Is AES/EBU the same as XLR?


I was curious to know if I can use the same analog XLR cables that I currently use between my cd player and preamp for the connection between my digital AES/EBU output on my cd player to my DAC.

Are they the same cable? If not, what is the difference? The connections look identical to me.

Thank you.
Ag insider logo xs@2xaaronmadler
I second Onhwy61.
The same applies for RCA terminated digital interconnects. They have to be 75 Ohms.
Thus any digital RCA interconnect may be used for analog duty, but not the other way around. Well, one could use an analog interconnect for digital duty, it will "work", but the sound quality will suffer from reflection-induced jitter if the cable is not 75 Ohms.
In the XLR world the same applies, only the required characteristic impedance is different.
i will add that my favorite audio buy ever is the van den hul first cable used as a digital interconnect, which is pertinent in that i don't believe that it's the recommended 75 ohms. i bought it as an analog interconnect, but after reading that some people used it as a digital cable i gave it a go and loved it. been itchin' to try my vdh "second" cables as digital interconnects, but i don't have any xlr digital stuff.

so you never know what will sound good.
'so you never know what will sound good.'

I second that! Have often been surprised. Give it a go and let us know.
One thing keeps puzzling me, characterization of cables as "DIGITAL". All cables are passing through is variation in voltage, how that makes it digital?