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Why do digital cables sound different?

I have been talking to a few e-mail buddies and have a question that isn't being satisfactorily answered this far. So...I'm asking the experts on the forum to pitch in. This has probably been asked before but I can't find any references for it. Can someone explain why one DIGITAL cable (coaxial, BNC, etc.) can sound different than another? There are also similar claims for Toslink. In my mind, we're just trying to move bits from one place to another. Doesn't the digital stream get reconstituted and re-clocked on the receiving end anyway? Please enlighten me and maybe send along some URLs for my edification. Thanks, Dan
danielho
kijanki's avatar
kijanki
4,432 posts
 
Added bits would be extreme case of impedance mismatch. It's more to preserve shape of the pulses to avoid crossing threshols at different times causing jitter. Jitter creates sidebands not harmonically related to root frequency (audible). Even double Phase lock Loop cannot compensate for fast changes.
palerider
46 posts
 
"The question is : why people pretend to hear a difference ?

Or why they THINK they heard a difference ? "

Anyone can hear the difference if just the right and wrong cables are put up against eachother. But most cables are about the same, no big diff.
And the confusion gets complete when folks starts to make up theoretic "answers" to why.
kijanki's avatar
kijanki
4,432 posts
 
Palerider - if you cannot understand just read more.

Myself, if I cannot hear the difference I modestly admit it without saying that everybody else only "THINK" they hear a difference (that would be an arogance on my part).
rja's avatar
rja
2,376 posts
 
It seems Paleriders opinion is that all digital cables sound the same and (I assume ignorant) people are just pretending they sound different.
Palerider, what digital cables have you tried and between what equipment before you arrived at your opinion?
Is it unreasonable to ask what experience you've had on which you base your opinion?
palerider
46 posts
 
quote me:

"Anyone can hear the difference if just the right and wrong cables are put up against eachother. But most cables are about the same, no big diff. "

Strange; do I say they all sound the same? Or do I say most cables are much the same, but some stick out in either direction..
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