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?
In my experience the better the cohesive standard of a system, the more likely it is that optical data transfer is better, for example optical isolators in DAC's. If you get a large improvement from the use of Coax then there is something wrong with the system conductivity. Mains Coherence is important as generally there is always a problem with such, seen or unseen |
I am going to do that. I'd like to find something in the $150 range. I saw a Purist Audio Design Genesis Luminist digital cable used for $149. I'll have to take time to look at reviews. |
