Belden 1694A Digital Coax Vs something more expensive?

[retseldrib]

I never did get to try the belden but was wondering if anyone else had and what they thought.

I have tried around a dozen cables (mainly courtesy of RKR on this board) including silver core and Mark Grants old digital cable and the best that I have found so far is this one http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-5...0001&campid=5338728743&icep_item=251276811550 (around 2.5 times the diameter of a normal coax and comes with locking bespoke 75ohm connectors).

Before i spend (or waste) £20 on the belden to try out i am hoping someone else has tried this - its Blue Jeans favourite digital cable apparently.

Thanks.

 

[muzzer]

Stand by for action as they used to say on Stingray.

 

[Patu]

You should read through this thread:

http://www.pinkfishmedia.net/forum/showthread.php?t=201114

I wrote my impressions there. I currently use 1694A and it replaced Naim DC-1 coaxial cable, which has SRP of over 400 € here in Finland.

 

[retseldrib]

Just read this, Patu - thankyou.

Your findings are very helpful. I was a disbeliever once but i do perceive a difference in digital cables???? However, I haven't noticed any burn in process at all with digital cables but rather a difference in sound stage - I wonder if this has something to do with various connectors not being 75ohms?

I notice that TM3 connections do this cable at a very reasonable price and even include a braided cover version which looks nice

 

[notevenclose]

I never did get to try the belden but was wondering if anyone else had and what they thought.

I have tried around a dozen cables (mainly courtesy of RKR on this board) including silver core and Mark Grants old digital cable and the best that I have found so far is this one http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-5...0001&campid=5338728743&icep_item=251276811550 (around 2.5 times the diameter of a normal coax and comes with locking bespoke 75ohm connectors).

Before i spend (or waste) £20 on the belden to try out i am hoping someone else has tried this - its Blue Jeans favourite digital cable apparently.

Thanks.

Can't see I've ever been particularly gob-smacked by difference between digital cables. The most expensive I've owned (co-ax) was a Kondo, but perhaps a Stereovox (one of Chris Sommovigo's past lives) represented the biggest difference at the time.

I have a number of co-ax, optical and USB cables, across a relatively wide range of prices, with the possible exception of the latter (and I suspect that's really the entire USB chain at play rather than solely the cable), I can't honestly say the differences are likely to get me particularly moist either way.

 

[Andrew.B]

I used to use Belden 1694A/Canare plugs when I used coax, it's basically as good as it gets unless you care about standing waves and all that, which I don't.

I tested digital cables to a point of terrible absurdity long back, using all manner of junk for conductors, the signal either worked or buzzed horribly/didn't work. That said I was using a Valab NOS DAC which frankly, was a pile of overheating crap in the SQ department.

 

[retseldrib]

Thanks for this, Andrew.B, Steve Nugent argues that digital coax need to be at least 1.5m due to jitter issues http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue14/spdif.htm

Did your "terrible absurdity" reach the depths of experimenting with cable length??

 

[BE718]

I never did get to try the belden but was wondering if anyone else had and what they thought.

I have tried around a dozen cables (mainly courtesy of RKR on this board) including silver core and Mark Grants old digital cable and the best that I have found so far is this one http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-5...0001&campid=5338728743&icep_item=251276811550 (around 2.5 times the diameter of a normal coax and comes with locking bespoke 75ohm connectors).

Before i spend (or waste) £20 on the belden to try out i am hoping someone else has tried this - its Blue Jeans favourite digital cable apparently.

Thanks.

The belden is perfectly fit for purpose, technically correct 75 ohm coax. Anything more fancy or expensive is a waste of money.

Blue jeans products are technically correct no nonsense value for money. Audiofoo free

Make sure that when you perform comparisons you do it blind and dont know which cable is which.

Edit: just checked out the blue jeans product. Excellent. Briliant vfm and will work as well ad any of the audiophile products. Its technically correct. Sell your other spdif cables on ebay

https://www.bluejeanscable.com/store/digital-audio/index.htm

 

[BE718]

Thanks for this, Andrew.B, Steve Nugent argues that digital coax need to be at least 1.5m due to jitter issues http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue14/spdif.htm

Did your "terrible absurdity" reach the depths of experimenting with cable length??

Sorry the article is bollocks, not necessarily in principle but in real world effect. If you are really that concerned about jitter then you need to move away from the spdif interface where the dac clock has to be recovered from the signal. This is a fundamental problem in the interface design which cant be solved by a cable regardless of any potential transmission line issues, which the article provides no actual evidence of a deleterious effect on dac output in any case.

I would also say jitter is a non issue with most modern dacs anyway. How many reviews have you seen in recent times where jitter is measured and found to be unreasonably high?

 

[thejoker]

 

[Andrew.B]

weaponised phono plugs

 

[Guest432]

(around 2.5 times the diameter of a normal coax and comes with locking bespoke 75ohm connectors).

There's no such thing as a 75ohm RCA connector, only BNC is true 75ohm.

 

[Barrymagrec]

There's no such thing as a 75ohm RCA connector, only BNC is true 75ohm.

True, not much of an issue at digital audio data rates though.

 

[Patu]

Unfortunately, these threads take the same direction every single time. Engineers are telling us there can't be differences. But in the end, only thing which matters is the moment when you sit down in the sweet spot and turn on the music. In that moment, you're perfectly aware of every single component in your system. That fact makes blind testing irrelevant. Just test the audio equipment and cables in similar situation you would be using it in real life. Who cares what we hear or don't hear blind while the every day listening never happens blind.

 

[Guest432]

True, not much of an issue at digital audio data rates though.

Agree, impedance mismatching is not an issue in digital audio anyway and is just a way of selling/marketing foo cables.

I was just being pedantic

 

[Julf]

Unfortunately, these threads take the same direction every single time. Engineers are telling us there can't be differences. But in the end, only thing which matters is the moment when you sit down in the sweet spot and turn on the music. In that moment, you're perfectly aware of every single component in your system. That fact makes blind testing irrelevant. Just test the audio equipment and cables in similar situation you would be using it in real life. Who cares what we hear or don't hear blind while the every day listening never happens blind.

But then, who cares if there really is a difference or not - what counts is what you feel.

 

[notevenclose]

Engineers are telling us there can't be differences.

Some engineers.

 

[Patu]

But then, who cares if there really is a difference or not - what counts is what you feel.

My point exactly! I don't really care what causes the difference if I can sense it in a real life situation.

 

[Julf]

My point exactly! I don't really care what causes the difference if I can sense it in a real life situation.

And I agree, you don't need to care. But can you see why an engineer would need to care?

 

[Patu]

And I agree, you don't need to care. But can you see why an engineer would need to care?

I sure can. That's why we should keep objective and subjective discussion in different forums. This way every single thread wouldn't have to take the same direction.