Digital Cable Music Choice

Yes! I do Agreed as well, It is a waste of money. I have a Motorola DCT6412 PHaseIII DVR High Definition cable Box and I use an Acoustic Zen Silver Bytes Digital Cable Connected from the cable box to my Parasound Halo C1 Processor(Just for Audio) and for video I use an HDMI cable from the cable Box to my 50" Panasonic Plasma Display. The best thing you can do is use the Digital SPDIF output of your cable box as well for music and it will be an inprovement in sound.
Good Luck!
Carlos

Well I must be a salmon swimming upstream. If you can get a hold of an older (non-DD) box with the coax out the PCM 88.1 into a great dac and within a great system is better than most "think".(As most haven't heard what I describe.)

AvG,

I didn't say it was a waste of time, just a waste of money for a big dollar digital cable. I have my cable converter/DVR connected to the DAC in my Resolution Audio Opus 21. It sounds much better than using the analog outputs from the cable box. However, I didn't notice any difference between a bargain basement digital cable and my Stereovox.

It is certainly worth the effort to connect the cable box into your system using a quality DAC. I just don't think you will get much additional value from a big-bucks digital cable.

Enjoy,

TIC

I have Direct TV, which at least in my area is far superior to cable. I run the Direct TV receiver into my preamp via “cheap” RCA’s (the kind that come in the box with CDP’s DVD’s, etc.) to listen to music. I recently took my CD player in for service and temporarily switched my Analysis Plus Solo Crystal RCA’s that I use for the CDP to my Direct TV receiver to get an idea if I could improve the sound of music. The AP cables go for around $300 on the used market. I can’t comment on what improvement a digital cable might make but the AP cables were a HUGE improvement over what I had been using and IMO well worth the money you would have to spend for good used RCA’s. Needless to say, when I get my CDP back I’ll be in the market for another pair of AP cables.

>> Ok thanks , what would be the best choice using the analog outputs on the cable box ot Digital coax OR toslink fiber ? <<

Whatever. The difference is going to be using the better DACs found in your pre-pro rather than the ones in the cable box.

Try this, take a simple RCA connector cable and use it to connect the coax out (SPDIF) from your cable box to your pre-pro. Sounds better, doesn't it? Mine is connected right now using a Music Boy/Petra cable from StarLink-DSS, cost me all of $8.95 + shipping, sounds GREAT.

Check this link:
http://www.starlink-dss.com/Component.htm

Honest, these are GREAT sounding interconnects, a rich audiophile friend turned me on to them, his entire system is wired with them (and he can afford whatever he wants)...

-RW-