Thanks for your input. Yes, I will definitely give the SPDIF cable a try. From what I've read/heard so far, it is likely that the digital SPDIF setup will sound better than the USB setup. The question now is what digital cable to get. I've read that Snake River Boomslang and Purist Audio Neptune are really good cables.
USB vs SPDIF, which sounds better?
I am currently using an Audience AU24 SE USB cable between my Aurender N10 music server and the Lampizator Big 7 dac. Since both components have the SPDIF connection, I am wondering if the SPDIF would sound better than the USB. If so, what are some good digital RCA cables available today? Thanks for your input.
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OCD HiFi Guy (Mike Powell’s YouTube channel user name) tested USB vs SPDIF cables for their respective SQ. The SPDIF cable was the clear winner, despite having the digital signal go thru a USB-SPDIF converter. The link is below: https://youtu.be/WT465YxYr-Q A true SPDIF digital cable is one terminated with BNC connectors. Those in the know (audioengr) would recommend a SPDIF cable having a 4 ft length. RCA connectors aren’t true 75 Ohm connectors. So if your transport and/or DAC only have RCA connectors, then just get a BNC-terminated SPDIF cable and 2 BNC (female) to RCA (male) adaptors. (From what I can gather via internet searches, your server has a BNC-SPDIF jack. The Big 7 DAC appears to come standard with an RCA-SPDIF jack, though one can outfit it with a BNC-SPDIF jack as an optional, extra input. So you only might need one BNC-RCA adaptor in a “worse” case scenario.) |
Thanks @celander. You are exactly right. My N10 has the BNC output, but it’s my DAC that’s limited to the RCA connection. So, I may end up using one BNC/RCA adapter on the DAC end. In Mike’s video, I don’t see what USB and digital cables he used in the demo. I know different cables would make a difference, so if he wasn’t using the same level of cables in the demo, then it would sort of skew the result. Anyhow, I do believe everything being equal, the SPDIF should sound better than the USB. Now the question is what digital cable I should get. Any suggestions? |
I used a number of SPDIF cables. One is a $500 BNC-terminated solid silver cable made by Mark Coles from Sablon Audio for Here’s his link: http://sablonaudio.com/index.php/signal Oyaide makes a decent, $150 BNC-terminated SPDIF cable composed of 5N’s silver braid (DB-510, 1.3m).Here’s an eBay link: https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F283160127875 Mike Powell (OCD HiFi Guy) will respond to you quickly regarding what he used for SPDIF cabke(s) if you reply to his YouTube video clip or message him here. |
respected_ent, As a new N10 owner I'm still learning too. As I understand it N10 USB out is not via the Aurender N10 clock but by your DAC clock. The Aurender clock is amazing and should be used. DSD only feeds through USB so for best effect we would require USB & SPDIF cables attached at the same time, the N10 supports that. SPDIF for everything except DSD will use USB. I've only used a modest Oyade USB cable so far but plan to get a SPDIF coaxial very soon. I was reading your topic hoped to find more information on a quality SPDIF cable. |
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