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S/PDIF sounds more analog than AES/EBU

Hi folks, I have both Nirvana S/PDIF and AES/EBU cables. At the end I prefer the S/PDIF because to me it sounds more natural (more "analog") than the AES/EBU. Is S/PDIF more "analog" in general? Does AES/EBU sound more mechanical/sterile? My transport is the MBL 1621 and DAC is Accustic Arts Tube DAC. Thank you.

Chris
dazzdax
audiofeil
4,011 posts
 
The transmission and receiver chips are different for AES/EBU and S/PDIF.

That is the reason for the same transport and d/a combination usually sounding a bit different with AES/EBU and S/PDIF.

You'll need to try both interations to determine which is best in your system.
tpsonic
1,092 posts
 
You should audition each cable separately.If both are connected and you are flipping a switch,then one is contributing to the other-both are "in the circuit".
kijanki's avatar
kijanki
3,575 posts
 
Chris - As far as I know AES/EBU is the same thing as S/PDIF. It is used in studio equipment while S/PDIF is for the rest of us. Electrical levels are slightly different and it is balanced but the protocol is the same. My Benchmark DAC1 receives both with the same chip. Here is quote from WIKIPEDIA:

"the low-level protocol for data transmission in AES/EBU and S/PDIF is largely identical, and the following discussion applies for S/PDIF as well unless otherwise noted." There is also fiber-optic version of the same protocol know better from its Toshiba name "Toslink"

I don't know what could be different in your system - maybe this difference in electrical levels. Are both Nirvana cables of similar quality?
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