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Double Wide AES/EBU

Has anyone connected in Double Wide AES/EBU configuration? (2 x AES-EBU on XLR). Is there an improvement over the Single wide connection? (Regular AES-EBU Digital XLR input). I see most high end devices use the double wide configuration (Left and right Digital Signals, eg: Musical Fidelity kW DM25 Transport/DAC combo, dCS, etc..).

A (single) regular AES/EBU cable is capable of transmitting up to 192k signal rates and double wide is usually used to transmit higher rates like 192k, this is my understanding.

If a Single cable is capable why use double to achieve the same output? Does it sonically enhance the musical experience? Its very hard to imagine a double run performing any better, given the number are still the same, but IS IT any better? Any input or any first hand experience would be very much appreciated.
128x128dseanm
dseanm's avatar
dseanm OP
7 posts
 
Thanks AL, I thought as much. Yeah dual mono was my impression too. I did some extended reading about it and apparently it separates the right and left digital signals. There is a series of copying on a single cable in order to separate right and left and the double run does not go through this process. Common sense and knowledge tells me a double wide should sound significantly better than single wide AES. Sounds very exiting and expensive, most high end manufacturers use this configuration, but the million dollar question "Is it worth it?" I am curious in trying this configuration but my wallet will be on "Jenny Craig" diet plan and if I don't hear a significant improvement I would be pissed.
elberoth2's avatar
elberoth2
1,223 posts
 
Back in the days a single wire AES was limited to 24/96, dCS used dual-aes to transmit 24/192 signal, split into two separate channels - 24/192 left and 24/192 right.

Nowadays Single AES does 24/192 just fine.
dseanm's avatar
dseanm OP
7 posts
 
I had a chance to listen to a system yesterday with single wide and double wide configuration, I have pretty sensitive hearing and I can barely distinguish the two configurations if there is any. Minimum of $6k to $7k in the hole for components of that caliber (front end only) and then working down to the rest of the components to complement the front end is just not going to happen. My guess was right. If there is a difference between the two configurations it is so minor hardly audible. I am pretty happy with what I have. I have only tried 96k signal into my DAC I am going to try 192k down the road and see what the hype is all about.
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