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Portable Digital Cables...how are we going to do this?

post #1 of 9
2/24/11 at 3:50pm
Thread Starter 

possibly dumb question about implementing portable digital cables and exactly what constitutes a digital cable:

 

im trying to figure out how to hook up a portable player with a digital 1/8" out to a portable amp with a digital 1/8" in  (in my case the fiio x3 to the jh3a)

 

 you can't just use a standard mini to mini here can you?  does't it have to be some type of special "digital" cable to carry a digital signal?

 

if so.. what makes a cable "digital"

 

and IF you need  a special "digital" cable...

where can you get something like this?  and how feasible is it to make a thin pliable digital cable ... all the digital cables i have see have been quite thick, and definitely not bendable enough to work well at a short distance of 1 foot or less without creating some serious tension on the jacks of the dap/amp respectively.

 

thanks as always...


Edited by Br777 - 2/25/11 at 4:00pm
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post #2 of 9
2/25/11 at 5:28pm
Thread Starter 

update for clarity, and bump for ...anybody?

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post #3 of 9
2/25/11 at 5:38pm

A digital cable can be any 2 conductor cable like an RCA, XLR, or even a mono mini cable.  However, to be within the 75 ohm spec for coaxial digital, you need a 75 ohm cable and 75 ohm connectors - a cable that is coaxial, aka a shield over a insulated core with the insulation a set thickness to produce a specific impedance.  You can build digital cables out of spec and they'll still work, but in theory this may compromise the sound.

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post #4 of 9
2/25/11 at 5:46pm

For long runs, a 75Ω coaxial cable is recommended. But for very short distances like what you have, I think any cable will do just as well.

 

Consider the interior of a normal USB enabled DAC. You have the USB jack, internally wired to a USB receiver chip. The chip produces a digital SPDIF signal that goes to the DAC chip. How is this SPDIF signal wired to the DAC chip? Either by a thin copper trace on the circuit board, or by normal hookup wire. It's all good because the distance is so short.

 

edit: Argh. scootermafia beat me to it.

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post #5 of 9
2/25/11 at 5:47pm
Thread Starter 

so a standard mini to mini would work?

 

i certainly couldnt build my own, and i dont think there is anything on the market at all in this regard.

 

so then, in theory.. what kind of sound compromises are we talking about?

 

i get the feeling between the new jh3a owners and the new fiio x3, and other future developments in portable digital audio, there are going to be lots of people looking for portable digital cables that are 1/8" to 1/8".

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post #6 of 9
2/25/11 at 8:41pm

Almost all of the vendors here carry the portable digital cable you are looking for, ALO, Moon, Apuresound, Whiplash, Cryoparts or Kimber Kable etc.  They are not that uncommon.  Just send them an e-mail and tell them what you need, and they will make one for you with the right kind of connectors.  I recently have Moon Audio made a Hirose to 71b digital silver dragon. I also have the Kimber Illuminati D60 which is a very nice digital.

 

Or something like this is absolutely beautiful:  http://www.cryo-parts.com/index.php/oyaide

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post #7 of 9
2/25/11 at 10:03pm
Thread Starter 

^ I think one of us is confused.  I have never seen a mini to mini cable that is designated as digital offered at any of these sites, or anywhere.

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post #8 of 9
2/26/11 at 12:49am

If you are referring to the link above, it is not a mini to mini.  It is a coax spdif connector.

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post #9 of 9
2/26/11 at 10:16pm
Thread Starter 

well i stand corrected, by myself... blue jeans cables does indeed make a digital mini to mini. so i guess thats solved.  the cable specs to actually mentioin its flexibility and "mobile use" as well.   so there you go.... 1 foot =$28    2 feet = $29.   very reasonable

 

Belden 1505F Digital Audio Cable
(high-flex cable)

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