Why do digital cables sound different?

One factor I have observed with the optical cables I have used is that the bandwidth of the cable plays a significant role in the sound reproduced.

I have three basic grades..
1. Consumer grade - unknown bandwidth, but definately the least accomplished performer
2. A medium bandwidth cable rated at 50Mbps
3. A high bandwidth cable rated at 150 Mbps

The difference between these three are clearly audible in the micro details that become more pronounced as each grade is installed.

The specific micro details are those that contribute to the acoustics of the recording venue - not so much the actual musical sound or tone.

The difference when #3 introduced was very noticeable - so much so I immediately purchased a second cable for my A/V system which made a huge improvement to the spacious aspect of the system.

To this reader at least, there is a difference, which I attribute to bandwidth, but this can be attributed in turn to the slew rate and other technical attributes of cables cited in the many prior posts.

The faster a cable can respond to going from a 0 to a 1 (i.e. higher bandwidth) allows more "data" to get though to the DAC, which in turn produces a better analogue waveform with fewer interpolated distortions.

Maybe build quality is also a factor, all I know is - it sounds better :-)

Ladycharnet from 12-19-12 FTW!!!

It's not only circuit components that have impedance — All cables also have an impedance value, called characteristic impedance.
Different cable = Different valve = different sound....
Let's hope this helps.

I recently sampled about 5 rca spdif cables, one really stood out head and shoulders above the rest. However the rest were pretty similiar.

My understanding is that the necessary functionality to decode the digital signal on the receiving end is a macro function compared to current digital technology. I may not have really poor vision, but I can still tell when it is day vs. night with ease.

I can understand a little of the timing and jitter discussions, but when using an asynchronous DAC there should t be any concern about data loss prior to the DAC, right?

I find it ironic that we assume some level of signal degeneration when using a digital cable, but trust wireless connections to do the job. When my wireless connection has a transfer issue there is a distinct pause in the music.