Which digital IC?

Husk 01...on my Esoteric P-05 / D-05 and G-03x clock combo - I liked the Nirvana T-2 Transmission cable. A relatively under the radar company that makes an amazing digital cable....and at a great price. See the 6 Moons review. I listened to a bunch of cables that and that one was the most tonally and musically balanced. See my add here

Teo Audio cables. The game changer for me.

I have had great luck with a Moray James digital cable with both Meitner and PS Audio Perfect Wave digital front ends. Several of my friends who also own reference level digital gear use Moray's wire. It killed my previous Kimber illuminati and Harmonic Tech Platinum cables. Retails for around $500.

That said, I would ask the manufacturer of the DAC you own for the wire they used to voice the DAC...sometimes you can get a special synergy.

I am looking for a few suggestions for a great sounding digital IC in the 1000 to 1500 price range.

As someone with very extensive design experience in digital signal transmission, I would offer the thought that although digital cables can certainly affect the quality and character of the sound that you hear, they do not in themselves have a "sound." By that I mean that their effects on sound quality are dependent on relationships and interactions between their parameters, including length, impedance accuracy, shielding effectiveness, shield resistance, etc., and the technical characteristics of what they are connecting, including signal risetimes and falltimes, impedance accuracy, jitter rejection capability, ground loop susceptibility, etc.

In other words, I would not expect a high degree of consistency between performance in one system and performance in other systems, or even between different lengths of the same cable type in the same system, and I would not expect a high degree of correlation between performance and price.

My suggestion is simply that you try a variety of different cables at different price points, and make your own choice. In so doing, focus on lengths of approximately 1.5 meters, if that is practicable, as explained in this writeup: http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue14/spdif.htm

Regards,
-- Al

Al, thanks for the link. I found Steve's remarks and theories quite interesting.
But my half meter digital XLR still sounds slightly better than my identical one meter cable. It may be my system but it's not just me as I've had many audiophile/music loving friends verify the improvement. Not one felt the longer cable sounded better but about 20% said they couldn't hear a difference.
Tim

Tim, yes it's certainly possible that the results you found will occur in many cases.

The cable lengths that will be optimal with respect to the signal reflection effects Steve addresses are dependent on the risetimes and falltimes of the output signal of the particular digital source, which are usually unspecified. They are also dependent on the propagation velocity of the particular cable. And note that 3 feet, which is essentially the same as the length of your 1 meter cable, is the length that he specifically cites as likely to be problematical.

Also, a shorter cable length may result in a reduction in jitter that occurs due to noise pickup, or noise that may be induced by ground loop effects (as opposed to jitter that is induced by signal reflections caused by impedance mismatches, which is what Steve's paper addresses). Whether noise-induced jitter or reflection-induced jitter will be the more significant concern in a given system cannot generally be predicted, IMO.

I should have added in my earlier comment, also, that the 1.5 meter length recommendation will probably be inapplicable if a very short length (perhaps 12 inches or less) is practicable. It is the intermediate lengths, such as 1 meter, that are the concern with respect to the signal reflection issue, assuming reasonably good impedance matches, typical risetimes and falltimes, and typical propagation velocities.

Regards,
-- Al

Stealth Sextet. I have tried many of the big names and this is the one I have happily kept.

Neal