2. cables
  3. 180911-118590

How crucial is the quality of a digital cable?

I recently purchased a Cambridge Audio CX 81 integrated amp. The analog inputs sound great, but I find the internal DAC to be a disappointment. It uses the ESS Sabre ES9016K2M chip. I use a mid-level Rotel RCD 951 CD deck as a transport via the digital coax. I also hooked the deck via the analog out, just to compare. The analog interconnects are entry level AQ's. The digital coax is an Amazon purchase in the $15 range. I find the internal DAC of the 20 year old Rotel to be superior to the new AX 81, when doing an A/B.

What then confuses me is that the Blue Tooth streaming from the amp is quite good. It is HD aptX,  24-bit/84kHz capable. But, wouldn't that also go through the same internal DAC? Could it be the mediocre Amazon digital coax cable? I always assumed that digital cable quality was less significant than analog cables. Just bits and bites, right?

If someone knows of a decent digital coax for under $50, I would be very grateful. I would also appreciate any advice on an entry level power cord for the amp. Can a decent power cord be had for under $100? 

 

motown-l

Showing 1 response by cleeds

cleeds
6,067 posts
 
clearthinker

Clock error is the bane of digital audio and cannot be properly fixed.

If that’s true, how do you account for the many extraordinary recordings that have been made directly to digital?

Analogue has its own clock because the signal is transmitted in real time and never leaves real time.

I’m an analog guy, but you’re not making sense. Wow & flutter affects both time and pitch. No analog system is completely immune from speed errors that are many times greater than the errors in any decent digital clock. In a sense, analog systems are never quite in "real time."

Don't get me wrong - I prefer analog. But there's nothing to be gained by pretending it's better than it is, or that digital is worse than it is.

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