Mac Mini - Bel Canto DAC3 - best cabling option


So I posted this exact message over at computeraudiophile.com and got no responses yet so I figured I would try to get a discussion going on the topic here.

I have a Bel Canto DAC3 with a kimber usb cable 1m hooked to my Mac Mini which sits right next to it. As I am wanting to take advantage of the 24/96 capabilities of my dac I would like to look into the optical input. I have tried a cheap plastic toslink cable with the audioquest toslink -> mini adapter. Although I know that other options exist. So has anyone made comparisons with any of these cables such as:

1) van den Hul - The Optocoupler mk. II (mini -> toslink)
---- this option is very appealing to me because I will not have to use the mini to toslink adapter to connect to my mac mini
---- What is this cable made out of though, I have read that glass toslink is the way to go but I can not find out any information about this.

2) Wireworld Supernova 5+
---- I would have to use my adapter with this
---- I know this cable is a glass toslink cable though

Since I dont have any way to try both of these cables in my system without buying them, I am looking for those who have personally tried them.

What can I expect to hear? If I switch from the usb input to one of these toslink cables? Will this be better sound quality in addition to the fact that I can playback 24/96???

best regards,
tmesselt
tmesselt

Showing 1 response by buff

The sampling rate is higher on the toslink cable. Despite what the web site specs say on the dac3 the toslink IS capable of 176k resolution.
That being said the mac mini output is limited to 96k which the bel canto dac3 usb WILL handle.
I do not YET have any sort of high end usb cables, but the supernova 5+ is one of the top toslink cables along with IXOS and Audioquest.

let me know what size toslink you need, I may have an extra IXOS for you.
thanks