Only getting 24-bit/96kHz from my Denon 3803

Audio Gear Talk
1

More curiosity than necessity but… only getting 24-bit/96kHz from my Denon 3803 despite it supporting 24/192. Curious if this is a limitation or a misconfiguration on my part?

Using Roon, I setup an endpoint using a Raspberry Pi and a HiFiBerry Digi+ Pro DAC. It outputs SPDIF and I’m using the coaxial output to my Denon 3803 receiver that has two Burr Brown linear PCM-1791 24-bit/192kHz high-resolution DACs.

With a 24/192 test file, I see in Roon that the audio is being sent out the DAC but I get no sound from my system. The only way to get sound is to tell Roon that my hardware has a limit of 96kHz then everything works fine.

And in all honesty, this is fine as it’s my upstairs system of “left over” parts and I have a proper DAC with analog outputs in the main home theater and music listening room… so this is just more of a curiosity.

Raspberry Pi with Digi Pro Plus DAC connected via RCA cable on coax output to Denon 3803 coax input.

The older Denon should do 192kHz if it’s being sent a proper signal from the Digi+ Pro correct?

2

I’m not sure that age of receiver would have expected a 192 signal the actual input may be limited to 96.

3

Just an idea, check if there are any active DSP settings on Denon (DTS, Dolby whatever).

4

Out of curiosity I tried to find something about it. (I’m using an older Denon, too, in a second setup, but with toslink, so limited to 24/96, so just idle curiosity. )

The Denon 3803 manual doesn’t say anywhere that I could find exactly what resolutions are supported on coax or optical inputs. Seems like your tests suggest it’s 24/96 on both.

5

Nope. It’s in Pure Direct mode.

7

What OS are you running on the Pi?
Also, the Digi+ is not a DAC. The DAC (Digital Analog Converter) is in your Denon. The DIGI+ is an I2S to S/PDIF converter (I2S on the GPIO pins go the Pi and S/PDIF out the coax).

Does your Denon have optical in? Can you try that?

Everything should work. Can you try another track, different cable, different OS?

What’s your signal path look like when you get no sound?

8

Yeah, my mistake. I can try optical but I think that for sure tops out at 96kHz.

This Denon is from 2003, so maybe while it has 24/192 DACs… it doesn’t fully support 192?

I have a regular “RCA” cable but that should be fine for SPDIF right?

9

An internal DAC can support a higher resolution rate than the incoming digital inputs allow. Look at the Dragonfly DACs, they can do higher than 24/96 internally, but, are limited to 24/96 due to their USB interface.

Not saying this is the case for you. But it is possible. Given the time frame of the equipment. Going over the manual, there are no specs for connection supported resolutions.

10

Yeah, what little I can find (including Crutchfield reviews) they do state 24/192 as a feature, and the HiFiBerry Digi+ Pro definitely supports it but it’s just not working. Roon thinks it’s playing it out as 192kHz but the Denon just isn’t seeing it. Oh well, I shall have to “settle” for 24/96 LOL.

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11

Very true.

In case of Denon, the keyword to look for is “Digital Interface Receiver”. Even though the 3803 has 192kHz DAC chip, 192kHz ADC for analog input, and 192kHz processing, it does not necessarily imply it has a 192kHz digital interface receiver for coaxial input.

The fun thing is that if you google it, there are conflicting specifications regarding its “Digital Interface Receiver” with some stating it to be 96kHz only.

I think either the 96kHz spec is right (very likely), or the OP has faulty hardware (unlikely) or caused by the use of wrong cable (unlikely). A 75ohm coaxial cable is needed, preferably no shorter than 1.5m.

12

So I did some basic troubleshooting, by plugging in the same RPi and Digi+ Pro into my Marantz receiver and I was able to get 192kHz so it seems my Denon 3803 has 16 fancy 24/192 DACs internally but the Coaxial input only supports 96kHz.

13

I thought maybe it was the cable but I just did a test with my Marantz AV7005 pre-pro… 192kHz works fine. So it does seem that the Denon 3803 has fancier internals than what it can take as input. Shame on me for getting excited by internal specs from a 17 year old AVR. :slight_smile:

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14

Well, guess what? :smile:

I do happen to have a 3803 and an Allo DigiOne to test out the Coax input. I’ll try and dig 'em out of storage boxes in the next week while I’m vacationing at home.

15

I do happen to have a 3803 and an Allo DigiOne to test out the Coax input. I’ll try and dig 'em out of storage boxes in the next week while I’m vacationing at home.

God bless the Internet, LOL.

That’s amazing. I’m pretty sure you’ll find the same result but what I don’t have is the receiver connected to a display to get into the deep settings but I doubt there’s a “support 192kHz” option in there.

16

I have a spare 55 inch tv I am going to use with the 3803

17

A spare 55 inch TV? He says looking at the considerably smaller TV in his living room.

18

It is not a recent TV at all. I think it is 12/13 y.o. at this point. I also have an undused 21" LaCie tube monitor, https://www.cnet.com/products/lacie-electron-22blue-ii/

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19

Any luck? Were you able to find time?

20

Still looking for the DigiOne. I boxes it up gearing up for a possible move and forgot which box Input it in. Lol

21

I have a 2018 Onkyo RZ 740 and it is limited to 96/24 for SPDIF both optical and coax and even with at 96 optical struggles at times. HDMI accepts 192/24 and the DAC can even do more. The limitation are hidden somewhere in the manual.
I would not be surprised one bit that your vintage receiver is limited the same way.