Looking for a Giant Killer Digital cable



Hello all,

I’m looking for a Budget ‘Giant Killer’ RCA coaxial cable to connect my Oppo 203 to a DAC for music playback.

Can someone suggest something currently available in the $50 to $150 price range?

If however your experience says some new Optical cable in that range is as good or better, please, by all means do mention it as I could go either way of course!

A 1M to 1.5M will be sufficient.

Huge thanks!
blindjim

I haven't tried i2s interface.  However, I think the Wireworld HDMI cables are probably the best design overall. 

Many have touted how good USB is and several are of the opinion that USB is the best digital audio connection.  Of course, you can only do DSD audio over USB (or i2s).  In my experience, digital COAX performed much better than USB, but I was just using the USB straight from my motherboard with a poor USB DAC.  I have not tried any of the upgraded USB cards (SOTM, JCAT, Paul Pang).  I'm sure the quality of the USB receiver in the DAC has a lot to do with it as well (the better ones being like Amanero or Singxer).

LowRider I never did use any other cable with the PS Audio player and PS Audio dac senior except the factory supplied I2s cable then later changing over to the WireWorld platinum starlight which btw is exceptional with video .
As you most likely know users of PS Audio components are well aware SACD playback via the I2s outputs the DSD signal with licensing agreements though some discs I have are detailed , smooth and inviting I have a pile of red-book CDs that rival sacd playback including DVD Audio and so called hi-res downloads that I listened to .
Changing dacs is a long story however currently with playback I’m getting a downsampled PCM version using the PS Audio DMP and Denafrips Dac at 88.2KHz 24 bit and with direct comparison between the two dacs the Denafrips easily surpassed the PS Audio dac for a much , much more enjoyable playback presentation , well that’s what I hear,..
Finally Im just curious to listen to a very good coax cable in direct comparison to the I2s .
blindjim,

I skimmed though this thread and didn't see any mention of a optical cable. I know there are many people out there that don't like optical, BUT I found one I use in my system (connects my streamer to my Ayre Codex dac) that I found that sounded incredibly good. It's the Wireworld Super Nova 7 glass optical. It retails for $200. I got mine new for $150 for a 1 meter length. Not sure how it compares with the better coax cables out there, but this one impressed the heck out of me. IMO. Worth a try???

@in_shore

My curiosity grows on the PSA WAVE setup. Albeit, given the biz with DSD vs all other formats, I believe I’ll aim for merely Red Book playback DACs. If they have more attributes or support more BR and SR then fine.

Have you found via comparison sake, between two identical titles, one off SACD disc, one streamed via the I2S one is best on all accounts?

That question seems loaded, as there are a few variables, but generally speaking if the I2 and USB cables in play are the exact same level from the same maker, it should be a close enough experiment I would suspect.


LowRider
RE “its great with video”

At $700, it ought to be. I’ve found too merely adding a nice upscale Power Cord on the rendering device vastly improved the video. Good to very good will suffice for my needs, its mostly for company or a date night anyhow. I tend to use the Narrative Audio track now on many BR discs. Using this optional audio track, it is almost like old time radio. Most things are verbally explained during the film by a separate voice. Even in the chasing, combat, and fighting scenes. Description rests in between the standard dialog.

It’s a brave new world sports fans!
. . . . . .

 
@mr_m
Thanks. Yeah. I did not mention optical on purpose. Although I’ve had somewhat similar results to your own with various low end TOS links.

One issue arises in what your post says… ‘glass’.

It is my understanding the glass refers to a different connector or interface than simpler TOS cables.
Is this your own EXP with the one you mention? Did it come with adapters if so?

With various iterations of el cheapo TOS links from the early ‘s, $20 - $40, the sound was hard on most discs, and from CATV boxes via bit stream except for greater sampling rates above 44K.

Surprisingly, a 6ft TOS I picked up at Wally World in a pinch eased up the stern presentations of the shorter thinner 1M links from Best buy or online outlets. In fact that wally cable became my go to TOS for CATV boxes and Megga CD changers. $15 I think.



you can buy glass tos cables, not just glass ST link cables.

speaking of that, I must have a few thousand feet of st link glass terminated cables. Found a pile of  it a few months back, can't bring myself to throw it out....