How is your experience with digital cables? Have you heard a major difference from using digital cables compared to analog cables? If you do, which cable made the most improvement?
One of my biggest improvement from a digital cable was using a Shunyata Omega USB cable, It replaced a Silnote topline USB cable between a Lumin U2 streamer and DS MK2. The improvement from it was quite shocking. It had made more improvement over my analog cables in the system at the time.
Later on, I bought an Omega Ethernet cable because of the great improvement from USB. This time the improvement was much smaller. It seems that different types of digital cable may have different effect on the system.
But I wonder if my experience differs from others.
One thing I believe is that the expensive cables will improve more on a highly resolving system, and that is from my own experience too. Way back when my digital setup did not have as low background noise as my current setup, and I heard less of an improvement from cables. So, it really depends on the system’s capability too.
In my system digital cables have made almost as much difference as interconnects. I get the best results with the coax made by Benchmark Media. It’s way less than $100. The problem is my PSA MKII DAC only has one coax input so I need to physically reconnect it when moving from streamer to CD. I bought a Audioquest Carbon USB and it’s stored in a drawer now. I’ve never liked the results I get with toslink. It seems overly smooth and polite regardless of the cable I use. I admittedly have avoided really high end digital cables so far. Maybe that’s the next frontier for my system.
I went from a Pink Faun usb which is a warm detailed cable to a Inakustik 2405 pure silver usb cable with great results. Better bass impact and vocals sound more real, overall a nice upgrade and noticed right away with out much break in time.
I think they make a big difference, even HDMI. HDMI is the vehicle for my main source (PS Audio SACD transport) and I was initially quite surprised at the differences the cables made but now am a believer. I can change the whole sound of my system with one cable change.
Also agree that at least one digital cable made an audible improvement between my CD transport and DAC. The Jay’s Audio CDT3-Mk3 and Mola Mola Tambaqui perform audibly better with a high quality HDMI cable like the Audioquest series up to the top of the line Dragon.
I’m currently using the Dragon without the DBS (battery based dielectric bias) feature due to issues with battery drain, but this cable still sounds the best to me. Have used less expensive AQ HDMI cables which also worked great, but noticed subtle improvements with better AQ options. Probably reach diminishing returns at higher cost based largely on the resolving power of the components linked by the digital cable.
I have heard digital cables make a material SQ difference in my system, so I am a believer … to a point. Currently, I use a Furutech GT2 NCF USB cable (1.2m) between my Aurender N20 streamer and my Luxman D-07X DAC. After an extended burn-in period (purportedly due to the Nano Crystal² Formula material), the GT2 NCF has made me a believer in USB as a viable digital connection (previously, I was all-in on HDMI and Ethernet).
I have never heard a ~$3.5K USB cable in my system, and I probably never will, as I become a cable skeptic when the cost of a short strand of wire crosses into the price range for complex pieces of audio hardware. Still, I would gladly participate in a controlled shootout between the Furutech GT2 NCF and something like the Shunyata Omega to see if I (and others) could hear the difference.
I agree. I replaced three AC-10 with AC-12 and have them for sale, excellent cables. . . I believe they were designed by the man behind Pangea for PS Audio but I am not certain–I believe he had a big part in the design of the power cables of that time.
Once you understand that digital cables are passing a signal via analog, it starts to make sense that better digital cables can make a nice difference. They are passing an analog representation of ones and zeros.
In a couple of weeks I will try a Shunyata Omega-X Ethernet cable. From what I have read it supposedly be the new king on the block, and I will see how much better it is compared to my original Omega.
Since I am using Roon to play PMG streamer and Roon core and stored files reside inside MU2, I must have heard some of the MU2 DAC sound through PMG too. Am I right? In that case if I improve the digital cable, I should hear improvement from both PMG and MU2 also. This could be why I am hearing similar sound from both. This audio networking stuff is quite confusing.
Then, I will hook up Omega to PMG512 to compare to WIFI, and I should hear different sound. I suspect WIFI may come ahead because it is 100% isolated from noise. But I am not sure.
If you are using the MU2 as a Roon endpoint your Ethernet cable is used between your streamer and the MU2. If your Streamer is using files from your MU2 to stream to the PMG DAC, again, just the Ethernet cable is used.
If you are using the MU2 just as file storage, you don’t need it at all. You just need an external drive.
Stealth digital cables easily the best I’ve heard. Octave T AES cable (available from @straightwire) Stealth double tune USB and single tune. Stealth Black Magic Ethernet no tunable ring are the best I’ve heard and can make a substantial improvement in most systems. AQ Dragon 48 HDMI did the same for me with PS Audio DACs I2S
I have tried early versions of Stealth digital cables and they were good, but I liked Shunyata Sigma better at the time. Their BM Ultra 8 is more reasonable priced than Omega-X too (1/2). But I really like Shunyata Omega in my system so I will stay with it.
Their new Sigma-X is already better than the original Omega so that had my interest. I will pay more than double on an Omega than a Stealth Ethernet cable in this case (strangely it is almost reasonable priced without the Ring). Our dealer friend sells both Stealth and Shunyata, but not much discount for Shunyata like Stealth though.
Audiophiles (music lovers, sure, but more gear lovers to be honest) live in a small, strange bubble, some of us spend tons of money on components and cables to find that last ounce of improvement. Because the tiny improvement is important to us. But what do the non-audiophile think about the result of our countless achievements? This is nothing new, but it is another reminder of how the real world thinks about hi-end audio.
Friends and family gathered last weekend to celebrate the Year of Horse, and to see my first granddaughter. A few were interested in my audio system from a year (or longer) ago. So, I played several familiar songs (before dinner and wine) and asked their opinion. Everyone said it sounded great, but no one said it was better than last time they were here. Some were here when FR30 arrived, but before Gryphon PowerZone, Gryphon D333, two PMGs, new network switch, and new expensive cables. All remember how great the system sounded last time, but none of them heard any noticeable improvement this time.
My next upgrade of a digital cable will make no sound difference to 99.9% of the population for sure.
Thank you for the affirmation and the recommendation over at Audiogon. The FEP dielectric makes a world of difference in the sonic performance. It’s black quiet and the resolution is amazing. The best SPDIF cable and only pennies compared to the other guys. And, you get your way with exacting lengths.
Bob, Belden 4694P SPDIF looks good! I will order one. This way I can hook up PMG SACD to MU2 or PMG512 with it, and play CDs to compare the two DACs. Thanks!
