[peteb]

Hi.  I have been a follower of this forum for many years and finaly decided to jump in but with only one foot for now.  I hope I have what is a very simple question to answer and really appreciate any feedback. While I wait for my new BDA-1 to arrive, I am trying to determine whether I should use an optical or RCA interconnect between the transport and BDA-1.  Looking at the Kimber Kable options, the cost of a good S/PDIF Digital Cable seems to be significantly more expensive than an optical cable.  I also plan to eventually add a BDP-1 and will likely use the same type of cable and therfore my current preference is to use the lower cost optical solution.  The Transport is a Cambridge 740C and the cable length is 1 meter.  Any suggestions would be appreciated.   

[srb]

The majority consensus (although not universal) is that optical S/PDIF adds another "layer" of conversion - from electrical to optical and back to electrical.  Add in the fact that the typical TOSLINK transceiver is a very low cost part designed for inexpensive consumer audio.
 
While I sometimes can't discern a difference between cables of the same topology, in most of the cases I preferred the coax connection to the optical connection.  The sound seemed to be more focused and solid.  If optical is the only choice for a given component (like an Airport Express), then optical is the best!
 
If you decide to try an optical cable, I would get one of the Silflex glass TOSLINK cables ($69).  No audiophile BS, just precision industrial manufacturing.  You could also buy an inexpensive ($25) RCA coax cable made with Belden 1695A wire from Blue Jeans Cable or Ram Electronics.  If you feel the inexpensive coax connection is superior to the very good optical cable connection (and I suspect that you might), you can later investigate a more expensive coax (with return policy) to see if it makes a difference in your system.
 
Steve

[peteb]

Thanks srb, makes a lot of sense.  I have low end monster optical and hero coaxial cables to experiment with once the BDA-1 arrives and will hold off for a while before going out and buying a permanent cable.   When it comes to my audio eqpt, I have little patience and tend to be very impulsive.  Hopefully this forum will teach me to be more methodical with my purchases.

[won ton on]

if you don't go with the balanced cable go coax,look for used cable and save some dollars

[klao]

I always like the sound of Stereovox/Stereolab digital coax cables.  Try their "Black Cat" line, price not too steep with good performance.

http://www.stereolab-hifi.com/?page_id=481

[Ron D]

On a recommendation from someone more knowledgeable than I, I purchased a Bryston digital cable with a single ended terminal on the transport end and a BNC on the end attached to the BDA-1. Can't say that it was better than SE to SE connections as I did not have an exact duplicate to verify against. I would say that IMHO a cable with the same style terminations is more desirable for resale purposes if you are one to swap cables by nature.

[srb]

On a recommendation from someone more knowledgeable than I, I purchased a Bryston digital cable with a single ended terminal on the transport end and a BNC on the end attached to the BDA-1. Can't say that it was better than SE to SE connections as I did not have an exact duplicate to verify against

I assume for "SE" you are referring to an RCA connector.  RCA and BNC are both single ended connectors on 75 ohm coaxial cable, with the BNC connector having a true 75 ohm impedance, as opposed to a 110 ohm AES/EBU balanced connection with an XLR connector.
 
Steve

[Ron D]

Yup, meant RCA on both ends....

[robb]

So, does anybody have any thoughts on how the sound changes with different cable types?  Does the frequency response change, or the square wave response?

I have a bda 1 connected to my wadia transport via a bryston digital 110 ohm cable. Do the more expensive digital cables make any difference?

Rob

[redbook]

 Regardless of which wire sounds the best I wonder which form of connection produces the least jitter(if any) The timing is so good in the bcd, would going to the bda upset the clock setting ?

[spinner]

 I believe the bda reclocks the timing to the bcd. If that is correct jitter shouldn't be an issue . Is that right or am I dreaming again..........?

[Sasha]

Regardless of which wire sounds the best I wonder which form of connection produces the least jitter(if any) The timing is so good in the bcd, would going to the bda upset the clock setting ?

Toslink is the worst of all for jitter.
And there is no way to get rid of jitter, reclocking, oversampling, upsampling, you name it techniques cannot get rid of it, only attenuate it to some extent. Jitter will always play a role.

[redbook]

   Seems the BCD1 keeps jitter at bay very well. Going outside the box would stand to increase the effect. Perhaps it's below test levels but it should still become greater when using the external dac.....according to my understanding.

[Sasha]

   Seems the BCD1 keeps jitter at bay very well. Going outside the box would stand to increase the effect. Perhaps it's below test levels but it should still become greater when using the external dac.....according to my understanding.

Yes, that is pretty much what I am saying, if the only change was the introduction of the transport then you would measure and hear only the detrimental effect of increased jitter, however since you are introducing many other changes, the most important one being different analog output stage, the detrimental impact of jitter will be covered by other changes.
But if you had a proper test bed you would realize that jitter cannot be eliminated.