Cable Asylum

RE: unshielded digital interconnector

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"Is there such a thing as an unshielded digital interconnector? Just about everything in my system is unshielded and its gotten better. Right now I have DH Labs 75 interconnector. "

Generally, in order to maintain low jitter you will need a perfect 75 Ohms impedance over 5-10x the bandwidth of the SPDIF signal, and you just won't get it with anything but a coaxial cable (which automatically will give you some shielding as well). You won't be spending kilobucks on it either.

There are a ton of poorly done digital cables being sold by all manner of high end cable companies (some of them very well respected brands that make great analog interconnects!) at all price levels. SPDIF is a real minefield.

If you have jitter, you will get a hardness and glare in the upper midrange, a glassy screechy treble and either a bloated wooly 1-note bass, or more commonly, one much reduced and muddy bass. Also jitter reduction circuitry generally works best at the lower frequencies, and will clear up some of the midrange to treble hardness, but not all.

If you have a prefect 75 Ohm interface ... you will hear not a speck of hardness, and the bass will be BIG and detailed. (Now, your source might have jitter built in to it, in which case, garbage in/garbage out ... but the cable won't be the issue).



"Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad"


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