Can This Really Matter?

Think back in the day where components used copper chassis.  So the box can make a difference in a few ways.  You can use automobile dampening material which is cheap to try also.

I had the BDP-3 and a SSD drive connected to it.  I experimented with three cables, 2 of which I borrowed from a high end dealer.  I didn’t notice any difference.

Also I ‘m not sure that transmission is any faster with a pricey cable.  There may be better shielding

A bad (not to spec, defective) cable can cause trouble even in digital paths, but a solid cable will be no different from a really expensive one.  Bits are, in fact bits unless there is a serious defect (impedance, shielding, etc.)

Now, before people pop, there ARE issues int he digital path.  At the DAC chip itself (not the box) you must have timing. I explain this int he sonogyresearch blog -- but that only applies to SPDIF, not USB which is asynchronous.  A much bigger issue is ground and power noise, which is why sources, LPSs etc can affect sound.  I power all my sources with a custom low noise LPS, (linear power supply) and wherever possible I also use a bridge (e.g.: dedicated ethernet --> USB box) to further isolate the DAC from the noise of a computer. All streamers are computers, although they may be embedded in a fancy box.

You would not believe how much testing i have done on these various issues, both as me and through the company.  Many things surprise me and do matter.  Digital cables, past the point of engineering correctness, are not one of them.

Beware the placebo effect. One thing i can say, for sure, is every system sounds better with a glass of good wine.  really. And that tells you a a lot.  The wine (etc) variable must be accounted for in real listening if apples are to be compared to apples, which, when in this world, is my business.

The digital streaming argument is 1’s and 0’s are just that and you can’t change them. Yes this is correct but there are a lot of hitchhikers that will jump on the 1’s and 0’s in the form of noise. Noise in the digital signal path is not noticed until it is gone. One of the most cost effective upgrades you can do is to add a fmc into the upstream signal path for the 1’s and 0’s. You want to create and separate a dirty side a clean side for the digital signal. Yes all cables do matter in they way they introduce and eliminate noise. Enjoy the music!

You have to assemble the 1s and 0s correctly to produce an accurate waveform to correctly reproduce the music. That is where almost every product, be it hardware, software, or both, will differ somewhat. How different and how much it matters case by case is another story. Just like all the other fine details that go into good sound for discerning ears.