Toslink vs. RCA

Well, are you talking toslink optical vs. coax RCA digital output from streamer or are you comparing digital output vs. analog RCA output from streamer. If former, I prefer to use the coax digital output over toslink. If latter it depends on which device has the better sounding DAC. 

davidb928... i strongly recommend rca (coaxial) cables. Toslink grip is tight but not audiophile cables, True that toslink are 75ohms digital cables but the toslink plugs are not audiophile plugs. Toslink was created for studio, the locking mech helps with inadvertently from falling apart. imho toslink plugs were never meant to be use in audiophile equipments.

i recommend rca ( coaxial cables), specifically made at 75ohms, not all rca cables are created equally. Regular RCA are NOT made for digital application. You should look into NBS digital.

@cogito1965 That’s not how any of this works, whatsoever. 

@davidb928 - WRT...

Related question: I have a ton of old RCA cables laying around. Is it worth spending $75 (AudioQuest) or $150 (Kimber) on better-quality RCA cables versus using the basic stuff?

If those cables does not have required impedance specifically designed  for digital transfers they will not perform well. 

Buy a digital cable from DH Labs
https://silversonic.com/products/digital-cables/

Regards - Steve

Try both and see which one you like better.

@davidb928 - you have opened a can of worms with this thread, simply because different people have had different experiences with both formats and from that, they will share very differing opinions.

I have experienced some excellent cables and some very poor cables in both RCA and TOSLINK formats from some very reputable brands.

Both formats can be subject to errors in data transmission due to choices in materials and construction methods.

So it is not a case of Toslink being better or worse than RCA

When it comes to the RCA variety, selecting a cable with the a more advanced cable geometry will likely yield better results

Cable geometry is how the individual wires and wire gauges inside the actual cable is selected/designed/configured.

When it comes to TOSLINK, as a "general rule", you can avoid some of the pitfalls by selecting cable that uses glass as the optical medium. But there are also some good cables that do not use glass, so it is not the only criteria. It does not suffer from induced noise, but there are some have experienced issues with the optical/electrical conversion circuitry.

With either format, the digital interface in the respective components may have issues, after all you are converting digital bits to an analogue signal, so again, no matter what cable type you select - the problem may be in the components at either end of the cable.

My current choices...
- I use TOSLINK optical cables from DH Labs on my A/V system. They may not be the absolute best out there, but they are great value for money and do the job adequately

- On my 2 channel system I tend to be more discerning, so in the past I have used digital RCA cables from KLE Innovations on my 2-channel rig - a little more pricey than those you mention above, but well worth it.

I now use a Bluesound Node 2 for digital music, so there is no longer a need for digital cables. But the power and Interconnect cables have proven to be critical in achieving the best performance from it.

I hope you find your ideal cable

Regards Steve

Bits is Bits...  So neither has an advantage as far as sound quality goes. I use both without issue, only because I have only so many inputs on my DAC. The ONLY difference here is the DAC itself. Simply go with the one that sounds better to you.

Personally, I prefer RCA because the mechanical connection is typically more robust and even the cheapest cords can transfer the bits with 100% accuracy.