Optical vs digi coax

[btnhfan 5,000+ posts]

I knew this had to be incorrect, but I have been wrong.

My friend said that rca is the same as optical or digi coax, but I thought no way because of surrond.

1 RCA cable is not nearly the same as a digi coax or optical, as someone claimed.

Im deciding between one of each, and it goes from the pc to the receiver, 3.5 ft at most.

Thanks.

Click to read more...

 

[1loudsuv 10+ year member]

from what i know it goes optica>digital coax>rca

but to me the digital coax looks like a single rca????

 

[psyrex 10+ year member]

- Digital is the type of signal passed on the wire, it's not the wire itself.

- The wire can be an optical cable, a RCA cable, a 3.5mm cable (like what Creative products use), or any cable really because the cable has nothing to do with the signal.

- Yes, digital coax is just a single RCA cable. Specifically, a normal coax cable with RCA heads, just like those used in other audio equipment.

- There is no difference from selecting optical or coax because the signal remains digital throughout the 3.5 ft you want it to go through.

 

[Beat_Dominator 5,000+ posts]

This depends on a few things. From my readings of "audiophile" publications digital coax is given the praise in quality on short runs (about 3ft. or so). Toslink optical suffers from a relitively poor interface between emitter and detector (the plug and the socket). For a while there was a push for AT&T's (called an ST I think?) optical connection which works like a BNC as you twist it on. Of course digital coax will begin to have considerable signal loss over a length of about 20ft or so, and depending on your equip. much shorter than that even; here optical really has a big advantage.

 

[joetama 5,000+ posts]

I separate the signals on my processor by using optical for video and digital coax for CD's and audio strictly....

 

[btnhfan 5,000+ posts]

Well I ended up getting optical.

And it is much, much better than the headphoe to rca.

Even though its only a $20 monster cable.

Im thinking about picking up a knukonceptz one eventually.

 

[joetama 5,000+ posts]

Can I say "Welll Duhhhhh"......

 

[ngsm13 5,000+ posts]

Can I say "Welll Duhhhhh"......

You could have DEFINITELY finished the movie n00bx //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif...

It was good. ***.

nG

 

[RSVCHAD 10+ year member]

- Digital is the type of signal passed on the wire, it's not the wire itself.- The wire can be an optical cable, a RCA cable, a 3.5mm cable (like what Creative products use), or any cable really because the cable has nothing to do with the signal.

- Yes, digital coax is just a single RCA cable. Specifically, a normal coax cable with RCA heads, just like those used in other audio equipment.

- There is no difference from selecting optical or coax because the signal remains digital throughout the 3.5 ft you want it to go through.

Yes, for the most part that is correct that a digital signal can be passed over any coaxial cable (two wires running on the same axis), however audio interconnect cables are typically 50 ohms, while video/digital cables are typically 75ohms. Monster Cable still believes 100 ohm cable is superior for digital coaxial transmission. The impedance of the cable is determined by the relationship of wire size of the outer wire (shield) to the inner wire as well as the dielectric used.

 

[ndnbolla 10+ year member]

From what I have read in the past, you won't hear an audible difference between the optical or digital coax. The prices of both can be similiar too.

In the end (when I was in this situation), I chose what wire would be best in my situation seeing as how my dvd only had a digital coax and no optical output.

 

[Scoobydoo 5,000+ posts]

i use a cobalt cable subwoofer cable for my digital coax connection

 

[adam71 5,000+ posts]

i use a cobalt cable subwoofer cable for my digital coax connection

Your subwoofer has a digital in??

 

[yacob.naif 10+ year member]

he's talking about an rca subwoofer pre-out cable

and as for the cable making much or any of a difference, i'd love to see some actual metered benchtests, because when i first took my old stereo to work, i forgot to bring an rca to hook up to SPDIF connection between my cdplayer and my receiver, so i found a stereo-rca to minijack cable in the shop, and spliced the two rca ends together with some duct tape for a temporary cable, and it worked just fine.

I even did a side-by side comparison, attaching the spliced cable, and then the new cable i brought with me the next day, and i couldn't tell a difference.

And as for opti vs. SPDIF, i'd use SPDIF for HT setups unless you already have an opti cable at home to use, the longest distance between my components at home's probably ~10 inches, optical digital connections are really handy for studio technicians and such, who have cables strewn 20-100 feet, crap, or internet/phone connections between the US and Europe is a good application, as well, but it's really not necessary at home. optical cables have less/no degradation in signal over distance, but way more initial degradation, so for short distances, the SPDIF's the way to go for sure.

I'd use SPDIF whenever possible, and keep your optical connections open for components that don't have SPDIF connections (some dvd players/PS2)

 

[adam71 5,000+ posts]

he's talking about an rca subwoofer pre-out cable

Analog preout from the receiver or preamp then??

 

[adam71 5,000+ posts]

The cable was designed to connect a subwoofer to the output of a receiver ...
He used that cable to connect the coaxial digital output on the DVD player (I assume) to the coaxial digital input on his receiver because the subwoofer cable and a digital coaxial cable use the same end ...

I was always under the impression you needed a "video cable" or a specified "digital transfer cable" for digital coax transmission.

Is that wrong or what?? I'm a little confused.