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Do I need an expensive digital cable?

I have been using a fairly inexpensive optical cable to connect my CD transport to my Moon 280D streamer. I was told that an SPDIFcoax cable would sound better. For an experiment I purchased an inexpensive Pangea coax cable. It didn't sound at all because its terminator ends did not fit snugly in my equipment. I consulted chatgbt who often gives me audio advice. It advised that for the short run of 1 meter, an RCA interconnect would work. It did. And sounded much better than the optical. Chatgbt said that RCA interconnect was good enough.

Now, there is a twist to this story that might make those doubters think twice. A digital cable carries packets of information that are rechecked to assure that the streamer is recieving correct information. There is the timing concern, though. But my Moon 280D has an asynchronous DAC with a clock as part of the DAC. Any information sent by my transport, whether it is clocked by the transport or not, will go through the Moon's asynchronous DAC's clock. So ;there shouldn't be a timing problem. Should there?

Can anyone make a case that I should buy a "better" coax cable?

audio-b-dog
audphile1's avatar
audphile1
7,823 posts
 

@audio-b-dog the information you gathered from your dealer is inaccurate. With SPDIF connection, which is synchronous (aes/ebu, coax) the clock in the device sending the signal to the DAC is prioritized. Your transport is constructing the feed out to your DAC and that’s where the quality of the clock in your transport is critical. Give Simaudio a call and they will tell you the same thing. 
USB connection is asynchronous. But that’s not what you are using. 

Irrespective of the quality of the clock, the cable you use matters as well. As I said earlier wrong impedance will result in timing errors. Shielding, dielectric and conductor matter, as well as quality of the connectors. 

Your question was “do I need an expensive digital cable?”

The answer is no. You need a high quality purpose built cable. Major cable manufacturers mid tier should do as a starting point. Kimber I suggested earlier is not expensive but will make an improvement. You will be missing out on a potential of your digital front end if you are bottlenecking it with a wrong impedance and crappy quality cable. 


 

lanx0003
1,926 posts
 

dh labs d750.  75 ohms.  If you got the impedance correct, length is less the concern.  1m is perfectly fine.

zlone
1,317 posts
 

You are receiving good advice. A good purpose built digital cable makes a difference. The Kimber is known to be good, I have had good luck with Acoustic Zen as well.

jjss49's avatar
jjss49
6,920 posts
 

yes when using spdif or i2s connection the sender unit clock is in charge

only asynchronous connection is usb (receiver clock controls)

either way, a proper cable is important, it is good hygiene

a digital signal is still analog voltage passing through the physical wire, in rounded off square wave shapes... so a poor cable exaggerates transmission error to the receiving device

audphile1's avatar
audphile1
7,823 posts
 

a digital signal is still analog voltage passing through the physical wire, in rounded off square wave shapes... so a poor cable exaggerates transmission error to the receiving device

yep. 1s and 0s on copper coax or AES are voltage fluctuations. 
And @audio-b-dog ethernet cables matter as well. You have an excellent system and you are an experienced audiophile. I’m confident you will hear the difference. Just don’t do lateral moves like Pangea. 

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