Do I need an expensive digital cable?

@audphile1 

I do apolcogize on the bit depth. It is a term chatgbt recognizes. I'll paste its answer below. I don't think that invalidates my discussion of what a bit is. We talk about "words" a 16 bit word length or 24 bit word length. Thos bits are still on/off switches, which is how digital works. I think we were talking past each other. On the other issue, chatgbt has assured me more than once that the asynchronous DAC in the Moon 280D will supercede the transport's clock. It was chatgbt who told me to try an RCA interconnect. And the interconnect works. I'll compare it to a cheap digital 75 ohm cable. Here is chatgbt's answer on "depth." i think depth talks about the effect of word length, but not what a word length is. That's where we were talking past each other.

What Bit Depth Actually Is

Bit depth determines how precisely the amplitude (loudness level) of a sound wave is measured at each sample in a digital recording.

Think of digital audio as:

• Sample rate = how often you take a picture of the waveform (time resolution)

• Bit depth = how finely you measure how tall that waveform is (amplitude resolution)

Bit depth controls the number of possible volume steps between silence and full scale.

Simple Analogy

Imagine a staircase.

• 8-bit audio = very few steps. Big jumps between levels.

• 16-bit audio = many more steps. Smaller jumps.

• 24-bit audio = an enormous number of tiny steps. Almost continuous.

The more steps you have, the smoother quiet details and dynamic transitions sound.

The Math (Important but Simple)

Each additional bit doubles the number of amplitude values.

• 16-bit = 65,536 possible levels

• 24-bit = 16,777,216 possible levels

That’s not a small difference. That’s massive.

On the other issue, chatgbt has assured me more than once that the asynchronous DAC in the Moon 280D will supercede the transport’s clock.

@audio-b-dog I did some reading on this unit, which claims to be asynchronous, although it doesn't go into further detail. It would be unusual if it is. The question to ask Simaudio directly (not ChatGPT) is if the unit is asynchronous across all digital inputs. 

@ted_b 

I have sent your question to Simaudio. Let's see if they answer. I must say, however, that the RCA interconnect sounds awful damned good. I am playing Damien Rice's "9" and it sounds much better from the CD than streaming it.

@audio-b-dog 

An RCA interconnect will work, it just won't be the best tool for the job. What that gives up in a real world situation is case specific, but a cable with the desired specs all around need not be pricey. For example, this one is well engineered with correct impedance for both cable and connectors and is the theoretically most desirable length. 

@audio-b-dog no worries. 
By the way what make and model cd transport.