Is this a crazy idea.

Problem: It will never be as dynamic and 3 dimmensional if you're NOT USING an outboard DD/DTS pre/pro! Processing DD/DTS movies in your dvd player, and passing the info out analog to a preamp (which is what you're doing), never works as well, overall! It's just to flat sounding, and not enough snap and punch to the sound. That's my findings.
Basically, I never encourage trying to re-invent the wheel here. But audiophiles just keep on cutting corners with HT systems, trying full range passive setups all around, bypassing processors, avoiding bass managment and subwoofers all together--and they always tend to think they're onto some "hot-ticket" approach!
Yeah, no.
Anyway, you could tinker, but I think you'll find what I'm saying. good luck

you are nuts...but you've got 4 great speakers

With respect to Flrnlamb, my "double stereo" in no way is "flat, without snap or punch". Front is a pair of heavily modded Spica TC50's. Rear is modded JBL L-166's. Cables are Cardas Golden Cross interconnects, Cardas Hexlink 5c speaker cables to Spicas, Toshiba DVD, Rega amps, Tice block filtering, Cardas Golden Power Cables. It kicks butt and is WAY better HI-FI than store home theatre set ups I've heard, minus of course all the "3D" stuff.
So to MJCMT I say, you go boy!

I don't think it will work. If you use 4 of 5 analog outputs from your Oppo DVD player, you will have the DVD player set to 5.1 or Dolby Digital output in order to get any sound from the L&R rear/surround output jacks. This will also cause the discrete center channel information to go to the center channel output, which you don't have connected to anything. You will be missing at least one 5th of the discrete information (all of the center channel content) from your DVDs.

I'm guessing that in order to use anything less than 5 channels of output from you Oppo, you will have to set the output mode to PCM or stereo. Then, you will likely only get output from the L&R front analog outputs.

I'm getting mixed response. The idea is not to have a modern 5.1 or 7.1 HT system but a HT using vintage equipment. So let me try again with more clarification.

I have 4 vintage JBL's control room monitors that are dynamic and accurate. Much music you are listen to from the 70's, 80's, and 90's have been mixed on these great speakers.

My idea is to use the analogue outputs (after internal processing from my Oppo dvd player), and pass the info to a vintage quad receiver using the 4 channel inputs.

I have not bought a quad receiver yet, but I am wondering if this will work or do these vintage receivers always process in quadraphonic (I think it is Dolby).

If I put this vintage system (well almost vintage w/ modern dvd) it is for the enjoyment of a vintage system, and not to reinvent the wheel. Of course you can not have a center channel with a quad receiver, but my seating is between the speakers.

So if you remove your ideas of modern audio from the equation, can this work? Please anyone with the love of vintage equipment feel free to respond.