Cable question


I know this has been asked before and I've read though some threads, although they seemed to be fairly old.  So here goes.

Is there an actual difference...and I mean an AUDIBLE difference...between toslink and coax from a CD player to DAC? 

Thanks in advance. 

PS...I really AM a robot, but I do what I have to do...

secretguy

There can be, but I've never experimented.  For one, coaxial always runs the risk of a ground loop in the digital signal which can cause excess jitter.  However some feel the receivers perform better.  I think iFi even published a paper on how coax reception could be improved by increasing the peak to peak voltages to perform closer to the intention of the devices.

 

I ordered a coax. I will experiment.

RWIW, it sounds great with the toslink, so we'll see.

@secretguy - you can spend a lot of money on cables, especially digital cables.

When you say you have ordered a COAX cable - does it have RCA plugs?

  • If yes then we can assume the RCA's are built for digital use
    • i.e. their impedance matches the impedance of the cable
    • If they are not matched you will get poor perofrmance
  • Some components have BNC digital connectors, which many people prefer over RCA

Then there are digital cables that "look like" coax with RCA plugs, but are in fact NOT actually "Coax" (i.e. like TV antenna cable) , but  a newer geometry that actually allows exceptional signal transfer,

  • such as digital cables from KLE Innovations

Even within the optical cables

So as you can see - it's not quite as simple as selecting Optical or Coax.

If you are NOT prepared to delve into the inner workings of cables, i would recommend the optical cables from DH Labs.

There are many great cables out there, but you have to now what to look for 

Regards - Steve

 

 

I prefer coax, but agree it can be gear dependent...fortunately you can try and compare for free...