2. digital
  3. 139886-13434

Why does my DAC sound so much better after upgrading digital SPDIF cable?

I like my Mps5 playback designs sacd/CD player but also use it as a DAC so that I can use my OPPO as a transport to play 24-96 and other high res files I burn to dvd-audio discs.

I was using a nordost silver shadow digital spdif cable between the transport and my dac as I felt it was more transparent and better treble than a higher priced audioquest digital cable a dealer had me audition.

I recently received the Synergistic Research Galileo new SX UEF digital cable.  Immediately I recognized that i was hearing far better bass, soundstage, and instrument separation than I had ever heard with high res files (non sacd),

While I am obviously impressed with this high end digital cable and strongly encourage others to audition it, I am puzzled how the cable transporting digital information to my DAC from my transport makes such a big difference.

The DAC take the digital information and shapes the sound so why should the cable providing it the info be so important. I would think any competently built digital cable would be adequate....I get the cable from the DAC to the preamp and preamp to amp matter but would think the cable to the DAC would be much less important.

I will now experiment to see if using the external transport to send red book CD files to my playback mps5 sounds better than using the transport inside the mps5 itself.

The MPS5 sounds pretty great for ca and awesome with SACD so doubt external transport will be improvement for redhook cds


128x128karmapolice
melm
1,082 posts
 
@mzkmxcv
Some people have better hearing than others.  They hear differences that others don't.
Some people have better equipment than others.   And by better I do not necessarily mean more expensive.   That equipment reveals differences that lesser equipment doesn't.
Some people, having less discerning hearing and/or lesser equipment don't hear any differences among cables and other relatively passive devices.  Not experiencing those differences themselves they cannot comprehend that others can! 
It's an argument that has been going on among audiophiles as long as there have been audiophiles.

Post removed 
audioengr
3,282 posts
 

If you want a good Toslink cable, get this one:

https://btpa.com/TOSLINK-XXX.html

mzkmxcv
777 posts
 
@melm

I will be the first to say I don’t have a golden ear, my $4000 towers speakers don’t sound much better than my $300 bookshelves and my $15 headphones don’t sound much worse than my others costing far more (all are well reviewed/measured, so it is simply on my ability to differentiate being poor). The good thing though is that doesn’t matter as the signal is 100% identical for music.

I have seen measurements showing jitter in Toslink, but they were showing >100kHz and even in the MHz range, so it has no influence on music.

georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
Proper digital cable should be 75ohm many are not, sometimes 50 or 100ohms.

Also rca’s connectors are not proper 75ohm So Blue jeans Cables and many others say
http://www.bluejeanscable.com/articles/75ohmrca.htm

BNC are proper 75ohm, but there are two types, make sure it the 75ohm not the 50ohm.
http://www.cctvinstitute.com.br/images/pasted%20image%20640x560-crop-u8521.jpg

It said these can effect jitter if all (cable and connector) are not 75ohm.


Cheers George
More to discover