3.5 mm jack vs RCA/Phono

[RankingRoger]

I've installed a Pi Zero with a JustBoom DAC to feed Roon through my Pure Avanti Radio and a friend commented on the output being via a 3.5 mm jack. This is not meant to be 'audiophile quality' installation so I don't really care but it did make me think - does it really matter? In a 'proper' system would it make any difference? I don't use expensive interconnects so this is more of a technical question rather a quality question.

 

[Yomanze]

Tell that to EC Designs, who actually *prefer* 3.5mm jack connections to RCAs due to lower eddy currents. AFAIK they only started using RCAs due to consumer pressure. I really would not worry at all.

 

[RankingRoger]

Actually I could do a 'quality' check - connect my SB3 from the RCA sockets and the 3.5mm socket to two inputs on my amp and switch between the two via the pre-amp.

 

[cjyosemite]

I use 3.5mm jack when listening through headphones, which generally have more detail than speakers, & do not find any deterioration in audio quality although different sound stage to speakers. Cable build quality could be a factor but see no other reason why there would be a significant difference.

 

[Man in a van]

I've installed a Pi Zero with a JustBoom DAC to feed Roon through my Pure Avanti Radio and a friend commented on the output being via a 3.5 mm jack. This is not meant to be 'audiophile quality' installation so I don't really care but it did make me think - does it really matter? In a 'proper' system would it make any difference? I don't use expensive interconnects so this is more of a technical question rather a quality question.

This might interest you

https://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=195178

Also, although you have already got a dac hat,this might interest you as well, or not.

http://iqaudio.co.uk/hats/8-pi-dac-0712411999643.html