Ummmm....as an owner of the 980H,83 and 83SE I always thought 2-ch analog was excellent (especially on the 83SE). I always had an issue with multi-channel and bass, but I believe that to be the fault of my pre-pro (outlaw 970). That said, as long as you pre-pro has a good analog stage(as the outlaw does), the analog out can be good (980H) to stellar (83SE).
BUT, it is SO much easier to deal with just one HDMI cable. I cannot really compare the two since my new pre-pro (Integra DTC 9.8) has a terrible analog stage, but, digital performance is great.
BUT, it is SO much easier to deal with just one HDMI cable. I cannot really compare the two since my new pre-pro (Integra DTC 9.8) has a terrible analog stage, but, digital performance is great.