Digital Coax or Fiber Optic cable?

charliez

Hi guys!

I´m thinking in upgrade my cables. Actually I have a FO cable bought 7 years ago, but wondering if coax is better sounding cable,

What are your thoughts about that?

BRGDS

AndyGwis

I opted for coaxial for all my digital audio hookups. I think they are very similar in quality, but coaxials are easier to get in and out of the jacks. I went with them for convenience sake.

jwhitakr

I have switched between coax and optical for watching DVDs and also watching HD programming from my cable provider, and did not hear any difference in sound quality. If I were you, I'd spend my money elsewhere on upgrades.

I would be surprised if anyone responds that one or the other offers better sound quality.

engtaz

I don't think you will hear the differences but Wires are measured in resistance and fiber optics are measured for cable loss. To me, anytime you reduce your loss if a good thing.

jrlouie

I once heard a person state that they felt a more significant difference could be heard between optical and coax not by the cable, but by the proper implementation of the conversion in the player to the pertaining format that is output (i.e. - light or electrical). So for example, for optical, there is a tiny device in your player that converts the data to light pulses. So if that device and its conversion process is less perfect than say the what gets sent over a coax cable, then that might have a more significant effect. Just something to chew on, I don't know how true it is.
That being said, I had always used optical on my DVD player until one day I tried coax. In my setup, I felt the coax sounded better.
As they say.....ya just gotta try.

charliez

JR, good comment!

steveinaz

I found that (assuming the interfaces are good quality) fiber has a very neutral sound, coax less analytical. If you go with Toslink, get a good glass fiber toslink cable--not plastic.

WilliamM2

I would be surprised if anyone responds that one or the other offers better sound quality.

You were saying? This forum is full of people with magic ears.:rolleyes:

bigaudiofanatic

I do not hear the difference i have my computer hooked up via coax and my sirius via fiber and no difference

mantis

There is no audio difference between coax and Optical of the same quality. I have done this test many many times with low end to high end cable. Once the cables are built correctly the extreme high end cables made no difference at all.
Buy whatever one you want as long as it's a good quality cable.

Dan

SolidSqual

crappy coax sounds better than crappy toslink, but my Signal Cable Coax sounds identical to my Blue Jeans Cable Toslink.

Frank Z

mantis wrote: »

There is no audio difference between coax and Optical of the same quality. I have done this test many many times with low end to high end cable. Once the cables are built correctly the extreme high end cables made no difference at all.
Buy whatever one you want as long as it's a good quality cable.

Dan

Based on your pontification we can then infer that there is no difference between lamp cord and anything costing more that .$50 per foot.

Schmantis didn't hear a difference so that means there isn't one. More spam from Dan.:rolleyes:


Is there an difference between the two, only your ears can make make the determinination. Anyone that says otherwise is a buttmunching moron that hasn't got a clue.

Next topic.

mantis

Frank Z wrote: »

Based on your pontification we can then infer that there is no difference between lamp cord and anything costing more that .$50 per foot.

Schmantis didn't hear a difference so that means there isn't one. More spam from Dan.:rolleyes:


Is there an difference between the two, only your ears can make make the determinination. Anyone that says otherwise is a buttmunching moron that hasn't got a clue.

Next topic.

At what point where we talking about speaker wire? Did you even read the opening post?
So *edit for poor choice in words*what makes you anywhere near anykind of expert? I didn't realize you have been in the field for the last 9 years.

Edit off, your reply is one of a complete Edit

Frank Z

Since I've already put Pissant back on my ignore list, I'm going to guess that he's resorted to using all the big words he learned in Bible study.

SolidSqual

I think Rodney King once said, "Can't we all just get along." Of course . . . I think he was beat down after that . . .

treitz3

WilliamM2 wrote:

This forum is full of people with magic ears.:rolleyes:

Thanks, now it's documented. Now we can go get a million dollars.:p

MGPK

Frank Z wrote: »

Based on your pontification we can then infer that there is no difference between lamp cord and anything costing more that .$50 per foot.

Schmantis didn't hear a difference so that means there isn't one. More spam from Dan.:rolleyes:


Is there an difference between the two, only your ears can make make the determinination. Anyone that says otherwise is a buttmunching moron that hasn't got a clue.

Next topic.

Next topic:

So...the topic today is the magical wonders of cables. According to Frank, cables possess wonderous capabilities of manipulating digital data, they can take those 1's and 0's and make them 2's and 3's, therefore expanding soundstages, making bass tighter while at the same time provide clearer treble. It has to be true, his ears don't lie and his acoustic memory is infallible to scientific data. But what can a buttmunching moron like me say after being in the industry for 15 years, having set up over 700 custom home theatres and doing numerous blind ABX tests.:rolleyes: Puuuhhleeeez

ben62670

digital is dig to dig
Optical is dig to light, and light to dig.
Good coax is better on high res systems
I was one to believe a 1 is a 1, and a 0 is a 0, but the extra 2 conversions are not needed
K.I.S.S.

