AES/EBU, Digital or Coaxial Between Transport-DAC

I read that toslink is preferred over S/PDIF, though I agree that unknown variables can tip the balance to either direction.

While Toslink (optical S/PDIF) avoids the potential for ground loop issues and impedance matching issues that may arise with coaxial S/PDIF, it can have issues of its own, related to transducer quality and to slow risetimes and falltimes that can contribute to jitter.

My perception has been that more often than not member posts reporting on comparisons between those two interfaces have favored the coaxial (electrical) alternative.

Best of luck, however you decide to proceed! Regards,

-- Al

I agree with Liz and Al. I have owned MANY DACs and transports and almost always found the AES/EBU connection to be the best sounding.

None of those connections, sell your CD player and go discless. the sound will be far superior. A LINN DS unit is a much better sounding solution in one box, all controlled from an iPad and get rid of the CD player totally. Files would be sent via CAT5/6 from your PC or NAS and controlled in your listening chair with an iPad. Access all your music at better than CD quality once ripped with dbPoweramp into 24/96 or 24/192 FLAC or WAV files. The LINN Akurate DS will beat out CD players in excess of $10k.

Thanks for the information Audiofreak32. Just checked on the Linn DS. At a retail of $20k, I wouldn't be surprised if it outperformed CD players costing up to $10k or more.