How do you know when to use ANALOG vs DIGITAL?


I'm struggling to understand what type of interconnect I would use between my pre-amp and my amp? Is it an analog signal?

I'm assuming that I would use a digital going from my source (DVD/CD) to my pre-amp?

Just a little confused? Thank you for the help.
vman71
sean, you're correct, i have asked questions where the answers here have been unclear to me, and evryone here DOES take the extra time to "dunb it down" when i ask them to and it is appreciated. i am new and i have actually begun to be able to absorb the info and assimilate it into answers for other people. nice. but,darrylhifi, while the humor is acknowledged, seans' answers do take more than roaming a retailers web site(crutchfeild)to understand. give the original poster your opinion on his question in lieu of a flippant remark, or at least give both. with that said, a good cable is a good cable, either way. i'd would concern youdelf with what type of cable to use, ie s-video, coax, rca etc. to acheive what you'r looking for.
Sean's answer could be understood by anyone with at least a Crutchfield high school diploma !
Steve: I'm gobsmacked!!! That was brill!!! : )

As to the other responses, thanks for the support and kind words. If someone doesn't understand what i'm trying to say, please ask for clarification. As you all know, i'm not afraid to type at length : ) Sean
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Sean

You answers are definatly very scientific, you have the verbal accuracy of a 30-06 with a high powered scope.

Keep yer explanations as they are, mine are dumbed-up enough, it is nice to get an answer that goes more in depth and explains a little more.
Dekay: I tend to "favour" the "olde English" spelling variations of several words. Having said that, i typically say "aluminum" even though it was originally called "aluminium" by the English : ) Sean
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Why is "analog" spelled funny sometimes?

Are these different cables than regular old analog/digital cables?

Are the ones with the added "ue" better, or just "funny"?

There are a couple other "funny" spelled words used round here, but I can't think of em right now.

Let me know if I think of em.
George probably does have a point though Jeff. I was always taught that you can't use a form of the word when trying to define the word itself. As such, my explanation using the very terms that were asked about may have only confused someone with reduced background on the subject. If that is the case, i would hope that they would ask for further clarification / help. There are those on Agon that are always willing to lend a hand, no matter how silly or simple someone else thinks it is. As such, it is better to ask for further assistance than to remain completely in the dark on the subject. Hopefully, that's not the case here, but we may never know unless Vman responds. Sean
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Sean, your posts are great the way they are. If someone can't follow, they can always go to the next post......
Sean;A guy whom would ask such a question doesn't understand much of what you say. It reminds me of asking someone what time it is; and they tell you how to make a clock.---You need to 'dumb-down' your response. To be more to the point; in terms 'he' might understand.
Brent: What can i say other than "Thank You" for your kind words. I do what i can, when i can. Hopefully, others draw their own conclusions from my posts and understand that i am only providing one source of information, albeit "tainted" with my own experiences and level of understanding. As such, they should consult multiple points of view on any given subject, sort through each response and then form their own opinions based on the diversity of thoughts on the subject. W

While i do have very specific thoughts on most subjects, that is only because i've tried to follow that same path when trying to educate myself. With that in mind, NOBODY has all the answers, hence a compendium of references always comes in handy. That is why such places as Agon and AA are so vital when it comes to bettering our understanding and systems without going broke ( not that i'm not broke already : ) Sean
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Seans thorough answer to a somewhat simple question is just one more reason I for one am so glad he is back posting on the Gon . He takes the time to educate many of us in areas many highly educated members would not give the time of day to . Not because THEY are lazy but because Sean is so generous. I personally have sung his praise so often now that I guess some may think he and I are neighbors when the fact is I know him through these forums only . I just keep running into his posts everywhere in areas I am trying to gain knowlege. ONCE AGAIN , thanks Sean for giving.
There really is no such thing as an "analogue" or "digital" interconnect. When someone refers to a "digital" RCA based interconnect, it is typically assumed that the cable maintains a nominal impedance of 75 ohms. As mentioned though, this is "assumed" and NOT set in stone as ANY interconnect can be called whatever the manufacturer wants to call it. As far as "analogue" interconnects go, anything goes so long as signal flows through it completing the circuit path.

Having said that, "digital" interconnects would typically be used between a transport and a DAC or from a DVD player to a Pre / Pro when using the DAC's inside the surround processor. Most anything else would be considered "analogue" turf, including connecting the output of your CD player to your preamp, etc... Having said that, digital cables will typically work fine in that type of location as they will pass the signal while maintaining their 75 ohm nominal impedance. The reverse is not always true though, as some analogue cables can't be used as a digital interconnect. This is because they will not allow the digital source to lock with the device receiving the signal due to increased jitter and / or severe vswr problems. As such, connecting a digital source to a DAC can be far more picky than connecting any other type of "analogue" devices to each other.

I hope that you were able to follow along with this. It can be kind of tricky as a CD player IS digital, but the output from the built in DAC's of the player are "analogue". Sean
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Pre-amp to Amp is analog

Not sure about digital amplifiers

DVD to Pre-amp would be single digital cable unless you are using the 5.1pre-out on the DVD to the 5.1input/SACD/DVD-A connection which uses 6 analog cables.

CD to preamp would be anaog if you are using the standard output (2 cables), if you want to use the fiber-out or coax-out then it would be 1 digital cable needed

Pre-amp to subwoofer would also be analog

hope that helps!
Source to preamp is also analog. Digital would be from a transport to a DAC. If you use a pair of cables (L+R channels) it's analog. Digital is carried by a single cable.