Frank Z

MGPK wrote: »

Next topic:

So...the topic today is the magical wonders of cables. According to Frank, cables possess wonderous capabilities of manipulating digital data, they can take those 1's and 0's and make them 2's and 3's, therefore expanding soundstages, making bass tighter while at the same time provide clearer treble. It has to be true, his ears don't lie and his acoustic memory is infallible to scientific data. But what can a buttmunching moron like me say after being in the industry for 15 years, having set up over 700 custom home theatres and doing numerous blind ABX tests.:rolleyes: Puuuhhleeeez

No, I said nothing of the sort. Read it again, it's really basic, simple actually. You might be able to grasp the basic concept.

If a listener hears a better sound from one type of interconnect versus another, then the better of the two is the right choice. There are very few absolutes in this hobby and if you are to be believed, you should have learned that the day you became a box cutter. Dan has a really bad habit of assuming that his vast expeience stacking electrical components makes him the be-all, end-all expert for all things audio or video related. Problem is that his hearing is obstructed by all crap packed in his ears from having his head so firmly planted up his arse, so now everything sounds the same to him.

Since you've only been here a short time let me tell you the same thing I told dannie-girl many moons ago when he started blabbering about his expertise at setting up home theaters...

I've opened alot of canned vegatables, but that don't make me a farmer.

So before you decide to prattle on about how your **** don't stink....back up and take a good long snort.

Go away new meat...schools out.

SolidSqual

I've also heard due to the conversion in Toslink, Coax is better.

Frank Z

SolidSqual wrote: »

I've also heard due to the conversion in Toslink, Coax is better.

SS, Don't base your decision on "What you've heard," base it on what YOU hear. Spend 20-30 minutes with a favorite CD or SACD and listen to both interconnects. You might notice a huge difference in sound quality, you may not notice any difference at all. It's all about what sounds the best to your ears brother. The only opinion that matters is yours.

SolidSqual

Thanks . . . I know the party lines, more or less I was wondering if anyone could lend any credibility to the hear-say or strike it down as pure heresy. At any rate, the differences are sure to be minute. Unless . . . . This example: toslink from a computer will be bettered by Coax from an equivalent digital player. Atleast for now . . .

steveinaz

It's easy to dismiss an idea when you over-simplify. Fiber optic cables do not carry electrical signals, so there are no impedance issues, no cable reflection induced jitter, and no way to pass a ground hum. Coaxial cable can, and does sometimes present these issues. These elements can most certainly have an acoustical impact.

I did a 6 month experiment with this very topic using a quartz glass Toslink cable, then a coaxial, and eventually an XLR. The Toslink gave the most neutral presentation, albeit a bit "dry." XLR gave the most warm presentation, with Coax falling right in-between the two.

SolidSqual

SO . . . so 1 does not equal 1 and 0 does not equal 0 in all cases where different interconnects are used, I would agree, but I don't like the Math.

steveinaz

Keiko wrote: »

My ears can't distinguish the difference between the 2. However, I prefer the coax because the connection is tighter and more secure.

True. Connecting Toslink can be a real PITA, as I learned.

steveinaz

SolidSqual wrote: »

SO . . . so 1 does not equal 1 and 0 does not equal 0 in all cases...

Exactly. Because there is far more going on than just 1's and 0's. If it were that simple, there would no difference between a Sony Walkman and Mark Levinson transport. Also remember, interconnects are electrical components. They can, and do influence the signal due to impedance anomolies, quality of materials used, and the topolgy employed.

Keep in mind, my observations reflect a very subtle, yet distinguishable difference---nothing earth shattering or make-or-break type of difference. Again, it comes down to preference. I ended up using XLR, even though it was probably the most "colored" connection, I liked the warm tonal quality. Some listeners prefer a more analytical/articulate presentation, some don't.

SolidSqual

Finally we have a solid conclusion in a cable thread. IF someone chimes in after this to say all cables sound the same and that metal is metal no matter if its copper, silver or gold . . . I will kill. I dare you to say glass fibers have the exact same properties as my $100 Signal interconnects or the hanger wire I bought from Target and attached bullet plugs to.

steveinaz

FWIW, if you want to hear the difference with Toslink, put on some bass heavy music and switch between Toslink/coaxial. On my system, bass seems to extend lower and is tighter (better 'attack") via Toslink. But, overall Toslink was too neutral for me, almost dry sounding.

Give it a try, let me know what you find.

PolkThug

Coat hanger.

steveinaz

Keiko wrote: »

Aloha steveinaz. Nice to see you.

Aloha :cool:

steveinaz

Bottom line with these "which is better" type threads---you've got to test-drive it yourself. Everyone has their own idea about what music should sound like, and we all have our own preferences. Some people are casual listeners, some are nit-pickers.