You like the sound of the RCA cable you’re using. Try a more expensive cable that you can buy and return for no or a low fee. If it sounds better to you keep it. If not return it. Either way you’ll know and can focus on enjoying your music. Trust your ears.
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?
- ...
- 279 posts total
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. |
I think my question would be better worded if I asked whether a decent 75 ohn digital cable would be an improvement over my 50 ohm interconnect cable. I've got two on the way. One $14 one and one that sold for $300 new. It's a short run of one meter. I will see. I have never overly worried about cables. But this experiment is not that costly and I'm curious, especially about my ascynchronous DAC on the receiving end. Will it care what cable is sending it digital information that it will reclock anyway. |
- 279 posts total