Upgrade Digital Cable Review

Tim, not every cable change is for the better, however, they can and do sound quite different. Try not to forget that the cable passes the analog facsimile of a digital wavestream. 

I tried a number of SPDIF cables for my previous streamer(s), and each one was different. Eventually settling on an OCC copper cable as my favorite. I agree that it it not intuitively obvious why they make a difference, but they certainly do.

I have recently upgraded my streamer to Innuos Zenith and so far I am just using the Transparent USB cable that the seller provided. I have yet to to try any other USB cables, and so I don't know how much of a difference they can make.

I think any $500 digital cable (well built and peer reviewed) probably would have performed significantly better than the $100 cable I had used, However, not being able to listen to 100's of cables, I took a leap and bought that Black Magic ULTRA from Mad Scientist (New Zealand). (I had previously bought little things which helped a lot) Since synergy is also a factor (one never knows until tried) my system just coincidentally loved their particular configuration The change isn't just a difference of frequency emphasis here or there, That's why I struggle to describe the nature of the improvements. The transformation is everywhere for the better. In fact. the bass increase has since early impressions cooled down and has achieved a tamer yet no less comprehensive deeper and more identifiable tone to each bass element as in Bass guitar or bass drum or electronic pulse, etc. The vocals are somehow sweeter and its like blanks or holes in the voice has filled in. Its intriguing one cable can take my little Raven tube amp and Klipsch Lascalas and reveal to me they have yet to show all they can do if provided with better source quality. Maybe that new DAC can wait a little longer....    

A Thread on the Misc' Section of the Gon has recently strongly recommended the reclocker is substantial in its effect on how a Source and choices for Cables are perceived as a end sound.

The content is worthwhile reading.  

I use a single WAVE High Fidelity Storm BNC cable between my music server and my Chord Hugo M Scaler because it helps to dissipate even more RFI/EMI from making its way into my Chord TT2 DAC which is the heart of my music listening setup. From my Roon Nucleus server the chain goes thru an AudioQuest JitterBug FMJ > AudioQuest Diamond USB cable > AudioWise SRC-DX USB to SPDIF converter > single WAVE Storm BNC > Chord M Scaler upsampler. 
 

I’ve found that by trying to eliminate as much RFI and EMI as possible from running thru my system, and by implementing just a few simple tweaks, I’ve lowered the sonic floor to the point that it is inky black without any hint of digital glare and the music sounds more analog to my ears. 
 

Not every system will benefit from using expensive boutique cables of any kind. But if your equipment is good enough to where a BNC cable upgrade might help, then I would say that it’s definitely worth giving one or two of them a try.