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Thread: What type of cable has the biggest impact on SQ?

  1. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by Stratmangler View Post
    That's probably because I2S was never intended to have 1m plus cables connected between digital and analogue stages.
    It's intended for internal use over millimetres between adjacent ICs on a PCB.
    Indeed, which is why the hardcore engineers do this:

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  2. #22
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    That doesn't look cheap, what is it?
    Know the 2m cable I'm using isn't ideal, will be swapping it out for a 30cm one eventually.
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  3. #23
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    Default What type of cable has the biggest impact on SQ?

    Quote Originally Posted by Gazjam View Post
    That doesn't look cheap, what is it?
    Know the 2m cable I'm using isn't ideal, will be swapping it out for a 30cm one eventually.
    It’s the back of a DAC, with separate BNC cables for clock and signal components. However, in your case, you have HDMI, so would recommend an officially certified 4K HDMI cable rather than audiophile fluff. With 18 Gbps cable bandwidth, it far exceeds any I2S requirements, which operates in the MHz range. 30cm length is a good idea as you’ve said, can pick one up for £20 easily.
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  4. #24
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    Yeah knew it was a Dac Neil, just wondering which one it was?
    That's the cool thing about i2s, it separates the clock from the signal and reduces digital jitter.

    HDMI is a handy transport for it, with the separate cable runs in the wire.
    I think at that point it's down to "normal" digital cable construction concerns, as not all digital cables sound the same and that has to be down to materials used, dialectric and probably a hundred things not measure yet.

    See what happens, I'll try a few different ones as the ones I have sound quite different - so proof of concept at least proved.
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    "Blackcat Cable" Chris Sommivigo's advice - yup, even with biwire it sounds better - and it does)
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    All Balanced: Ghost+ recording studio XLR cables

  5. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by Clive197 View Post
    First of all this is NOT a cable discussion as such. I would be interested to know what area of cables have the biggest influence on SQ. will it be 1. Speaker, 2. Analogue interconnect or 3. Digital Interconnect.

    Let’s not get bogged down by one cable being better than the other for sound quality, price or which type of plug is used.
    Really interesting question Clive. For me it has always been the interconnects that have produced the biggest change in sound quality but a week or so back I also changed from coax digital interconnect to optical digital interconnect and the result was just about a transformation. The speaker cables for me have always produced the most ignorable change.

  6. #26
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    Quote Originally Posted by Haselsh1 View Post
    ...........I also changed from coax digital interconnect to optical digital interconnect and the result was just about a transformation..........
    I have to say that goes completely against the grain. Coax has been the go to for me as optical has to be converted at each end so that the 1 & 0’s can be seen by the electronic circuitry. This would then give a good opportunity for jitter and noise to enter the system.
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  7. #27
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    For me mains cables have the biggest effect. I've seen others say the same.

  8. #28
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    Nary a mention of two crucial words "cognitive bias"

    We're supposed to be listening to music, not cables; which is where all this "comparison" inevitably leads.

    I am currently listening to Maurizio Pollini, one of the greatest pianists to have drawn breath. I am not wondering what make of cable was used during recording
    "The hi-fi fraternity is bizarre, full of dangerous amateurs" Tim de Paravicini Audio Magazine 1995
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    " What we cannot measure, we do not know" Lord Rayleigh

  9. #29
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    It would be easier to answer the question who is the prettiest girl in the world then to answer which piece of cabling in all stereo systems would make the most difference.
    The answer is going to be dependent on the needs of each individual component in the chain. For example if you have a tube amp with little to no Global feedback speaker cables are going to have to be very large and in short runs making them very important. If you have noisy Mains power a good power cable might help to reduce that before it gets to the Transformers making that very important.
    With a digital component like a CD player or a DAC power cables make a much smaller difference the coax or the optical cable will be far more noticeable. As you have a lot more filtering in place.
    And analog system, for example a turntable tonearm cables are going to be the most important, followed by interconnects to the Step up Transformer or phono stage.
    In a large solid state system mostly digital, speaker wires will be of much less importance, and Mains cables will also be far less important than interconnects.
    For personal listening I find headphone cable is to be the most important, especially any long extension cables.
    The entire audio chain is never the same in any two systems so for me the cable that makes the most important is the one that reduces the largest deficiency. For example in a system where large speaker cable isn't an issue in your Mains power is well filtered and quiet it would always be best to start from the source with the best cable possible and correct or upgrade as you go down the chain., ending at your speakers.
    Given you have done all that have a good whisky and just listen to music.
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  10. #30
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    Quote Originally Posted by Clive197 View Post
    I have to say that goes completely against the grain. Coax has been the go to for me as optical has to be converted at each end so that the 1 & 0’s can be seen by the electronic circuitry. This would then give a good opportunity for jitter and noise to enter the system.
    I've found that optical can cover up deficiencies elsewhere in the system, usually brightness or over-etched detail. Otherwise coax all the way.

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