Originally Posted by Ronnie
Summary:

** If using an 861v4 or G68, Meridian may well still advise to take a CD or Media Player SPDIF Direct into the Processor and bypass the HD621

** I think the weight of evidence is against that "advice", i.e. even after "converting" the SPDIF into HDMI the HD621's Processing and Apodizing "improves" the resultant sound performance

** If using an 861v6, then Meridian would definitely say (and I would agree with them) that you should take your 2-channel SPDIF Direct to the 861v6 and bypass the HD621 and avoiding any SPDIF to HDMI "compromise"

Perhaps we should wait to jump to conclusions until the time when someone actually listens to the v6 and does A/B with the HD621 in the chain. I'm very curious by HOW MUCH apodizing will improve since the idea is that this filter shifts the pre-ring up and into inaudible frequencies the real question is how much better can one shift the pre-ring?

Media -> 861v6 -> DSPs vs. Media -> HD621 -> 861v6 -> DSPs where DSPs also have apodizing (yet are more than likely not invoked due to HS=Y) should be indistinguishable.

I guess my question is this: what is the explanation to the claim that the pre-ring is best addressed as early as possible? It can only seem to make sense due to a general approach of processing everything as early as possible and then cleaning up the jitter for the rest of the signal path. If that's the case then in an all digital DSP setup you aren't even really splitting hairs and the HD621 (861/800/G6x) will suffice in the apodizing dept. esp. since the DSPs will de-jitter right up through the end.