Topic: Interconnects--How Important? Where to buy?

[ducati]

I haven't done alot of digital cable swapping, so I can't comment on the importance of hyper-expensive digital cables.  I would say, though, make sure you use a cable designed for digital signals, and not some rebranded analog cable--the digital "signal" is a very different bandwidth and using analog cables will cause a hardening and rolled off sound in my experience.  I suppose this is probably related to attentuation of parts of the signal, but also to jitter.

I personally listened to 4 or 5 digi cables and just settled on MIT AVT1 for my "reference" cable.  It sounded as good as anything else I tried, is well-built, works just fine, and isn't badly priced to boot.

Right now I am using the digital cable that came with my ack dAck! 2.0, and it works fine, too.

Analog cables, OTOH, make a huge and very noticeable difference.

[nickgregory]

I would agree that analog cables definitely can make a difference.

macdaddy in terms of what I use today, I have 3 sets of digital in my system today...one is a coax brand that I dont remember that Jason B gave me (extremely durable), another is a homemade canare coax, and I have a bettercables optical cable (beffy make). 

My opinion, the key with digital cables is to get something well made, and as ducati pointed out, something that is rated for digital signals (i.e. dont use a single RCA cable)...

[Daryan]

Cables make a HUGE difference in my opinion.  Whether digital or analog, you will hear the differnce if you have the resolution in your system to reproduce it.

what exactly do you hear different from different types of digital cables?  I can buy that argument that better digital cables will reduce data loss, but that is it.  You cant warm up a digital signal like you can an analog signal...

I hear more detail, better definaition of the top end, better, and much more refined bottom end reproduction.  I honestly think they make a difference.  My system I have is designed to be extremely neutral.  I don't want anything to "warm up" the sound at all.  I want to hear the sound reproduced pretty much exactly as I capture it.  I agree, digital cables will not warm a sound like analog cables will.  If you want warm, the best copper cable will be to your liking.  Personally, everything I have is now based on silver, as I want LOTS of detail.


Daryan

[Daryan]

The nitros rock.  That said, can you afford 300 shipped?  I know for a fact that as of yesterday, Wayne at Bolder had an 8 foot demo pair, as I bought one and there is one more availible.  He will switch out the terminations for you for no charge as well.  I realize 550 is a lot for speaker cables, but for 300, I got another pair.  I have a pair of m-80's you can borrow if you like.  They are not being used and sound very good.

[nickgregory]

Cables make a HUGE difference in my opinion.  Whether digital or analog, you will hear the differnce if you have the resolution in your system to reproduce it.

what exactly do you hear different from different types of digital cables?  I can buy that argument that better digital cables will reduce data loss, but that is it.  You cant warm up a digital signal like you can an analog signal...

I hear more detail, better definaition of the top end, better, and much more refined bottom end reproduction. I honestly think they make a difference. My system I have is designed to be extremely neutral. I don't want anything to "warm up" the sound at all. I want to hear the sound reproduced pretty much exactly as I capture it. I agree, digital cables will not warm a sound like analog cables will. If you want warm, the best copper cable will be to your liking. Personally, everything I have is now based on silver, as I want LOTS of detail.


Daryan

I still dont buy it...bits are bits, as long as the cable isnt losing anything (which I agree cables without proper shielding can be subject to that), you will hear zero difference in between cables (speaking only for digital here).  A silver cable, or copper cable, if connectorized properly and has the right shielding should have no audible difference.  If you are hearing a difference, it is either (1) self convinced (which I have beeen guilty of when using expensive cables), or (2) shotty build quality/material on your comparison

[Daryan]

http://db.audioasylum.com/cgi/t.mpl?f=cables&m=82438

http://db.audioasylum.com/cgi/m.mpl?forum=cables&n=100337&highlight=digital+cables&r=&session=

http://www.geocities.com/jonrisch/jitter.htm

[nickgregory]

so for the most part (minus a few outliers which I will consider to be folks who paid alot of money for cables who have to hear a difference), they are making the same argument I do....interference rejection, and quality manufacture and materials, reduces jitter...I dont care if you have a silver digi cable, if it isnt shielded right, it will sound worse than a quality copper equivalent...

[Daryan]

I'll post a little more later, but I don't think I am disagreeing that a crappy cable is a crappy cable, but if what you say holds true, then a 2000 cable in theory must be better constructed than a 50 dollar cable, and hence would sound better, even with the aformentioned statements.  Am I missing your arguement (bad choice of words, I know)?

[nickgregory]

I'll post a little more later, but I don't think I am disagreeing that a crappy cable is a crappy cable, but if what you say holds true, then a 2000 cable in theory must be better constructed than a 50 dollar cable, and hence would sound better, even with the aformentioned statements. Am I missing your arguement (bad choice of words, I know)?

I just think that the level of dimishing returns with digital cables happens significantly earlier in the cost cycle than with analog......dont know the cost breaks, but I would go out on a limb and say that a quality constructed coax out of canare, that costs lets say $50, vs. a $500 coax with gold tips and silver cable...the difference would be significantly minor, and I would guess that it would not even be audible for most systems out there...

though I havent experimented with any of this, and the above is pure guesswork on my part based on my understanding of data transmission

[Daryan]

I don't claim to be an expert by any means.I am clearly bored at work today.  It appears the debate about digital cables rages on and on and I haven't found one difinitive answer in all of my looking.  I wouldn't even dream of spending more than 100 bucks on a digital cable, and I agree, the law with digital cables isn't nearly as widespread as with analog cables.  My silver cable was on clearance from cryotweaks for 40 bucks...

More links I have dug up fwiw,

This is so informative, highly reccomended reading

http://www.audioholics.com/FAQs/silversmithaudiocables.php

[Daryan]

http://www.tnt-audio.com/accessories/digitalcables_e.html

[Jason B]

I still dont buy it...bits are bits, as long as the cable isnt losing anything (which I agree cables without proper shielding can be subject to that), you will hear zero difference in between cables (speaking only for digital here). 

As far as I am concerned, a 75 ohm cable is a 75 ohm cable. Whether it is made of copper or silver, as Nick said, a bit is a bit. As long as all the bits that are sent arrive at the destination, it is up to your DAC and your analog IC's to add flavor and make them sound "better". I disagree when people claim to hear a difference with digital coaxial cables. As long as it is 75, or 110 ohms, it's doing it's job completely.

[heath]

As far as I am concerned, a 75 ohm cable is a 75 ohm cable. Whether it is made of copper or silver, a bit is a bit. As long as all the bits that are sent arrive at the destination, it is up to your DAC and your analog IC's to add flavor and make them sound "better". I disagree when people claim to hear a difference with digital coaxial cables. As long as it is 75, or 110 ohms, it's doing it's job completely.

here here!   complete agreement.

[nickgregory]

I still dont buy it...bits are bits, as long as the cable isnt losing anything (which I agree cables without proper shielding can be subject to that), you will hear zero difference in between cables (speaking only for digital here). 

As far as I am concerned, a 75 ohm cable is a 75 ohm cable. Whether it is made of copper or silver, a bit is a bit. As long as all the bits that are sent arrive at the destination, it is up to your DAC and your analog IC's to add flavor and make them sound "better". I disagree when people claim to hear a difference with digital coaxial cables. As long as it is 75, or 110 ohms, it's doing it's job completely.

leave it to Jason to take my layman idiot speak, add some numbers to it, and say what I was trying to say

[scervin]

Will I spend $50-100 on a digi cable? Probably, but only because the soldering and overall construction is probably better than the $25 cable.  Will I spend more...nope!  Analog IC are a different story.

sc.