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My next Coax / SPDIF after Green Hornet

Posting this in the digital section as I think I’ll have better luck here.

I’m in search for a new digital coax cable to go between my Bluesound Vault and my Luxman DA-06 DAC. I own two digital cables to date: a DH Labs Glass Master TOSlink which is too analytical and brittle for this particular application, and a Creative Cable Green Hornet which is magical on the bass and midrange but is not as revealing on the top end.

I’ve been trying to figure out where I can step up with a new cable and decided to try a Tara Labs ISM Onboard Digital, which is amazingly open, revealing and refined, but it just does not have the bass and midbass magic that the Green Hornet has. I’m wondering if there is another digital cable that may be somewhere inbetween the two. Upon my research, I’m thinking that the following cables might work for me:

Harmonic Technology Magic Two Digital
Acoustic Zen MC2

Has anyone played with the Green Hornet and compared to the two above? Or know of a more open/revealing cable that still had a similar bass extension / warmth as the Green Hornet?

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boxer12
8,656 posts
 
Another option would be vh audio's  Pulsar Ag
SPDIF Digital with silver bullet (Eichmann) RCA connectors. If you solder them yourself it will be around $200 a meter. I'm sure vh audio would do this for you if you're not experienced with it. Can't say how this compares with what is listed above, but this coax cable is fantastic. Vh Audio is a great company to work with as well.  
audioengr
3,282 posts
 

I would never buy a S/PDIF coax that is terminated to RCA's.  It cannot be done cleanly without creating a big impedance discontinuity.  You are better off to get BNC's and add 75 ohm RCA adapters.

Steve N.

Empirical Audio

uberwaltz's avatar
uberwaltz
13,381 posts
 
Agreed.
The Nordost line are terminated as BNC and supplied with BNC-RCA adapters.
soix
9,756 posts
 
@audioengr -- that's very interesting re: RCA connectors.  I hadn't heard that before.  Thanks.  I suppose I should adjust my prior Apogee recommendation...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N6XL1XW/ref=twister_B01MUH69P1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
blisshifi's avatar
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blisshifi OP
1,209 posts
 
Well, I came across a decent deal for a 1.5M run of Acoustic Zen MC2 for $314, so I am waiting for that to ship and will report back on the tests. The best part of it is that it is returnable, so not a big loss on me if it doesn’t work out. 
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