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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
 
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.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,317 posts
 
Kijanki, I am also interested if you hear differences using the same source with different cables and your jitter resistant Benchmark DAC.
kijanki's avatar
kijanki
4,428 posts
 
Mapman, I couldn't hear any difference between CDP (coax) and Airport Express (Toslink). I've never tried different brands but compared very short (<1') and 2m long generic coax (self made) and couldn't hear any difference.

Now my CDP is a cheap Blu-ray player wired thru my TV (HDMI) to Benchmark (Toslink) and I still cannot hear any difference switching to AE. It is possible that Benchmark's jitter supression is good, but unfortunately it can also mean that my hearing is not that good. Either way sound is very clean and smooth suggesting no jitter presence.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,317 posts
 
Kijanki, I am with you to date in terms of not hearing any noticeable difference using various cables with various sources. I also compare to phono source in my system and find most any good quality digital wire tends to work similarly well.
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