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Elizabeth is right

The reason is that what triggers any digital audio signal is a transition (ie, "zero" to "one" and vice-versa). With a normal length of digital cable (like 1.5 meters) ANY reflections due to impedance mismatches at either end (and these are INEVITABLE) will come back while the digital audio receiving circuitry is changing signal states (ie, "zero" to "one" or vice versa), causing the receiving circuit to interpret this added reflection as jitter.

On the other hand, if you use a cable of 25' or more, the transition will be long over by the time any reflection comes back to mess up the original signal.

Now there is a new problem (actually an old problem that becomes somewhat more important), as the cable itself must be high quality so that its impedance is constant throughout its length. This requires the cable to be manufactured to closer tolerances physically (which affects the impedance, inch-by-inch). Otherwise there will be reflections at every point in the cable where ever the impedance changes. (Don't put sharp bends in your cables.)

But these impedance changes are much smaller than the ones found at the input and output of digital audio equipment. It also doesn't cost that much for the cable manufacturer to purchase high-quality cable made to close tolerances. I would never use S/PDIF without also using a long cable.

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