Best Digital Coax for Tube System under $300


I have been very lucky with the advice that the Audiogon folks have given me.

I am now trying to find the best digital IC that I can find for under $300 to connect a Teac VRDS Transport to a Valab non oversampling DAC. The DAC is feeding a Jadis Orchestra Reference with some great Gold Lion KT88 tubes and a pair of Mazda 12ax7s tubes. Speaker cables are SR Tesla Accelerators, Amphenol polished glass toslinks between Teac and Valab and Gabriel Gold Revelation MK2's from the dac to the Jadis. I love it so much.

Here is why I need to find a great digital IC. I just discovered that even though my Valab dac has inputs for toslink, usb and coax, I cannot run both usb and toslink at the same time.

I don't like the toslink out of the Mac Mini that I need to attach to my dac, so I am using usb to connect which is my only other choice. Since I cannot switch between toslink and usb, but I can switch between usb and coax, I need to find a great coax. Why can't life be simple?

I am going to email Steve to see if he makes a GG coax cable. I really like the Gabriel Golds.

Anyone else have a suggestion? Thanks in advance.
128x128mattzack2
There are lots of very good coax digital interconnects available for under $300 especially if you aren't adverse to purchasing used. I have used and enjoyed the Harmonic Technology Magic digital cable which I find to be one of the best for the money, and are often available used here on the 'gon for very reasonable prices. Another coax I have tried and been very impressed with is the Creative Cable Concepts Green Hornet which is currently on sale from Music Direct. The big brother to that cable the Silver Bullet is also on sale at Music Direct and is supposed to be even better but I have not tried it.
Thanks guys... so far, my short list is the Stereovox xv2, the VD Master 3.0, the Synergistic Research and the Kimber D60. I have a call into Steve at Gabriel Gold also. He only has digital cables in the Rapture line, so they may be a little more than I want to spend at this point, unless they are noticably better than the others.

I wish I could a/b these cables, but most likely I can buy the Virtual Dynamics with a return and refund policy and I think Steve will let me audition the GG's, but I think the others are you buy it, you own it. So, as anxious as I am to buy, I need to get a little more homework in.

Anyone who has compared any of these would be very welcome to add their comment in this thread.

thanks again.
I just ordered Virtual Dynamics Master4.0 digital rca cable that VD is running a special on. It was a little more than the $300 that I wanted to stay under, but with a 45 day return policy, I think it is worth a try.
I am using a Virtual Dynamics Master Digital Cable while awaiting my Master 4.0 digital cable. I have to admit that it is more than I had hoped for. The music that I hear now seems to have a lot more emotion in the secondary instruments. They are much more alive and proud sounding, not competing with the primary instruments, but complimenting them in a fashion that makes them sound like they are joyously playing all by themselves.

Virtual Dynamics assured me that if I am this happy with these cables, that I am in for a bigger treat when the Master 4.0 digital cables arrive.

Just a few weeks off for them now.
I think I will have the cable I am looking for in a few weeks. I bought a Virtual Dynamics Master 4.0 Digital cable about a week ago. Rick Schultz sent me a Master digital original cable until mine is ready.

I am loving it, and he says that I will be more than happy with the improvement I will see when the 4.0 comes in.

I've had several people over to hear this system and every single person has been very impressed, and sometimes awestruck.

Right now, I have no idea which component, cable, tube or speaker that I would think of upgrading. I really think I am at a very satisfying plateau for the time being.

Thanks for all of your great suggestions. I wish I had unlimited funds to try more equipment... I guess we all do.
DH Labs Silver Sonic USB coax uses silver coated OFHC copper...detail without stridency...and inexpensive. Great reviews.