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Why do digital cables sound different?

I have been talking to a few e-mail buddies and have a question that isn't being satisfactorily answered this far. So...I'm asking the experts on the forum to pitch in. This has probably been asked before but I can't find any references for it. Can someone explain why one DIGITAL cable (coaxial, BNC, etc.) can sound different than another? There are also similar claims for Toslink. In my mind, we're just trying to move bits from one place to another. Doesn't the digital stream get reconstituted and re-clocked on the receiving end anyway? Please enlighten me and maybe send along some URLs for my edification. Thanks, Dan
danielho

Showing 3 responses by lightminer

lightminer
164 posts
 
I have a (hopefully) simple question. Now that we are using 24/96 music and lets assume also 24/192, does that change the requirement on the "Freq Resp dc - 40 MHz" type of rating? What MHz is required? Interesting that Kimber D60 (quite expensive) is 40 MHz and the rest of their cables are 20.

Also, I can't find that value for the Belden 1694A, does anyone know? It seems like that is a great reference digital cable at extremely low cost - yet *many* of the issues raised here have been addressed, by degree, by that cable. At an insanely low cost ala Blue Jeans and others.
lightminer
164 posts
 

It is possible that we could summarize a few points:

If you DAC re-clocks really really really well (and most very modern ones focus on that now in varying degrees)

and

If your SPDIF cable is 2 meters or so (not less)

and

It is rated somehow to maintain 75 ohms within very tight tolerances every few mm along its length

and

its termination methodology maintains the 75 ohm aspect

then the difference in cables should be pretty minimal.

In that sense are we getting somewhere over the 8 / 9 years?
lightminer
164 posts
 
It would be fun to ABX the Kimber D60 (almost 1k at 2m) with the Blue Jeans Belden 1694 $14 dollar or whatever cable. I'll have the Blue Jeans one, anyone got an extra D60 they can lend? He he. And don't misunderstand, I'm a Kimber fan overall, definitely. (FWIW, and I think we aren't supposed to talk about this, shhhhh, but I do 'believe' in ABX. I tried it with spoiled milk and normal milk and got it right 10 out of 10 times.)
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