Which digital IC?

I am looking for a few suggestions for a great sounding digital IC in the 1000 to 1500 price range.

As someone with very extensive design experience in digital signal transmission, I would offer the thought that although digital cables can certainly affect the quality and character of the sound that you hear, they do not in themselves have a "sound." By that I mean that their effects on sound quality are dependent on relationships and interactions between their parameters, including length, impedance accuracy, shielding effectiveness, shield resistance, etc., and the technical characteristics of what they are connecting, including signal risetimes and falltimes, impedance accuracy, jitter rejection capability, ground loop susceptibility, etc.

In other words, I would not expect a high degree of consistency between performance in one system and performance in other systems, or even between different lengths of the same cable type in the same system, and I would not expect a high degree of correlation between performance and price.

My suggestion is simply that you try a variety of different cables at different price points, and make your own choice. In so doing, focus on lengths of approximately 1.5 meters, if that is practicable, as explained in this writeup: http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue14/spdif.htm

Regards,
-- Al

Tim, yes it's certainly possible that the results you found will occur in many cases.

The cable lengths that will be optimal with respect to the signal reflection effects Steve addresses are dependent on the risetimes and falltimes of the output signal of the particular digital source, which are usually unspecified. They are also dependent on the propagation velocity of the particular cable. And note that 3 feet, which is essentially the same as the length of your 1 meter cable, is the length that he specifically cites as likely to be problematical.

Also, a shorter cable length may result in a reduction in jitter that occurs due to noise pickup, or noise that may be induced by ground loop effects (as opposed to jitter that is induced by signal reflections caused by impedance mismatches, which is what Steve's paper addresses). Whether noise-induced jitter or reflection-induced jitter will be the more significant concern in a given system cannot generally be predicted, IMO.

I should have added in my earlier comment, also, that the 1.5 meter length recommendation will probably be inapplicable if a very short length (perhaps 12 inches or less) is practicable. It is the intermediate lengths, such as 1 meter, that are the concern with respect to the signal reflection issue, assuming reasonably good impedance matches, typical risetimes and falltimes, and typical propagation velocities.

Regards,
-- Al