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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
richardbrand's avatar
richardbrand
1,374 posts
 

@audio-b-dog 

Obviously, you have a lot to learn about how digital works!

For example, with your current level of understanding, it is a complete waste of time trying to explain to you the difference between DSD and PCM.

I doubt if you understand what 192-kHz sent in an 'enormous' 24-bit word length really means.  As a clue, 16, 24 and 32 are multiples of 8 which has evolved to be the 8-bit byte used in modern computers. No recording gets close to actually resolving 24-bits.

You seem to use the terms 'packet' and 'word-length' interchangeably.  They are different concepts.

And while I am at it, you seem unable to spell ChatGPT or Sonus faber correctly.

Somebody like you who has 'golden ears' can be extremely valuable, because you are not influenced by any real understanding of how or why!  Just keep reporting what you hear ...

audphile1's avatar
audphile1
7,852 posts
 

Is it better to have golden ears or gold member…

audio-b-dog's avatar
audio-b-dog OP
782 posts
 

@richardbrand 

If my ears are golden, and I've never thought of them as such, it has taken me many years to develop them. Sorry for the misspellings. I kind of don't care when I'm on an Audiogon discussion. I care when I'm doing my real writing, but I also have Word to correct me. You're right, my technical understanding is fragmented and shallow at best. I have read many articles on digital music, but I am pretty bored by technical explanations. I was going to be a math major but smartly majored in English Lit. instead. 

devinplombier
1,642 posts
 

@richardbrand 

Not sure the scorn was called for, honestly.

@audio-b-dog ’s understanding of digital audio seems on par with about 75% of audiophiles who hold forth around here. At least he’s honest about it; he’s got an open mind; and he’s curious to learn more, which is more than you can say about all the folks who never let ignorance get in the way of pontificating.

richardbrand's avatar
richardbrand
1,374 posts
 

@devinplombier 

Not sure the scorn was called for, honestly

Thank goodness I softened my original a bit angry.  I'll try to be kinder.  My fault.

How confident are you about the 75% estimate?

I do believe that when a significant number of people report audible differences, there is probably an explanation in physics, either already known or waiting to be discovered.

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