. What’s important for me is the fact that multichannel part went through and is working.
No, it’s not a limitation from the DAC (the Denon should be able to handle for eight channels 192/24 via HDMI) but in the MAC.
Try for example a Rock system and then you’ll get here 176,4/24, but if it’s fine to you now, then there isn’t a need to change.
I hear that, been chasing the elusive MC playback for a few years.
My NUC/ROOK HDMI to Denon X8500H zone works the same, converting DSD to PCM. But the max resolution is 24-bit/192-kHz for the receiver Dac. Same resolution for your 4500H.
Must be something in the Mini limiting the resolution to 44.1kHz or the Max sample rate in the Roon device setup advanced section needs a bump to 192khz. With HDMI Roon is not aware of the receiver capability and in some cases needs manual input.
OK, I managed to change sample rate conversion and it’s double but still lower than it should be. Mac midi won’t allow me to go higher than 96. But I think that’s because this Mac mini is from 2012 and the hdmi is limited. If I got Mac mini from 2018 or 2020, it could be different story.
That looks better but, per Kal’s comment, you should be able to get the the full resolution your receiver can handle. Did you check the Roon Device Settings to verify your max sample rate is 192kHz?
Here’s a shot of the signal path for a MC DSD256 file with the NUC/ROCK HDMI to Denon receiver.
I was very happy with the HDMI zone setup when that was my only choice for MC playback. Enjoyed it for several years before getting a MC streaming DAC. Still use the HDMI zone grouped with 3 - 4 other zones for whole house music. Use the MC DAC mostly when I want to sit down and really listen to the music.
