DVD Audio Coax or Optical?

I am looking to maximize my dvd players capablity and I was wondering what people prefer for the audio out--digital coax or optical? Any suggestions? Thanks!!

Alan

 

Depending on what you're running it to, the answer may be the analog cables.

What are you running the DVD player to and what are interested in mostly? DVD-Video with audio on it or playing CDs from the DVD player?

 

If you mean real DVD-A, the answer is neither. You must run analog to get hi-rez sound from a DVD-A disc.

If you mean the audio tracks of regular DVD-V discs, then I would say it matters not, although some insist that there is a difference between coax and optical.

Brian

 

As of now, this will be used for movies and music videos--no DVD-A. I do have dts capabilitiies. I do have SACD surround capabilities but have the analog connections for that. Thanks to all who respond!

Alan

 

Very doubtful you'll here any difference in coax vs. digital. Coax is more flexible, optical is supposedly more noise-free, but don't put a sharp bend in the cable.

 

I've seen literature suggesting that coax has a wider bandwidth which results in better sound. I've also seen it argued that optical components tend to be significantly cheaper than coax and also therefore not as good.

Lastly, I've seen it argued that if you are going to use an optical cable that it should be glass and not plastic.

 

Coax can pick up noise from electrical devices, a well shielded cord is advised. (not usually a problem though)
Optical is noise free
They sound identical.
Source- every Hi Fi mag I have read.
My RCA DVD player has only optical out, and my Sony DVD player has only coax out.
same price range

 

Research in the scientific literature indicates that coax does have a much wider bandwidth which aids in more natural placement of the soundstage.

 

But both have more than sufficient bandwidth for audio purposes; there's no need for "headroom" in digital. But I would agree that coax often sounds a little better because the transmitters and receivers tend to be of higher quality.

But optical can come in mighty handy when you've got a ground loop/hum problem!

 

Yes, thank you, that is it, ground loop hum. Can't happen with optical!
I have a Yamakawa DVD player as inexpensive as they come it only has coax.

 

Does anybody remember the study that was done a couple of years ago that showed that with rca connectors on a coathanger wire you can't tell the results from a $100+ coaxial cable?

Can't remember where I saw it, but it had the ring of authority.

 

Goes with Hi Fi reports that say all stereo receivers sound the same!
In blind listening tests people chose cassette over CD.

 

There is one other little factor. With a toslink cable there is two conversions; one conversion from electrical impulses to optical transmission and then back from optical transmission to the electrical domain. With coax there is no conversions, the signal stays in the electrical domain the whole way.

 

On my new NAD receiver I get more bass with coaxial but the Audioquest RCA's provide a more "analoguey" sound on acoustic-oriented recordings like classic jazz. I switch between the two depending on the recording.

 

I own or have owned the following Digital coax interconnects

XLO Digital Reference 4 ($150)

MIT Digital Reference 1 ($350)

Synergistic Research Digital Cooridor ($500)

I have also Auditioned the $600 Marigo Apparition Digital Reference MK2 and not one of these well reviewed electrical Digital interconnects could even come close to offering the spacious, detailed and harmonically rich sound of my Fused Silca Glass Toslink when used in my Digital front end.

~Maxx~

 

Early on some of the circuits involved with optical interconnects had audio quality issues. I understand that issue had been resolved years ago. I can't hear any difference myself. I use the analog outs from my SACD/DVD player into my Denon 3802 receiver, combined with an ICBM bass manager, because I think the player does a better digital to analog conversion, even with DD, DTS and red book audio.

Richard.

 

I use coax for DD/DTS for ease of application, flexibility, and to avoid bending the optical cable. It works well for me.

 

I was over at Kimber Kable's website where they prove to be one of the few makers of Digital coax cable to list the bandwidth specifications of their cables.

They listed the bandwidth of their copper conductor Digital coax at 15M hz and the bandwidth if their more expensive silver plated Digital coax cable at 20M hz.

A simple $16 Glass Toslink is rated at 30M hz.

~Maxx~

 

The best bet is to audition a few for yourself. Everyone has different tastes and vastly different systems. I have tried many different brands of coax and toslink and like Max, have grown to really appreciate glass toslink. Everything seems more open to me with glass. The 24/96 high rez DVD-audio discs really shine!

 

Not with TosLink they don't. Nor do they with coax either.

Can't listen to a 24/96 DVD-Audio track through a standard digital connection. Did you mean DAD/HDAD?

 

From the first time I used 30M hz bandwidth Glass Toslink the Music opened up and bloomed revealing my first sense of the full bodied character of the harmonic structure of the Music that had been choked out by the restrictive 6M hz bandwidth plastic fiber Toslink that I had been using.

~Maxx~

 

I thought digital coax was supposed to be more like 100Mhz...

 

I thought that digital coax was more on the order of 2.5 gigahertz.

 

I used to have a $500 Synergistic Research Digital Corridor that they claimed had a 1 gigahertz bandwith and that cable was way beyond bright and well into spitty sounding.

~Maxx~