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Digital Source Comparison - An audible difference?

I'm trying to compare with my own ears the difference that people hear, or claim to hear, between digital sources. I realize that it's entirely possible that my system isn't quite to the level where difference are audible but it's pretty simple to do a comparison.

Source 1: Pioneer Elite PD-D6-J SACD Player (on Nordost Sort Kones)
Source 2: Integra CDC-3.4 CD Player (multi-disk)

My plan would be to use two Toslink cables since the Integra is already connected using one and it's fairly easy to obtain another one.

Considering the rest of my system includes an Integra 50.1 AVR, Focal Chorus 836v speakers, and DIY Cat5 speaker cables, would you predict that I will hear a difference?

There is a distinct difference between the two CD players using analog connections, but if they are reduced to being transports that rely on the DAC in the AVR will there still be a difference?
mceljo

Showing 5 responses by mceljo

mceljo OP
1,348 posts
 
Tmsorosk - I can handle my Integra multi-disk player being low fi as it's obviously intended to be convenient first and foremost, but I disagree that my Pioneer Elite SACD player falls under that impossible to define category. It's a pretty solid unit that gets great reviews, especially for the price. I just don't see low fi being applied to a component that is clearly designed with performance in mind within the limits of the price point. It's clearly a better player when used as an analog souce.
mceljo OP
1,348 posts
 
Don_s - I have no issue with getting pair of both types of digital connections and doing the comparison that way.

Blasphemy Warning: Because I'm probably closer to the "bits is bits" belief I'm not convinced that I should hear any difference related to a digital source or cable, but it seems only fair to make any comparisons using identical cables.

My AVR has two Toslink inputs so it makes for an easy A/B switch for comparison and I suspect I can do the same with the other style of cable.

One of these days I want to visit my hi fi shop and connect an Integra CDP and one of their $10k CDPs to the PS Audio DAC using identical cables and then see what I can hear. It should be significant I would hope.
mceljo OP
1,348 posts
 
Al - I can understand the concept of reflections in a digial cable, but is there concrete evidence that these reflections will actually cause an error in the transmitted data? Can the reflections actually cause the "pulses" to be outside of the acceptable range? I would assume that the DAC is looking for specified ranges with some tolerance applied.
mceljo OP
1,348 posts
 
Al,

I passed the two main links along to an EE friend of mine that's my sounding board for all things electrical. Here's part of his response.

"Those are the first articles you've sent me where I completely agree with everything written. This guy is obviously a well-educated electrical engineer.

How noticeable corrections to these factors will be, I do not know. I don't believe that crystal oscillators used in today's computer equipment are much farther off timing-wise than a belt-driven turntable."

In any case, he generally give me a list of things he considers to be "bunk" in the things that I pass along.
mceljo OP
1,348 posts
 
Al,

On a somewhat related question to the information in the links. Do you think jitter is a significant contributer to the difference in sound that I get between my Onkyo iPod dock and Ethernet connected Pandora Radio? The other obvious factor is the difference in DACs that are being used. Pandora is using 128 MP3 files and it takes at least the Applelosses on the iPod to sound consistently and sometimes even that doesn't sound as good.

I find myself turning off the iPod because it just sounds subpar, but Pandora runs for hours at a time.
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