99$ Digital cable is damn good


https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lis96e18-silnote-audio-award-winning-top-reviews-digital-75-ohm-mo...

I ordered above SILNOTE AUDIO Digital 75 ohm Morpheus Reference Series II 1 meter cable and received this morning.

After listening to few tracks I got blown away by the detailed and nuanced sound, excellent dynamics and deep sound stage.

I had used Analysis Plus AES digital cables and Audio Note and Crystal Audio RCA interconnect cables as digital cable with good result so far.

But this one is much better.

It’s regular price was around 300$.

I can not claim that this is the best digital cable since cable is dependent on system and personal taste.

But it is good enough to justify its regular price of 300$.


https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lis9746a-silnote-audio-award-winning-top-reviews-digital-75-ohm-mo...

Higher model is also available at 200$ and I going to listen more to 100$ one over the weekend before deciding whether to go for the 200$ one.


128x128shkong78
Good to know. How are you using this cable? Between a transport and a DAC?
I recently got a Cardas Parsec to connect from an older Oppo transport that sends HDCD to the DAC in my Oppo UDP-205 and it does make a (good) difference that I can note.
I am using it between my music bank and Lyngdorf 2170.

Of course, you can use it between your transport and Dac.
Since I am so happy with the improvement by paying 99$, , I placed an order for series 2 which cost 195$ and I will compare between those two cables.

Elvis Presley sound so natural and nuanced.

Please note I need one more digital cable to connect between Jay’s CDT2 Mk2 and my Dac.

I may keep those two.

Silnote may offer few more digital cables on sale at Audiogon.

Digital coax cables should always be terminated to BNC connectors.  RCA cannot be terminated cleanly.

Use 75 ohm BNC to RCA adapters if you need RCA.

Steve N.

Empirical Audio

One can’t help wondering if it’s directional. Hmmmmm. 😛 No, I’m not hot doggin ya. 🌭
geoff, stop the trolling...
You no longer have any credibility on this site. 
I use the Silnote Poseidon Digital IC in my 2nd system, and Poseidon 2 Digital in my main system. Both RCA terminated.
I also use in my main system,   Silnote Orion IC between my DAC and either preamp, or integrated amps (switch equipment every couple of weeks for variety) , and Posiedon IC between my preamp and power amp. Use Silnote Morpheus Ref 2 Series 2  IC is my 2nd system between DAC and integrated; and Morpheus 2 in my headphone system between DAC headphone amp




@facten

You must be happy with Silnote digital cables.

I will get more of them on Wednesday.

I am curious how much 200$ cable will be better than 100$ one in my system?
"@kalali may need a Midol!"

Actually I don't. It does not help with a low tolerance for BS artists. 
Post removed 
oh, definitely get the $3K one, you just can't hear a thing with out it.
Belden is clueless about wire technology, never use them.
I had just got Blackcat SilverStar BNC digital cable in Korea.


The Korean distributor recommended digi75 or Tron Model to me but they are too expensive (750$ and 2000$ for 1 m length each).

I will report the comparison between Blackcat SilverStar and Silnote Morpheus Reference II digital cables after 3 weeks.
It is up to date version Mk ii.

I had interesting conversation with Korea distributor.

He claimed that upper model provide more musical sound but Silverstar could be more honest.

But I can not test it unless I am back to my listening room in US.
I will give enough burn in time to Blackcat cable.

Silnote digital cable sounded good as new but had improved a little bit more with burn in.

Another interesting conversation with distributor about Korean audio market.

MSB top DAC which cost 80K $ sell well in Korea.

Also CH Precision Dac is also popular in Korea, but the distributor himself does not like the sound from CH Precision feeling that it is somewhat artificially sculptured.

There is serious division of opinion about Total DAC in Korea.

Some people like it’s analogue sound, but other people are of the opinion is that it lacks details.


DCS is also selling well in Korea.

The distributor also sell Mytek Digital products which I had listened to his listening room using Scansonic speakers.

http://chessaudio.co.kr/xe/mytek

http://chessaudio.co.kr/xe/scansonic



I found the combination sound fine but falling little bit short of top end category.

It was my first occasion to listen to Mytek Digital and Scansonic speakers.


But they are reasonably good system without exorbitant price.

I like his show room treated with Artnovion acoustic product.


http://chessaudio.co.kr/xe/artnovion_list

I may try them in the future in my listening room.



He also mentioned that manufacturing facility of Blackcat moved from Japan to Georgia recently.
@audioengr

I have never heard that RCA can it be terminated cleanly. You also suggest terminating to BNC, yet your above claim thus prove that to be false, as male RCA—>female RCA-to-male BNC adaptor—> female BNC can’t possibly be cleaner than male RCA—>female RCA. It’s not balanced, and any jitter differences can be easily ignored, unless you have a bottom of the barrel DAC.
BNC is not superior if the RCA cable is true 75ohm. However, that’s in the professional environment where the runs are meters upon meters upon meters. In a home environment, a 6ft digital coax cable is not going to sound worse as an impedance mismatch is insignificant.
I had got Blackecat cables with BNC termination but with two adapters to RCA.

So I have freedom to try to compare between BNC and RCA.

Jay's cdt2 mk2 has both BNC and RCA outputs.

But I do not have BNC input to Lyngdorf 2170.


I had been using Blackcat Silverstar Mk2 for 8 weeks.

It showed lot of details but etched out of box.

After 8 weeks, it got much better.

But after comparing with 200$ Silnote Morpheus II digital cables, they are close but I prefer latter with more organic sound.

The better performance came from Zenwave D4 digital cable (500$) which give much more refined and nuanced details.

Upper model of Blackcat digital cable may perform better but I do not want to try out them with long burn in time and high price.

Blackcat Silverstar Mk2 is not very bad but just ordinary Joe for the price.

I would rather recommend either 200$ Silnote Morpheus II digital cable or Zenwave D4 digital cable depending on your budget.

Choice of cable is dependent on system and personal taste.

So my judgement can not be final.

But I found nothing special with Blackcat Silverstar Mk2 digital cable.



Post removed 
shkong78,
I find your review refreshing lacking the usual hyperbole. I have found over time The Silnote’s to be very fine interconnect and digital cables at a fair price. Best, mikirob 

BNC connectors are true 75 ohm plugs. RCA connectors are not.

http://www.bluejeanscable.com/articles/75ohmrca.htm

So I agree with audioengr about using SPDIF digital coax IC’s having BNC connectors. Use the BNC-RCA adaptors if necessary.