Audio/Digital Cables

[Octavian]

I wonder which one sounds best?

That very much depends on your definition of 'good' and 'best' respectively. If good and best are defined as 'subjectively pleasing', then all bets are off. But that is not the point of hifi, of course.

 

[Octavian]

Jim, both plots are undithered. Just that the AN is not a 'classically good' implementation whilst the Benchmark is superb. Neither has anything to do with analogue noise on a cable.

It is like buying a car that surprisingly has no wheels. But no worries: it is just not a 'classically good' implementation of 'car-ness'.

 

[Somafunk]

I use an audioquest cinnamon usb cable between my iMac running roon core to my Cambridge audio cxn v2, can I tell the difference between the audioquest cable vs a cheap usb cable in my room with £2.5k of gik room treatment?, nope.............but that’s not the reason I upgraded the cheap usb to the audioquest cable. I upgraded to the reasonably priced cinnamon cable as it is undoubtedly manufactured to a higher quality and I have had issues with cheap cables before, not so much with reference to the sound quality but with poor connection plugs and termination issues.
So it was a decision based on build quality and the ability to fit n’ forget about it so I can sit and listen to my choice of music rather than listen to “hifi”, if I want to experiment with my sound I’ll move a gik acoustic panel a few inches to the right/left or project it out into the room another few cm - this “will” make a noticeable difference. As for cables making a noticeable difference in an untreated room?, not a discussion I need to have at this moment but never say never.......I may yet disappear down the rabbit hole in future