Digital cable optimal length?

Rodman, I have to admit to a little skepticism about that Canare RCA connector. In the page you link to, a special joining method is cited as part of the 75-ohm connection. The RCA plug itself is not claimed to be a 75-ohm device.

Elsewhere I believe I have seen a Canare RCA plug which the company identified as "true 75-ohm", but this claim is in conflict with statements from other sources concerning the impedance inherent to the RCA design.

I certainly would like there to be a 75-ohm RCA plug and would be happy to be shown one whose impedance figure could be trusted beyond the shadow of a doubt.

Tobias- Read the Jan 2,1997 entry in it's entirety: (http://www.soundstage.com/feedback/resp01.htm) You would think that the people marketing, or the thousands that have purchased Canare 75ohm RCAs over the years, would have noticed if they did not deliver a true 75 ohms by now. (http://www.markertek.com/SearchProduct.asp?item=RCAP%2DC3A&off=6&sort=prod&skuonly=0&search=rca&pagesize=20) "Beyond a shadow of a doubt"? Buy a pair(they'll cost you under $10), attach them to some 75 ohm cable, and use an ohmeter on the assembly. I'm certain thousands of others have tested the RP-C4 RCAs, and LV-61S cables, to remove their doubts too. (http://www.avbestbuy.com/webpage/sayaboutcanare.htm) It seems some companies are buying Canare products, disguising/relabeling them, and selling them as their own(interesting)! =8^)

The link Rodman provided to Markertek's catalog entry for the Canare connector is fairly persuasive, I think ("200MHz performance/vswr less than 1.1"), assuming it is factual.

Also, note that the connector is designed to be crimped, which perhaps answers Dazzdax's question.

I should point out, though, that an ohmmeter will be of no help in determining the impedance of a connector (or a cable, for that matter). It will indicate an open circuit (infinity ohms), because impedance and vswr (reflection) effects only come into play at high frequencies. Specialized test equipment that feeds a high (e.g., rf) frequency signal into the device under test would be required to make a meaningful measurement.

Regards,
-- Al

How come NONE of you have referred to this article which seems to give some reasons for using 1.5m length for digital cables???
http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue14/spdif.htm

Bombaywalla, you caught me out. Steve Nugent of Empirical Audio with his paper in Positive Feedback is at the bottom of the whole affair and should get credit for it. I did refer to this paper in at least one of the posts to which Almarg has linked or referred, above.

I would like to add that IMVHO Almarg does the best job I have yet read of explaining the technology involved.