boxcarman: technically, I'm sure that what's been said here is true but you asked about sound quality. With regards to that only, you can certainly use a regular interconnect and get at-least comparable SQ. When I purchased my first separate DAC in many years a couple years back, I used a Black Mountain pinnacle silver interconnect with RCA's on one end and XLR's on the other I had in the cable drawer. The transport is a Bel Canto Cdt-3. I was getting better sound with this combo than the Consonace Droplet 5.0 and Raysonic 228 I previously had. Of course, I wanted a digital cable so I found an Acoustic Zen MC2 and gave that a try. The Black Mountain interconnect was more vivid and precise. There wasn't an area where I felt the AZ cable was better so I re-sold it and later tried a Neotech NEVD with Oyaide BNC and Xhadow RCA plugs. It's 6 one way, half a dozen the other. There are difference but really, they are equally good.
