I've tried a 50ft optical cable (Hosa Premium), and to my surprise/dismay/astonishment it sounded thin, bland, and lifeless in comparison to my 3ft Philips coax cable ($12.00). I'll likely return the Hosa cable. As much as I hate to say it, there does seem to be a difference in digital...

I'm using iTunes to play Apple Lossless files (encoded from EAC-generated .img/cue files) through an Onkyo SE-U55. This SE-U55 is connects to the PC via USB 1.1 and has both coxial and optical S/PDIF outputs. My computer is about 50 feet from my DAC, which has both optical and coax inputs...

Home Rig Digital Sources: Arcam Alpha 7 CD Player (analog out) PC with Onkyo SE-U55 (coax out) Power Mac G5 (optical out) DAC: Entech Number Cruncher 203.2 Preamp: Anthem Pre 2L Amp: Anthem MCA 2 Speakers: N.E.A.R 15M Headphones: Sennheiser HD 497 Grado SR60 Music...

I have an Entech Number Cruncher 203.2 hooked up to my brand new G5's optical out, and it sounds awesome. Listening to Apple Lossless audio sounds better than listening to original CDs on my Arcam Alpha. Coincidentally, I have my "extra" 203.2 up for sale on eBay. Do a search for Entech if...