Best S/PDIF cable

bluegrasser · 14th December 2006

Maybe this thread is a little stupid. But I've been running mixes from my Roland VS-2000 to my Masterlink via a S/PDIF cable. I've tried different brands and have noticed some differences between the brands. Or maybe I'm just being crazy.

In the event, I'm not being crazy...........what are some goto brands for S/PDIF cables.

Thanks.

scrubs · 14th December 2006

What kinds of differences? SPDIF is digital. Either the "1s" & "0s" get there or they don't. Unless the cable is somehow losing data, there can be no degradation of quality. Durability would be the only major issue with high-end cables.

HudHudson · 14th December 2006

I use Apogee WydeEye cables for both SPDIF and AES with good results.

http://www.apogeedigital.com/products/wydeeyecables.php

klaukholm · 14th December 2006

I use Gotham GAC2 Gotham from www.redco.com and solder on neutrik connectors.
cheap and very good.
We use the same cable for our wordclock cables.

andremattos · 14th December 2006

I use Monster Cable MSeries
Excellent , i have apogee and others , but Monster serie M is the Best!

theblue1 · 14th December 2006

As long as your cable is of optimal length (not too long) and undamaged, you should see no difference from cable to cable. When cables become too long for tranmitting digital audio signals, however, you may find "reflection" based jitter.

But there is a HUGE amount of marketing hogwash out there -- and some the most ludicrous is about "premium" cables. (If you want a laugh, look at a certain previously mentioned brand... many of their AUDIO cables have arrows on them, suggesting that the cable has some sort of directionality or polarity. That utterly defies even a basic undertstanding of audio electronics. People like M------ COUNT on ignorance and confusion in their buyers.)

There's a long and often quite funny thread at Dan Lavry's now-locked (but still visible) forum at PSW:

http://recforums.prosoundweb.com/ind...ter#msg_160008

Mind, you, the thread title "Why longer is generally better for an S/PDIF Digital Cable" is somewhat ironic -- though it's apparently taken from the utterly fantastical marketing claims of a "high end" cable manufacturer.

It is a very funny thread for those willing to wade through some tech talk.

14th December 2006	#1
bluegrasser Gear addict Joined: Oct 2006 Posts: 404 Thread Starter	Best S/PDIF cable Maybe this thread is a little stupid. But I've been running mixes from my Roland VS-2000 to my Masterlink via a S/PDIF cable. I've tried different brands and have noticed some differences between the brands. Or maybe I'm just being crazy. In the event, I'm not being crazy...........what are some goto brands for S/PDIF cables. Thanks.

14th December 2006	#3
HudHudson Lives for gear Joined: Sep 2004 Location: Austin, Texas USofA Posts: 1,671	I use Apogee WydeEye cables for both SPDIF and AES with good results. http://www.apogeedigital.com/products/wydeeyecables.php __________________ "The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side." - Hunter S. Thompson should have said this, but didn't www.yellowdogstudios.com

14th December 2006	#5
andremattos Lives for gear Joined: Oct 2006 Location: Brazil - Amazon (the heart of the world) Posts: 713	I use Monster Cable MSeries Excellent , i have apogee and others , but Monster serie M is the Best! __________________ Record Engineer - Musician - Producer Brazil - Amazon http://www.palcomp3.com.br/andremattos

14th December 2006	#6
theblue1 Gear Guru Joined: Mar 2005 Location: Long Beach, CA Posts: 15,095	As long as your cable is of optimal length (not too long) and undamaged, you should see no difference from cable to cable. When cables become too long for tranmitting digital audio signals, however, you may find "reflection" based jitter. But there is a HUGE amount of marketing hogwash out there -- and some the most ludicrous is about "premium" cables. (If you want a laugh, look at a certain previously mentioned brand... many of their AUDIO cables have arrows on them, suggesting that the cable has some sort of directionality or polarity. That utterly defies even a basic undertstanding of audio electronics. People like M------ COUNT on ignorance and confusion in their buyers.) There's a long and often quite funny thread at Dan Lavry's now-locked (but still visible) forum at PSW: http://recforums.prosoundweb.com/ind...ter#msg_160008 Mind, you, the thread title "Why longer is generally better for an S/PDIF Digital Cable" is somewhat ironic -- though it's apparently taken from the utterly fantastical marketing claims of a "high end" cable manufacturer. It is a very funny thread for those willing to wade through some tech talk. __________________ day job \| A Year of Songs \| music and social stuff \| mutant pop on facebook \| roots acoustic on facebook

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14th December 2006	#2
scrubs Gear addict Joined: Feb 2005 Location: NC Posts: 414	What kinds of differences? SPDIF is digital. Either the "1s" & "0s" get there or they don't. Unless the cable is somehow losing data, there can be no degradation of quality. Durability would be the only major issue with high-end cables.

14th December 2006	#4
klaukholm Lives for gear Joined: May 2005 Location: EU Posts: 2,431	I use Gotham GAC2 Gotham from www.redco.com and solder on neutrik connectors. cheap and very good. We use the same cable for our wordclock cables.

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