The cool thing is while you shouldn’t use an analog balanced cable for AES/EBU, you can use AES/EBU cables for analog balanced audio.
Does that mean I shouldn’t use analogue RCA cable for a digital connection? Funny thing is I find analogue cables sound better than digital ones I try, less hard and digital sounding, and I try many.
Maybe I didn’t try the right ones.
Of cause not!!!
I specifically stated AES/EBU.
Coaxial digital was designed to use conventional 75 ohm RCA cables, though dedicated digital cables have specific improvements designed to help it do its job.
75 Ohms it has to be for SPDIF coax (including the connectors!). AES should be 110 ohms. Do “analogue” cables meet these requirements? Well… if they sound sweeter… just “trust your ears” and enjoy…
I don’t know about RCA audio cables per se, but “yellow” RCA video cables were always supposed to be 75 ohm.
Some sources say RCA “phono” connectors were designed for a 50 ohm impedance.
Correct, video cables are 75 Ohms too. That reminds me: I still have one that I could try for SPDIF now! I hadn’t thought of that. Thanks for giving me the idea.
As for RCA connectors having the same proper impedance, see this for example:
http://www.canare.com/ProductItemDisplay.aspx?productItemID=40