Optical vs Digital (coax)

Mike

Mike

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What's the consensus of Optical vs Digital Coax cable? Does one sound better?

I've always used Digital coax because I felt it sounded better - but I would like to hear from others.
 
Digital coax is what I've found to be best.

I do know that some people really like the optical that EMM Labs use and also Bel Canto's optical system. Ive heard both, but I've never compared in the same system w coax.
 
In general, everything being equal and normal, in an average (or even ultra hi-end) stereo sound system (hi-fi rig);
I personally prefer Coax dig. as to my ears (and body) the bass seems to be tighter, more definite, less foggy than Optical dig.

- Forget optical glass, forget cable's bending, forget cable's length, forget connection's (jack) solidity, forget everything;
just consider Sound Quality, strictly (and jack's solidity ;) ); for me a digital Coaxial connection sounds better. ...Better overall articulation.
 
The logic that swayed me to digital coax is that with optical you have two additional circuits, electrical to optical and optical to electrical. With coax you eliminate two potential sources of noise, jitter, distortion, etc. However, I have never done a direct A/B between the two.

However, I did do an A/B between plastic fiber and glass fiber, and glass clearly won. It always amazes me how you can hear these differences while others argue digital is digital regardless of the cable. Anyway, that is another thread.
 
IMO choosing between digital coax or optical depends on system synergy.
I'm using Squeezebox Touch + NAD M50 + Mini Maggie in my office.
I did A/B test between digital coax & optical (glass) from the same brand with similar price (wireworld),
In my setup I prefer Optical because it's slightly smoother than digital coax, etchy sounding recording become
more listenable.
 
NorthStar said:
In general, everything being equal and normal, in an average (or even high-end) stereo sound system (hi-fi rig);
I personally prefer Coax dig. as to my ears (and body) the bass seems to be tighter, more definite, less foggy than Optical dig.

- Forget optical glass, forget cable's bending, forget cable's length, forget connection's (jack) solidity, forget everything;
just consider Sound Quality, strictly; for me a digital Coaxial connection sounds better. ...Better overall articulation, all across the audio spectrum.
Click to expand...

I just knew it! I already posted in this thread, lol.
 
The common understanding is that Toslink is jitter prone and in many cases limited to 24/96, BUT is galvanically isolated. Coax is more prone to impedance mismatch but deals with jitter better and is less delicate.

Here I talk about the best Toslink, like Silflex glass.
 
adelphi said:
IMO choosing between digital coax or optical depends on system synergy.
I'm using Squeezebox Touch + NAD M50 + Mini Maggie in my office.
I did A/B test between digital coax & optical (glass) from the same brand with similar price (wireworld),
In my setup I prefer Optical because it's slightly smoother than digital coax, etchy sounding recording become
more listenable.
Click to expand...

+1 on the system synergy. I have always preferred coax but in certain systems one might possibly prefer the optical. The Emm labs is sort of a different situation, where they use the optical between the dac/transport to be able to send SACD signals out of the transport into the dac, where by licensing laws you are not allowed to do that with coax, but it is permitted by using an optical connection. And the Emm Labs gear is painstakingly optimized for the optical connection between transport/dac.
 
wisnon said:
The common understanding is that Toslink is jitter prone and in many cases limited to 24/96, BUT is galvanically isolated. Coax is more prone to impedance mismatch but deals with jitter better and is less delicate.

Here I talk about the best Toslink, like Silflex glass.
Click to expand...

I thought jitter was not much part of that picture.
Also, I thought optical was good up to 24/176.4 (on paper), but 24/96 in real life application. ...Coax is good up to 24/192
 
Optical can do 24/192 on the Chord Qute, depending on the transport.

Toslink is considered jittery.
 
My findings in my system continue to support coaxial, over both optical and USB. It seems to have more "body" for lack of a better word. USB is very clean and a close second. I have heard instances where optical is better though and I agree that it is system and component dependent.
 
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