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  1. #1
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    Optical vs. RCA cables for CD players

    I own a modest Yamaha CD player (can't remember model number). Works fine, but I need to buy new cables for it. Is there any advantage to running an optical cable to the receiver over regular RCA's?

  2. #2
    Suspended markw's Avatar
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    The only time I would use optical instead of coaxial is if I ran out of coaxial inputs on the back of my receiver.

    By choosing Toslink (optical), you opt for at least two additional stages in the signal path... one to convert electrical energy to light in the source and the other to convert the light back to electrical energy in the target. I am still waiting for someone to convince me this is a good thing.

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    Good point, but I'm not using a coaxial digital cable, I'm talking about your basic stereo left and right, white and red RCA cables vs. an optical cable.
    Seems to me a digital coaxial cable would have to do an equivalent conversion to an encoded electrical signal anyway, or else why couldn't we just use normal audio cables to carry discrete digital signals?

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    Suspended markw's Avatar
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    apples to oranges.

    You cannot use an optical cable for the "analog" audio (Red/White) cables.

    You can only use a "digital" optical cable in lieu of a 75 ohm "digital" cable that goes from a source (DVD,CD) before the DAC to a unit that contains a DAC within itself, such as a HT receiver of an expensive pre/pro.

    You can, however, use a "digital" RCA cable for an analog signal but there is no inherent improvement to be had by doing so.

    Frankly, I cannot even fathom how you would plug a Toslink cable into an analog RCA output...

  5. #5
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    Look dude I didn't think the question was that difficult, but one of us isn't understanding the other.
    I have no intention of plugging toslink into an RCA input nor did I mention doing such. Check my posts again.
    My Yamaha CD Player clearly has an optical output that an optical cable would presumably carry an audio signal to my Yamaha receiver, straight into the optional CD Optical input.
    My question was about the signal quality. Would the optical cable be an improvement over the basic RCA cables?
    My CD player does not have a coax digital output just the toslink or rca's.
    I'm with you in that I'm not a big fan of toslink either, but I am wondering if it would be better than "good old fashioned" rca's. Clearer now?

  6. #6
    Suspended markw's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by kexodusc
    Would the optical cable be an improvement over the basic RCA cables?
    Only if the DAC in the receiver is better than the DAC in the CD player.

    I think I aelluded to this in one of my earlier responses.

    Quote Originally Posted by markw
    You can only use a "digital" optical cable in lieu of a 75 ohm "digital" cable that goes from a source (DVD,CD) before the DAC to a unit that contains a DAC within itself, such as a HT receiver of an expensive pre/pro.
    You really should express yourself more clearly.

    Quote Originally Posted by kexodusc
    Is there any advantage to running an optical cable to the receiver over regular RCA's?
    Quote Originally Posted by kexodusc
    I'm talking about your basic stereo left and right, white and red RCA cables vs. an optical cable.
    Sometimes what we think we say is not actually what we said.

  7. #7
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    why dont you buy both and try which ever one seems best keep it and return the other one.....go to wallmart they'll take anything back..it says customer satisfaction .....

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    Suspended markw's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Willow
    why dont you buy both and try which ever one seems best keep it and return the other one.....go to wallmart they'll take anything back..it says customer satisfaction .....
    Excellent suggestion!

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    Thanks guy, I'll have to look at the manuals for specs, but I think the receiver's DAC is better, guess I'll give it a shot.
    I can't imagine signal degradation being an issue in 1 foot long cables so the DAC's might be the only difference.
    "Is there any advantage to running an optical cable to the receiver over regular RCA's?" - sorry, I can see how this question is confusing.
    Thanks again for your help.

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    Suspended markw's Avatar
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    ..not a problem. Just trying to help.

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    Forum Regular psonic's Avatar
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    i would agree that the receiver would sound better doing pcm via optical cable, at least this was the case with my H/K

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    i have a nad 515 cd player that is not steller but for the price very smooth. it to has the options of rca vs digital connections. i run it to the reciever using monster reference 2 rca cables, right and left. i did not try both ways but IMO the dac in the cd player is probably better than the one in my denon 1803. i would have bought some different interconnect but the price was right on the monster. 25 buck for 100 dollar cables.

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    Optical vs. Coax vs. RCA

    Hi everyone... new to the forum and hungry for information about this subject. My wife finally got it recently and I'm making plans to purchase my first quality sound system in 10 years! Well, enough of that later.. for now:

    * It makes good common sense that using optical cables adds an encoding and decoding process between the digital out from the CD laser and the D/A converter (Preamp/Intamp/Rcvr), which could alter the orignal signal.

    * Using coax merely removes the optial/electrical conversion process, but coax cable can alter the signal as well. Good coax cable, I think, should give a cleaner result.

    * RCA transmits analog across a conducter, producing the most distortion. Probably the least beneficial choice.

    However, it has been my experience, all electronics theory aside, that using the optical connects seems to produce better sound! Any idea why?

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by kexodusc
    I own a modest Yamaha CD player (can't remember model number). Works fine, but I need to buy new cables for it. Is there any advantage to running an optical cable to the receiver over regular RCA's?
    Why do you need new cables?
    I seriously doubt there will be differences significant enough to worry about. The DACs are pretty much commodity items today, dirt cheap.
    mtrycrafts

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Willow
    why dont you buy both and try which ever one seems best keep it and return the other one.....go to wallmart they'll take anything back..it says customer satisfaction .....

    Yes, a good suggestion, but, always a but , one needs to know how to compare so it has meaning. The volume level between the analog and digital signal will be greatly different and cause one to sound different for the wrong reasons without careful volume matching. No, you cannot volume match by ear
    mtrycrafts

  16. #16
    irix16
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    Quote Originally Posted by MichaelBreeden
    * It makes good common sense that using optical cables adds an encoding and decoding process between the digital out from the CD laser and the D/A converter (Preamp/Intamp/Rcvr), which could alter the orignal signal.

    * Using coax merely removes the optial/electrical conversion process, but coax cable can alter the signal as well. Good coax cable, I think, should give a cleaner result.

    * RCA transmits analog across a conducter, producing the most distortion. Probably the least beneficial choice.

    However, it has been my experience, all electronics theory aside, that using the optical connects seems to produce better sound! Any idea why?
    I guess the problem is mostly with the digital/analog conversion. Probably we need to consider things inside the CD player and the receiver as the interconnects are part of the entire signal path.

    The laser beam in the CD player picks up the digital codes from the disc. The analog output feeds the receiver with D/A converted signal produced inside the CD player. For short interconnection distances, the analog cable must be as good as the wires used inside the CD player and the receiver, which I don't think would be very expensive materials.

    The digital output of a CD player can be either optical or coaxial. I don't know the details but guess that even if the laser pickups need to be converted to voltage signals first and then back to light signals, the loss from an optical connection should be small (assuming good lens, fibres, and protective skins). Using optical interconnects has another advantage that it should be able to preserve more signal energy than a coaxial cable both running a relatively long distance, say, to another room. For coaxial cables, the digital signals are simple binaries, that is, 0 and 1, which should be easier to handle electronically than its analog equivalents.

    The only conceivable disantage with the digital connects, optical or coaxial, IMHO, is the relatively lack of experience, considering the vast literature (may I say?) on the tonal quality of analog cables.

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by irix16
    considering the vast literature (may I say?) on the tonal quality of analog cables.
    I'd be interested in knowing some of these literatures, thanks.
    mtrycrafts

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