Eleven digital cable audition.


I am Covis bored so I endeavored to test a lot of digital cables both cheap and expensive just to see the results. This began because I ordered and returned two $350 digital coax cables from audio cable companies. Both fails because while detailed the failed in richness and body to the music.
My methodology is shaky because it's me and I can only tolerate so much of the A/B stuff. The system is an Audiolab CDT transport, a Schiit Gugnier Multibit DAC, a Schiit Raganok 2 integrated, Audience Ohno cables and a pair of Warfdale Evo 4.1 speakers. As an aside, these are great speakers. The larger 4.2 with the dome midrange seems to get all the press and I tried them too. I like these speakers. They made it much easier to discern differences than my Elac Debut Reference 62 speakers.
Lets start at the top with the Coax and optical Cables. 
Top dog by not as much as you would think, was the Kimber D60 silver cable at $450 retail. 
Not very far behind and sounding excellent was the Kimber 30 digital cable at $95. Is the extra $350 for the D60 worth it? Not on my system and not to me. I just happened to come into the D60 first.
Now here is the big surprise. Previous to this test, I didn't like or respect Optical cables due to prior mediocre experience. I found two optical cables that can compete directly with the Kimber 30 and depending on the application, may sound better. The Monoprice glass optical cable and the Unique products glass cable at under $20 and about $40 respectively. These cables sound astonishingly alike and are excellent in every way, dynamics, tone, sound stage and detail. As long as I'm talking glass cables, the Lifetec cable at $130 was lacking in detail, dynamics and sound stage presence compared to the two cheaper cables. 
On to the lesser cables. 
The Apogee cable sold on Ebay for about $50 was good but could go a bit harsh in my system. Not to a great degree but bothered me because of better competition. 
The Audio Advisor Pangea cable at $95 was pleasant, a little lacking in detail but what it beings to the table is body and richness. This is a cable to explore if your system trends to thinness and is a tad bright. 
Of the cables a step down from the 30 and the Monoprice and Unique cable was the Cable Soluton cable sold on Ebay for about $40. Still an excellent performer and well worth the price. 
Now we get into some lesser cables. If the above cables were A and B+ cables, I'd say these are B to B- in rating. 
In Descending order, Monoprice Coax, Blue Jeans, Blue Jeans Silver cables. These were pleasant to listen to with good body and tone but lacking in inner detail, dynamics, sound stage and air compared to the above cables. 
That's it. Your mileage vary and objects in the mirror are smaller than they appear. If I dissed your personal cable, get over it. This is just my system and my listening room. I'm sure your cable is the best in the world in your system. 
Lastly, I didn't listen to classical or small group jazz, techno, or a lot of music including crappy compressed older recordings. I used Chesky's audiophile voices 2 cd for the great vocals, natural ambience and nice acoustic and electronic instrumentation. I also listened to the MSFL Dire Straights Comminique CD for lighter rock music. This test was exhausting and I got a pretty good insight into the cables performance with this music. 
If you buy one of these cables and it doesn't work out for you. Well, that's the audiophile life. 
My thanks to people who recommended cables to me. 
fredcdobbs
Sounds like you had fun! I recently sent the Pangea back I was trying with a Topping D90 in my setup and just could ignore the soundstage collapse and rolled off highs so they both went back. I'm currently testing the Gustard A18 dac but decided to try the DH Labs 750 coax which I put in place on Friday , the Pangea coax with the Gustard much improved but largely due to the dac ( gonna gush about the A18 in another thread) but let me just say this about the DH Labs 750, its has got to be the most analog sounding digital cable I've heard, I owned an Illuminati D60 years back and never thought and thing would ever out do it, but man oh man the 750 is a must try.
Need to do an update. While I previously tested the optical cables on a Transport to DAC basis, today I tried the three optical ables from my Blusound Node 2i and had some divergent results. 
The Monoprice was not as good as it was in it's previous role. a little big and wooly sounding. The Unique able did better with better focus. Then the previous failure the Lifetec was the star of the show sounding outstanding a close comparison to the best of the coax cables. It comes with a price. $130.00. 
Fun with audio. 
Okay folks, I have some follow up on my under $100 cable hunt as I’ll call it now. I have tried some more cables, gotten a second tube amp (Muishare x7) and better speakers (Evoke 20s)
So this will obviously change in your system with your transport and Dac but it’s a good start. Just my opinion.
Best but not by that much was the Kimber 30 ($90).
Next three could be someone’s choice depending on variables. All together they cost less than the Kimber. Monoprice Monolith ($15). Wide-Eye Coax, ($38) and the new kid who did well, the Mogami 2964 cable from Amazon ($19). So far it’s excellent. Direction is not marked so try it both ways because it does sound better one way.
Runner ups are both Blue Jeans cables, the Pangea and the Cable Solutions ($40) dead last. in my opinion.
I have a prejudice against Toslink cables. They always sound more closed in and round off transients. Until I tried the Lifatec ($100 up). This is a really good glass cable.
Thanks to all who suggested cables for me to try. I appreciate it. I have one more coming from Ebay. A Canare 75 ohm digital ($20). I have the feeling it will be identical to Blue Jeans sound a I think they use Canare cables..
Expensive cables I rejected prior to this test were the Audoquest Carbon and Nordost Blue Heaven.
By the way, I wanted to run two RCA cables into my DAC so I got a BNC / RCA adapter. Not good. It muffles the cables a bit. I guess it will be a Coax from the transport to the DAC and the Lifatec optical in from the Blue Sound Node.
lifatec for optical
cullen for coax digital

more expensive out there but not better only slightly different