2. digital
  3. 139886-13434

Why does my DAC sound so much better after upgrading digital SPDIF cable?

I like my Mps5 playback designs sacd/CD player but also use it as a DAC so that I can use my OPPO as a transport to play 24-96 and other high res files I burn to dvd-audio discs.

I was using a nordost silver shadow digital spdif cable between the transport and my dac as I felt it was more transparent and better treble than a higher priced audioquest digital cable a dealer had me audition.

I recently received the Synergistic Research Galileo new SX UEF digital cable.  Immediately I recognized that i was hearing far better bass, soundstage, and instrument separation than I had ever heard with high res files (non sacd),

While I am obviously impressed with this high end digital cable and strongly encourage others to audition it, I am puzzled how the cable transporting digital information to my DAC from my transport makes such a big difference.

The DAC take the digital information and shapes the sound so why should the cable providing it the info be so important. I would think any competently built digital cable would be adequate....I get the cable from the DAC to the preamp and preamp to amp matter but would think the cable to the DAC would be much less important.

I will now experiment to see if using the external transport to send red book CD files to my playback mps5 sounds better than using the transport inside the mps5 itself.

The MPS5 sounds pretty great for ca and awesome with SACD so doubt external transport will be improvement for redhook cds


128x128karmapolice

Showing 3 responses by melm

melm
1,057 posts
 
As was said above, what passes through the wire that we CALL a digital signal is really an ANALOG signal.  It is subject to distortions.  This video is a pretty good, clear and simple explanation of what can go wrong:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grzoqEb2KMk&feature=youtu.be


melm
1,057 posts
 
@mzkmxcv
Some people have better hearing than others.  They hear differences that others don't.
Some people have better equipment than others.   And by better I do not necessarily mean more expensive.   That equipment reveals differences that lesser equipment doesn't.
Some people, having less discerning hearing and/or lesser equipment don't hear any differences among cables and other relatively passive devices.  Not experiencing those differences themselves they cannot comprehend that others can! 
It's an argument that has been going on among audiophiles as long as there have been audiophiles.

melm
1,057 posts
 
@ mzkmxcv

You wrote, "I have seen measurements showing jitter in Toslink, but they were showing >100kHz and even in the MHz range, so it has no influence on music."

IMO this reveals that you don''t understand the influence of jitter, to wit, what jitter is all about.   My DAC, for ex. uses  femtosecond clocks to minimize jitter.  And they do.  The difference between clocks like these and lesser clocks can be heard.
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