Digital XLR vs. Analog XLR - Balanced Cables

Kijanki-

You point out the parameters which are important for digital and those which are important for analog. However, none of these parameters are incompatible making it entirely possible for a single cable to be optimal for both.

As for anti-vibration shields and fluids, I will not bother to comment.

Kal

Kal - If you think that characteristic impedance can be different (and it is completely different for analog cable) why don't you connect your TV to roof antena using any cheap shielded cable. Reflections that will apear are pretty much what is causing jitter in digital transmission. As for shields and fluids - I had once inexpensive IC Audioquest Topaz. I read on internet that this cable transfers vibrations (is audible). So I turned volume up and hit the cable few times with the stick (pen) and to my surprise I could hear it in speakers.

As for digital cable being optimal as analog IC - you must be kidding! Digital cables are made with complete disregard of quality of materials. Dielectric constant is ignored since above 100kHz only ratio of inductance and capacitance defines characteristic impedance. Metal is also secondary since signal at these frequencies travels only on the surface (usually silver plated).

For the record, I did end up trying a non-digital pair of balanced cables and they worked great. Yes, I will end up replacing them with a digital pair of balanced cables, but wanted to confirm that everything would perform as reported with the dual digital cables from the upconverting to the DAC.

Thanks for all your input and if anybody has any recommendations on balanced digital cables, please feel free to offer them.

First, we have a basic disagreement about the significance of some parameters but just because a parameter is ignored or not specified for a particular application does not mean that it cannot share that parameter with the other application. So, making a digital cable with regard for quality of materials and dielectric constant is entirely possible making it suitable for analog and digital applications.

Second, you suggest "If you think that characteristic impedance can be different (and it is completely different for analog cable) why don't you connect your TV to roof antena using any cheap shielded cable." That's a red herring but let me suggest to you that a defined impedance cable suitable for that would also work for analog since there is no defined impedance for analog that would prevent this parameter from being suitable.

So, despite our differences, let me ask you if there is a specific parameter necessary for digital that would make it unusable for analog? Or vice versa?

Kal

Kal - That's a tricky question since there is no parameters for cables at all (other than characteristic impedance - irrelevent for analog).

If you like sound of digital cable as IC then used it. I'm merely suggesting that you won't find good metal or fancy dielectric (like foamed teflon) there. Other way around, you might find IC that has close to 110 ohm or have DAC like Benchmark that ignores quality of the cable. By all means use it. It is also possible that differences are there but you don't hear it - even better because it saves a lot of money.

I tend to do things by the book. When it says digital cable I go to store and buy digital and not the analog cable.

Sometimes things are not audible because are masked by other factors and improving system is like peeling layers of pink from the pink sunglasses - you don't notice each single peel but eventually you'll get clear uncolored picture.