Digital Cable

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andrew Ivimey
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#1 Digital Cable

Post by andrew Ivimey »

If we wish we can spend a fortune on the connection between CD transport and DAC. I have been using almost anything with RCA connectiors on either end of wires and right now am using TV aerial cable.

Now do all those 11111111 & 000000000 actually prefer the molybdenum platinum or even Oxygen free copper superhighways?

Does it reallly matter????!!!!!

(Expensive UDMI cables seem to be a load of bollocks, imho)
Philosophers have only interpreted the world - the point, however, is to change it. No it isn't ... maybe we should leave it alone for a while.
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The Stratmangler
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#2

Post by The Stratmangler »

Chris :happy3:
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Dave the bass
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#3

Post by Dave the bass »

20p!

You're taking food out the babies mouths you brute! Does your quest for Audio-perfection know no bounds :lol:

I could buy a car for that sort of money down here....

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#4

Post by The Stratmangler »

There's a certain inverse snob caché to using such a low cost cable ;)
Chris :happy3:
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#5

Post by The Stratmangler »

I wouldn't mind - it was 99p when I bought mine :(
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pre65
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#6

Post by pre65 »

Have you tried them as "normal" (ie non digital) interconnects ? :wink:
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#7

Post by Dave the bass »

The Stratmangler wrote:I wouldn't mind - it was 99p when I bought mine :(
Image

:lol:

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#8

Post by The Stratmangler »

pre65 wrote:Have you tried them as "normal" (ie non digital) interconnects ? :wink:
Yep - don't do it.
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andrew Ivimey
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#9

Post by andrew Ivimey »

that's my point - I do. It works so what's wrong?! there's no 'oooooooo and I'm beating myself up too' it just works. - what is point?
Philosophers have only interpreted the world - the point, however, is to change it. No it isn't ... maybe we should leave it alone for a while.
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Ali Tait
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#10

Post by Ali Tait »

I've bought a Supra Trico for about 45 quid I think it was. It's better than anything else I've used, though the differences are subtle.
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andrew Ivimey
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#11

Post by andrew Ivimey »

I've just cottoned on to what Chris (and Dave) were saying. That is silly. I've just bought two (I know, I know but I can also use them as audio cables if my tellyco-ax sounds better).

But why should it!!!???? Ali says that for £45 you get a subtle improvement. I have heard interconnects that sound different and some that amazed me by the improvement they bring to the sound but how can all those 11111111 & 00000000s get lost or speeded up, slowed down or altered???? Es ca possible? Vraiment??
Philosophers have only interpreted the world - the point, however, is to change it. No it isn't ... maybe we should leave it alone for a while.
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#12

Post by pre65 »

andrew Ivimey wrote: I've just bought two (I know, I know but I can also use them as audio cables if my tellyco-ax sounds better).
But, Chris is saying those "digital" cables are a no no as audio interconnects. Perhaps Chris can be more explicit as to why ?

EDIT. I've just realised, the super long interconnects that connect my Pre3 to the power amps are made from 75 ohm aerial cable. They were originally made for my VHS video and I've been using them as interconnects for about 6 years.

But then the ability to drive long cables was one reason I purchased Pre3.
:wink:
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#13

Post by The Stratmangler »

pre65 wrote:
andrew Ivimey wrote: I've just bought two (I know, I know but I can also use them as audio cables if my tellyco-ax sounds better).
But, Chris is saying those "digital" cables are a no no as audio interconnects. Perhaps Chris can be more explicit as to why ?

EDIT. I've just realised, the super long interconnects that connect my Pre3 to the power amps are made from 75 ohm aerial cable. They were originally made for my VHS video and I've been using them as interconnects for about 6 years.

But then the ability to drive long cables was one reason I purchased Pre3.
:wink:
They don't work as well as analog interconnects as other cables I have.
Switching them out for some home brew specials brought out more low frequency extension and detail, along with a slightly richer lower mid.

Now I've noticed that you've specifically made mention of your cable being 75 ohm.
It isn't 75 ohm.
At least it's not at audio frequencies.
Measure the impedence up in the MHz band and it will be.

Now the 20p cable is sold as a SPDIF cable, it's construction should have been optimised for the transfer of data at whatever frequency SPDIF gets transferred at, and it will have an impedence of 75 ohms at that frequency.
It too will not have a 75 ohm impedence at audio frequencies but as the cable is constructed to operate optimally at SPDIF transfer speeds, who's to say that the LCR characteristics are going to optimal for analog audio connection ?
Chris :happy3:
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pre65
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#14

Post by pre65 »

OK Chris, but I thought RCA phono connectors were bad news for digital connections ?

Seems correctly terminated BNC connectors were the thing to have ? My Cambridge Audio CD player has a BNC connector on the digital output. :)
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#15

Post by The Stratmangler »

pre65 wrote:OK Chris, but I thought RCA phono connectors were bad news for digital connections ?

Seems correctly terminated BNC connectors were the thing to have ? My Cambridge Audio CD player has a BNC connector on the digital output. :)
There's no mention of BNC connectors in the SPDIF specification.
There is mention of RCA connectors.
Sony and Phillips wrote the specification.

So to use BNC connectors on SPDIF cables is a non compliance to the specification.
Chris :happy3:
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