I found an even better test disc to use.......the Sound & Vision disc.

Now here are some interesting results:

Having the 800 decode the bitstreams for DD lowers not only the LFE levels to approx -3db or -4db, but it also lowers the levels in the main channels. The S&V disc alternates between the front left and the lfe channel for the subwoofer test.

The S&V disc also contains the same test tones for DTS. So I repeated the test above, and it works in the opposite way. [Linked Image from softronix.com] If you let the 861 decode the bitstreams the bass levels for both the LFE channel as well as the mains are reduced...........So having the 800 decode DTS provides an increased level of bass, and having the 861 decode DD allows for the same.

So what's right?