"bits are just bits. Bits are only just bits if they are there at the right time IME."
That's what we're talking about - jitter (noise in time domain). Jitter creates sidebands at -60 to -80 dB still audible since not harmonically related to root frequencies (noise with complex signal). Benchmark's jitter bandwidth is just a few Hz and at kHz frequencies suppression is over 100dB (overall -160dB).
Tricky part is to use the same transport to compare Toslink to coax. Once you have different transports all bets are off. It is not only that one might be not "bit transparent" but might have weaker laser, dirty lens etc. It is not related to price of CDP (cheap DVD players have great tracking) or jitter but just not reading information properly. Some people use green markers etc but I ripped CDs as data (CDP cannot do it working in real time) using MAX program and have perfect long lasting version on my server.
In addition to above Toslink breaks ground loops and therefore in certain situations overall system might sound better (but Benchmark has nothing to do with it)
Easy way to test is to connect transport that has both coax and Toslink and listen on the headphones switching inputs. I don't hear any difference that way and theory says it shouldn't be any but there is still placebo effect. If one believes that there should be some difference then he will be able to hear below -160dB easily.
That's what we're talking about - jitter (noise in time domain). Jitter creates sidebands at -60 to -80 dB still audible since not harmonically related to root frequencies (noise with complex signal). Benchmark's jitter bandwidth is just a few Hz and at kHz frequencies suppression is over 100dB (overall -160dB).
Tricky part is to use the same transport to compare Toslink to coax. Once you have different transports all bets are off. It is not only that one might be not "bit transparent" but might have weaker laser, dirty lens etc. It is not related to price of CDP (cheap DVD players have great tracking) or jitter but just not reading information properly. Some people use green markers etc but I ripped CDs as data (CDP cannot do it working in real time) using MAX program and have perfect long lasting version on my server.
In addition to above Toslink breaks ground loops and therefore in certain situations overall system might sound better (but Benchmark has nothing to do with it)
Easy way to test is to connect transport that has both coax and Toslink and listen on the headphones switching inputs. I don't hear any difference that way and theory says it shouldn't be any but there is still placebo effect. If one believes that there should be some difference then he will be able to hear below -160dB easily.