CD optical audio

NeilGabriel
NeilGabriel Posts: 1,487
edited April 2007 in Electronics
Maybe I didn't see what I thought I did, but I believe that a couple of my CD players have optical audio out on them. After a careful look, I found a second optical input on the back of the HTR. Is the optical audio out for Cds or some other format? I thought that the CD player converted the digital signal to analog before sending to receiver/amp. If so, how does this work when optical audio is used. I love questions that display how confused I am. Thanks. (I only play basic CDs on the CD player and I won't bother with optical audio if it does no good).
Post edited by NeilGabriel on
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  • jrlouie
    jrlouie Posts: 462
    edited April 2007
    Optical-outs on the back of CD players simply send the digital signal to your receiver/pre-pro as a digital signal. It then leaves the digital-to-analog conversion up to the receiver/pre-pro. No digital to analog conversion occurs in the cd player.
    If you use the standard analog RCA outputs on your CD player, then yes, the CD player does do the digital-to-analog conversion and sends an analog signal to your receiver/pre-pro. Therefore, the receiver/pre-pro doesn't need to do any conversions.
    Having both available to you is kind of nice. Now you get to play around and decide which unit has better sounding digital-to-analog converters. The CD player or the receiver/pre-pro ;)
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  • danger boy
    danger boy Posts: 15,722
    edited April 2007
    home theater receivers usually have several optical and coax inputs.. and you will prob also find one digital output too on the back of a home theater receiver.
    the outputs would be to send a digital signal to like a CD recorder or mini disc recorder or some type of recorder that can input a digital signal.

    Some of the better CD players will have both a optical, coax and analog outputs - both fixed and variable RCA's.
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  • NeilGabriel
    NeilGabriel Posts: 1,487
    edited April 2007
    Thanks...slowly, surely, catching on...you can teach an old analog dog new tricks.
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  • AndyGwis
    AndyGwis Posts: 3,655
    edited April 2007
    NeilGabriel wrote: »
    you can teach an old analog dog new tricks.

    Not true for hearingimpaired! He still doesn't believe in the digital revolution that started like 25 years ago :D

    Just playing with you, hearing! Keep rockin Reel-to-Reel style.
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