What is the best BNC Digital Cable under $4,000?

@cleeds

What evidence, other than testimonial, has been offered to suggest digital cables can be sonically different (exempting noise rejection)?

Good question. All you have to do if listen to any digital cable first one direction, then the other. The 1s and 0s sound better one way.

@mzkmxcv. While I know I’m beating my head against a wall let me try...

first you have to believe that superior clocking can improve the performance of a digital system. If, as is the case in my system or any other dCS rig, adding an off board clock (or in turn a 10MHz Reference to that clock) can improve soundstaging and definition then does it not follow that improving the accuracy of transmission of the clock signals in between the different components is also audible? 

The same logic holds for other non reclocked transmission paths such as AES/EBU and redbook over 75ohm as the OPs case. Reclocked standards such as USB behave differently and I have limited experience in this use case.

If on the other hand you believe that all digital connections are indistinguishable from one another and that CD=perfect Sound forever, then we are wasting our time and you can happily believe that none of this stuff matters and hoard your precious pennies for whatever else you want.

@folkfreak

you have to believe that superior clocking can improve the performance of a digital system

I do believe it needs to be of sufficient quality to avoid audible jitter.

can improve soundstaging and definition

“Definition” is a non-descript term, so I won’t touch that. I do not believe that a better clock improves soundstaging. Since you do, I would like to know how, what’s happening to the 1’s and 0’s that is altering the soundstage? Maybe we have different definitions, but I define soundstage on the as the width/height of the sound, which on the reproduction side is based of the off-axis characteristics of the speakers and the amount of reflections in the room (soundstage depth is inherent to the recording, the production, and can only be altered on the reproduction end with phase/channel mismatch which also would damage imaging. A speaker cannot have better soundstage depth than another if both have similar imaging and both are properly setup).

then does it not follow that improving the accuracy of transmission of the clock signals in between the different components is also audible?

Yes, a lower jitter transmittion results in a lower jitter output if the data is not reclocked. If the data is reclocked, then the amount of jitter caused by the cable or the source is irrelevant as long as the clock doesn’t lose lock.

Reclocked standards such as USB behave differently and I have limited experience in this use case.

Besides difference in noise rejection, what differences exist between USB cables of similar length?

Soundstaging is actually all about definition, ie the relative accuracy of the timing of different sounds reaching the ears. Superior clocking improves the ability of the digital system to render all of the elements of the mix, including the reflected sounds in the mix, and hence recreate the original soundstage. The same holds for leading edges of sharp percussive sounds, or trailing decays, both of which are also aspects of definition.

The description above holds true for all system improvements, but it is something you’re likely to hear with improved clocking.

As to USB as I do not use this interface I have no opinion, I reserve my shared opinions for things I have actual experience of.