CD out: Digital or Analog?

Hi Dan...I think you have it backwards. If you use the analog outs of the CD you are using the D/A converter in the CD, not the preamp. If you use the digital outs, your CD player is nothing more than a transport and your preamp's DACs do the conversion. I'm not sure what analog passthrough means, but I assume you are right...the converted analog signal from your source will pass through as an analog signal and not be converted to digital. I don't know why it would be converted to digital...for HT effects, maybe??

heimert, try it both ways and use what you prefer. I'm not that familiar with your B&K, but some similar devices have DSP manipulation that is only availible with a digital signal. Whether or not this manipulation is good or not is controversial.
Porschecab, if you use the analog out you are hearing the DAC built into the CD player. If you use the digital out you hear the DAC in the processor (when properly set up). If you use the analog pass through of the processor you hear the what ever analog signal that was presented to the processor with out (or more likely very little) effect of the processor.

Phild & Dan: Analog pass-through means exactly that. Many processors convert an incoming analog signal into a digital signal, process it, then convert it back to an analog signal. The analog by-pass skips this stage. Many newer models have this stage, in order to accomodate SACD and DVD-A inputs. In the absence of a digital input for SACD & DVD-A, this unfortunately is the only way to maintain any integrity of those signals, since they leave the player as analog signals. One of the underlying assumptions for the A/D, then D/A conversion processing was the DAC's in the processor were better than the DAC's in the cd player. Although this can be the case, it creates its own problems. So, in the end, to paraphrase from the real estate business, listen, listen, listen,

Using the digital out put does provide the oportunity for increased jitter.

For me, the type of gear I have owned, analog has always been a noticable improvement. Which really stinks because with a dvd/cd combo things would be cheaper if I only had to buy the digital verses digital and analog cables.

As always, just try.

Marty