HT connections (Adcom GFR-700)

acmf74
acmf74 Posts: 936
I'm in the process of connecting all my gear and have two questions. My AVR has HDMI inputs and output for connections. The manual states in addition to the HDMI cable, it recommends a "separate" audio connection to utilize the full processing potential of the AVR. It can be either a analog or digital cable from my source device (BR player).

Which cable would yield the best results, a digital or analog cable?

The second question is why do I need a second line to carry the audio if the HDMI is a all in one?

Thanks,

AVR is a Adcom GFR-700