There is pure or direct or bypass mode on AVR. It disables AVR processing (room eq, dynamics, subwoofer LPF, crossovers,…). Your AVR is no longer receiver but amplifier only.
Again, it depends on whether the AVR’s implementation of “pure direct” will defeat the ADC-DAC conversion, which is often still done just because the volume control works digitally. In the case of the sr7012, it “turns off the main unit display and analog video circuit. Doing so suppresses noise sources that affect sound quality.” No mention of a straight analog pass-through.
Direct mode should disable all DSP and Pure direct as you mentioned in addition display and some circuitry.
https://manuals.marantz.com/sr7012/EU/en/GFNFSYrhzdncbw.php
But signal is not going through different path than without bypass modes. It’s not exactly hardware level bypass but shouldn’t modify input signal.
I did look at the manual before I replied, of course. It doesn’t really say anything. I still don’t know that “Direct” disables the ADC conversion, and I kind of doubt it for this box in particular. It’s a box devoted to various kinds of digital processing tricks. In addition, the manual would probably mention it if there was a pure analog circuit.
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Agree. I’ll try to search something tonight just for my personal curiosity.
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According to my 7012 manual direct mode plays back audio as recorded in the source, which to me tells me that the external DAC has taken over sound quality characteristics.
Sure, if that’s what “as recorded in the source” actually means. And to some extent that’s true. But this box has a remote with a volume control. Unless there’s a motorized analog volume control knob on the front panel – it turns when you adust the volume with the remote – it’s almost certainly using digital volume control. That means it has to re-digitize the analog input signals and then run the volume-controlled signal through its own DAC, even in Direct mode.
Does the volume control knob turn when you operate the remote?
In the case of say a Matrix Audio Element i, you can control the volume with the Element’s remote, which to me tells me that the volume is in the external DAC.
So there is digitization. Indeed because volume control is active I should think more before.
Quick search did not find anything for Marantz directly but Denon is very similar: Denon AVR-X3700H AVR Review | Audio Science Review (ASR) Forum
But it is less than 0.5dB so should not be audible.
Yes, they’re all that way. Might as well send the bits directly to the AVR, I think. Seems kind of, I don’t know, grubby I guess, to use an external DAC, then whatever kind of ADC is in the Marantz, then whatever DAC is in the Marantz. Each conversion loses something, as a rule of thumb.
In that case, it’s probably in both! If the sound level changes with the Marantz’s volume control, it’s also there.
Hmmm. This is what Amir says: “I have been testing Denon AVR amplifiers using CD input which I have found to not be digitized allowing us to see the true performance the amplifier rather than any processing blocks.” Maybe there is one (or few) inputs which are in true bypass mode?
AVRs should have transitioned to digital volume control years ago. But they have not. Nearly all AVRs still use potentiometers or similar analog devices for global volume control. Maybe the reason is to conserve DSP resources for other operations – since global volume control in a modern AVR can affect 11+ channels.
All the above said, I have stated before and will state again that using an external DAC and relying on (or keeping fingers crossed and hoping for) pure analog passthrough in an AVR is a fool’s errand. Beyond prestige, differences in DACs are so small these days, largely below audibility. The AVR DAC itself probably is audibly transparent. And running an AVR in analog passthrough defeats many of the digital capabilities that AVRs are best at – surround processing, bass management, and room correction.
AJ
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I plan on continuing to use my Oppo and Marantz for surround files, atmos, etc. Just trying to improve my experience with Roon and Qobuz in stereo. I’m very happy with my surround experience.
Do you use the 7.1 analog output from the OPPO to the 7.1 analog input on the Marantz?
If so that is using the OPPO DAC and bypassing the digital processors in the receiver and going straight to the amps. If you’re using HDMI from OPPO to receiver the DAC in the receiver is doing the decoding.
I know that Mike. Yes, I am using the Marantz DAC as I am running HDMI from the Oppo to the Marantz. The Marantz has better DAC, I believe as I tried analog to the Marantz and prefer the sound of the Marantz DAC with HDMI. I think I should end this narrative here as it is a Roon site and I only had a question about the Node, which I have decided to not get and purchased a Matrix Audio Element I. Thanks everyone for the back and forth, but we’re off topic. End of chat….
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