How crucial is the quality of a digital cable?

@motown-l 

I will give you two examples:

- On streamer to DAC I replaced a DH LABS SILVERSONIC  USB cable with a CURIOUS USB cable. Big difference, so much more musical, less harshness, smooth to the ears yet plenty detailed.

- latest switch, from CD Transport to Dac, I replaced a AQ Carbon 48 hdmi with the Tubulus Concentus I2s cable. OMG, unbelievable difference as soon as I connected it. So much better detailing with incredibly tight bass and a very airy sense of space, gorgeous.

You can see more details about the equipment on my house of stereo system.

Digital interconnects have had the biggest sound improvement in my system vs power cables as my listening house has a dedicated line with zero interference. So yes, digital cables upgrades make a huge difference but it is not cheap.

It’s a catch 22 mits not just the usb, or digital cable ,

but you have at least 2 Ethernet cables that too effect the sound quality 

the Ethernet cable closet to the hub makes the most difference 

the Ethernet hum too ,such as uptone audio ether regen around $630 

makes a noticeable improvement , the synergistic research is the best I have hear 

by a large margin but around $2k I will get one ,maybe  I spent $5k just in hub and cables ,and don’t even have the top Ethernet hub , Top Digital sound quality cost over $10 k ,the dac alone is around $5k and up.

Just bits and bites, right?

Well, yes. That is true.

As has been mention previously, the issue is not with the contents, but how it travels through the cable and if there is contamination or timing errors.

In many respects, both digital and analog demand decent cables, dependant on the system.

I've never used RCA interconnects to transfer digital signals to a DAC. But theoretically, cables which are most resistant to RFI/EMI would least likely to interrupt any digital signal stream. My first choice is to use optical cable because it's completely immune from RFI/EMI. In my experience, the results are error-free streaming from my Apple TV at it's highest spec digital steaming capabilityy, (IRC 24 bit 48 MHz and my Sony UDP 1000ES disc player at it's highest spec into the internal DAC on my Anbthe STR pre-amp. And so far, I've heard no difference in SQ from more expensive streaming system. I'm 71 years old/; but my most recent hearing test about four years ago reveled that I can still hear 20KHz audio signals. I consider myself extremely lucky because I spent sixteen years in ambulances running a high volume of emergency responses with loud Federal Q sirens and later, electronic sirens without wearing any ear protection.

@motown-l How crucial is the quality of a digital cable?

More crucial than I had recalled. Validated it again yesterday. Quite surprising.

After running an Analysis Plus Solo Crystal SPDIF Digital coax -or- Cardas Lightening 15 digital cable for 2 years between my streamer and dac, just for grins I swapped it out for a former 5-year old AudioQuest Cinnamon Digital coax. Like it was not even close and AQ is decent cabling.

Wow, the AP/Crystal Solo digital coax is amazingly fuller sounding, more midrange, with a more impactful sound stage. It matters more than I recalled for SPDIF/Coax. Perplexing. Would not have believed it until reverse testing it.