Surround sound

It must be about the sound quality need of your amplifier. The sound processor simply needs to get clear signals from sources such as fm/am receiver, dvd/cd players etc. in order to manage'em to give you the optimum surround sound. If the fm receiver has an "FM MUTE" option, I recommend that you turn it on. By doing so, you'll receive only good quality fm stations, furthermore your amplifier will let you get surround sound. The second issue you mentioned has its own answer inside. Use a "new" cd player, you can get optical cables, digital coax cables to improve the performance if you like..