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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
jimbones
259 posts
 
I agree with Frogman, If someone claims they can hear the difference and are willing to spend the money, Thats great, it's their money and ears. I for one, do hear differences. I have had to train myself to UNDERSTAND what i am listening for. For example I find that evaluating spdif cables is way different that evaluating IC's. Also, I have compared speaker cables where I heard minimal differences and returned them so sometimes you win sometimes you lose.
kijanki's avatar
kijanki
4,428 posts
 
Some people, convinced that digital cables cannot make any difference, claim that people who can have to be under influence of placebo effect. They don't realize that their strong conviction makes them unable to hear the difference because of negative placebo effect.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,317 posts
 
I am convinced that digital cables can make a difference, but in practice to date, I find that the differences attributable to cables I have used alone are not nearly as significant as many other factors and that once I have a handle on the big fish I do not find much to inspire me to tackle testing different digital cables alone. Its just not been worth it in my case to date, not to say it may or may not be for others.
jimbones
259 posts
 
A friend lent me 4 digital cables. 3 sounded the same but one sounded very different. You just have to find there "one"
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,317 posts
 
Jim, can you provide more details? What kind of digital cables? How were they different? Construction? Length? Brand? How did the one sound different? Better? Worse? Did all seem in good condition?

I'm still trying to find out what does matter most with these things. Length is one factor that I have heard can make a difference alone.
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