The Black Cat Silverstar at $150 is worth trying. It is a very neutral and accurate sounding cable and can be returned to the manufacturer within 30 days if you don't like it. If you want a warmer sounding cable, the Oyaide DR-510 is also very good. Tweek Geek sells it for $190 with a 30-day return privilege. You can also find this cable online for less money, but you lose the return option.
Of course you can spend a lot more money on Purist Audio Design or Klee, both of which I have tried and liked a bit more than the cheaper options I just mentioned. Whether they are worth the extra money is another question. Given that you use Blue Jeans right now, my hunch is that you don't believe in spending a fortune on cables. |
Please try the Snake River Audio Boomslang digital cable. Jonny will make it RCA to RCA or BNC to BNC. This digital cable easily outperformed my digital cable costing 3x's the price. Jonny will offer a 30 day money back guarantee, but you won't send it back. |
You have to try several as they're very system/component dependent. That said, I've tried the Blue Jeans and never found it optimal in various RCA-RCA coax scenarios. I've also tried the SilverStar (and many other brands) and found it not quite as good as the older Stereovox offerings.
I'd recommend these: Wireworld Starlight, VH Audio Spectrum (with WBTs), Townshend DCT (hard to get outside the UK), a-rt U-byte. |
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If you see a ZU one on here, snap it up. |
Zavato, I didn't want to reveal the digital cable my Boomslang easily outperformed but it was the highly regarded Wire World Platinum Starlight; their top cable. Snake River Audio has a unique approach to the build of the Boomslang that is new and frankly better sounding than the coax type digital cable. You get a 30 day money back guarantee; try it. I think I have a pretty revealing system and I auditioned Snake River Audio cables to my Transparent Reference MM interconnects, Prana Wire Deva speaker cables and the musicality, detail and resolution this cable line presents is truly amazing at its price point. I replaced all my cabling with Snake River and presently working on replacing my PC's with SRA. Full disclosure: I loved this cable line so much I asked Jonny Wilson if I could help develop his dealer network and cover the western states, but that aside, definitely a cable to hear. Check the reviews; call Jonny direct. |
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I found some lightly used AQ cables, a VDM5 silver, and a VDM3 silver cladded copper, they work perfectly and cost a fraction of what many charge for new silliness. |
If you can go to the price level of $800, the HFC CT-1 Digital cable was so better than any other digital cable I have used.
This is in contrast to my previous experiences with digital cables, where the difference between them seemed to be subtle and not very earth shattering.
The HFC magnetic technology allows a cleaner square wave with faster rise time than normal cables. This IMO is why it succeeds so well as a digital cable. |
Agisthos, I borrowed a High Fidelity CT-1 digital cable from the Cable Company based on all the positive buzz here on Audiogon. I thought the Black Cat Silverstar sounded just as good as the High Fidelity CT-1 at 20% the price. In my system, the Klee Digital Waveguide was a step up from the Black Cat and CT-1, although it retails for $1350, so it should sound better. I also preferred the PAD Acqueous Aureus at $750 to the HFC CT-1.
I am not bashing High Fidelity Cables. Some Audiogon members whose opinions I trust have nothing but praise for the HFC interconnects, speaker cables, and power cords. My point is that cables are fairly system dependent, so make sure to try it before you buy it. |
All the ones above are very good cables, I also recommend an audition for the Morrow Audio DIG3 SPDIF cable (1.5M) with Eichmann Silver bullets RCA connector upgrade. $250.37 using the "special" discount code. ;-)
Others already mentioned I'll second - Black Cat Silverstar, Wireworld Silver Starlight 7, Synergistic Research Core SE Digital Cable, VH Audio, Voodoo Audio, Signal Cable... Etc Etc...
Have fun and happy listening!!! |
I've used Van den Hul "The Name" normally sold as an interconnect, but also recommended as a good digital interconnect by vdh.
It appears to have 75 ohm rca's as well - so no issues there
Regards |
Just want to give a shout-out to Hifimaniac for recommending the Snake River Audio Boomslang cable. I'm auditioning it now via Jonny's 30 day trial and it is terrific.....beautiful both to look at and to hear. Nice tone and full sounding, with great bass and holographic soundstage. I was skeptical that a digital cable could make much, if any, difference, but this has proved otherwise. I'll be investigating more of Jonny's cable as a result. |
