Oddly enough, there is a difference. That also depends on how resolving your system is. A Belden(?) gold six foot cable seems best to me of the generic/cheaper cables I've tried (including the one that comes with the DAC1). Length also has a lot to do with it. The shorter the cable, the more dynamic/3 dimensional the music appears. I know it sounds goofy to say and I thought the same initially, but it's readily apparant.