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Digital coax cable, real world experiences?

Yes I know ANOTHER cable thread....lol
Guess that is why it has its own complete section
My question regards a cable I have not really paid much attention to previously, the digital coax connection from my media server to my preamp.
I was using a very old generic connection that is at least 15 years old but acquired a pretty cheap tributaries digital coax cable and thought oh well lets change it.
I was shocked and stunned at just how much more detail was present and the depth and solidity of bass was near overwhelming, granting I was listening to some pretty bass intense material at the time but still!
Now do not get me wrong I was once one of the biggest cable naysayers you would find and still think the majority of me now hearing changes is the quality of the rest of my system as previous "lower fi" systems just did not truly reveal any note(pun intended) worthy changes.
So my question is if I heard a significant difference with a fairly inexpensive cable what may occur with really going up the food chain on a digital coax cable? Or was it more that my previous no name very old cable was just that ..very old and poor.
Thoughts and real world experiences on digital coax cables?

128x128Ag insider logo xs@2xuberwaltz
lalitk's avatar
lalitk
1,105 posts
 
@uberwaltz,

I have very recently heard Mytek’s Brooklyn DAC, which sounded pretty good.

The other option would be Bluesound’s Node 2 or Vault 2.

Honestly, If high resolution streaming is your goal, I would wait until MQA shakes out. I am sure you heard that HD Tracks will be streaming high resolution tracks pretty soon which should eliminate the ‘need’ to shop for MQA compatible DAC.
uberwaltz's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
uberwaltz OP
4,946 posts
 
I completely forgot that my vault is ALREADY MQA ready...doh!
So from last night onwards I have been running comparos between the analog out and the digital out from the vault into my McIntosh and yes I can hear a difference on the 192 analog out.
So no need to spend any money at all bar for some decent rca interconnects as I do not have any as rest of stuff is all xlr
Happy days indeed
ancaudio
27 posts
 
As auxinput mentioned above, DH Labs D-750 is a true 75omh cable from tip to tip.  Most RCA connectors are not 75ohm.   The DH RCA-750 connector is made up of 5 separate pieces and the center conductor must be soldered.  This is a true 75ohm set-up and should not be overlooked.
uberwaltz's avatar
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uberwaltz OP
4,946 posts
 
Had given the AQ Hawkeye a chance to redeem itself and after quite a few hours playing it has definitley smoothed out and is now quite tuneful with gorgeous accents on piano and female vocals and acoustic guitar, very well suited to my current hot fave listen "Mostly Autumn", a Celtic folk progressive rock band.
Even though it was purchased as used it seems like it may have had so few hours on it, if any indeed, that it required some serious break in time.

Now fairly content....for now...lol
audiolover718
121 posts
 
While I really like my Synergistic research power, interconnects, and speaker cables, I use the Pangea premier XL from my transport to DIP and a DH Labs D750 from DIP to dac. These two cables work well with each other and I especially like them for the price. The pangea Premier XL replaced a bettercabler silver serpent with imoroved smootheness and just sounded more refined and "mature".
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