Digital Cables

Thanks Michael! I'm glad to hear about the Theta against the Musical Fidelity. One thing that I don't understand is the transports, since they should just be reading and sending the data. You know, if you just put the CD on repeat, you can get 168 hours of burn-in a week on that cable. You can turn the amp off if you want, too, so it won't bother anyone. When I was talking to Chris S. about his new cable, he told me something about cables that I never really thought about before. Most people think it's the wire, silver, copper six or seven 9's pure, etc., that the main thing about a cable. The wire itself is not any more important than the connectors and the connection from the connector to the wire. If the signal can't get to the wire from the transport, and then from the wire to the DAC, it doesn't matter if the wire is the most perfect wire ever made.

A few years back I talked to the designer at Aural Sym. He said the same about the termination. I have a Theta data 3,and I use Syn Re.'s 1k aes/ebu--with active X. At that price I have to keep it for 30 or 40 years.--Jeez, I hope a hundred dollar cable don't smoke it.------

Chuck they are correct, being a certified 2M tech the solder joint to the connections can make a huge difference. But digital is digital, we dont have to worry about phase relationships between channels, or skin affect just the cables ability to transfer the signal from point a to b. If you look at the quality of the digital pulse at the output of the source on an Oscope that will give you a good indication of transient response pulse shape and timing of the signal all of which the dac needs to see to convert the digital signal to analog.

I swear I wasnt going to do this, that is what the why do digital cables sound different is for.

Ok most importantly is the solder joint at the connections of the cable (as long as the connector has a solod and not loose connection) A partially cold joint will create massive problems, a bubble in the solder joint will deform the signal, it takes a proper tinning of the wire and a good fillet as well as a good quality solder to make a proper joint. Two cables of the same brand can sound differently (and the connection is the reason why)

It is about the sound and only the sound nothing but the sound it doesn't matter about the theory it is the sound that such sweet music, to hear a vocal that is crisp and clear, the location of the drum stick on the snare or symble, the guitar manufactures distinct sound of the instrument, being able to tell the pressure used on the piano keys or which pedal is being used, the pressure on the reed of a wind instrument, Tim Weisburg on the flute and not so much as a hickup as he plays. The music is why we all spend thousands and thousands that such sweet sound.

Rember to take the system as a whole.

Michael

Chuck,

I am just getting back into the game, Theory dictates that there has to be current flow and not knowing how the DAC is designed I am going to guess that without the amp on and providing current to the speakers there can be no current flow through the system. I am curious to get audioengineers take on this.

Michael