[dd3mon]

I'm wondering how I can hookup my Audigy's digital out (listed as a mini-jack SPDIF out) to an ART DI/O (coax inputs I believe). Will a simple cable adapter do the trick or do I need some sort of active converter?

If an active converter is needed, I've heard of ones such as a the Monarchy DIP that reclock the digital signal for jitter reduction, and when reclocked one digital signal is about as good as any other. I remember one reviewer of the Monarchy DIP saying he had a hard time telling the difference between his multi-thousand dollar players (which assumingly have excellent transports) and an optimus 3400 pdcp when the Monarchy DIP was being used. Is this kinda thing true? If so something like the Monarchy would be alot cheaper than a very nice transport.

Thanks,

dd3mon

 

[dd3mon]

bump (I know some people here have answers.. or at least opinions)

 

[DarkWolf]

Well, if you just need to connect the mini jack to a single RCA coax digital input, than a simple cable with a mono mini on one end and an RCA on the other should do. The better the cable, the less likely you are to lose any data. But don't waste your time and money trying to find the uberest digital cable.. Just get something reasonable at radio shack or something.

As for the Manarchy DIP, it looks like a very cool device, but you would likely need a pretty good system to tell much difference with it. It's not likely worth the money in my estimtion, but then, I'm hardly an expert on digital audio. For starts, just try and find a cable as I described above. It looks like you need it to use the DIP anyway.

 

[jpelg]

dd3mon -

This very subject has been discussed before. The bottom line is that there is no such cable, and it requires a clunky combination of converters and devices to go from optical to coax. Not very elegant and the final quality is subject to debate.

There are some more expensive DACs that accept optical input directly, and hopefully the forthcoming PDAC from aos will also. I hear that he is waiting on a review from an esteemed head-fier, so that he can finalize his design and offer them for build/sale. Hopefully that will be soon.

 

[DarkWolf]

Uh.. He's not going from optical.. He's going from 1/8" mono to coax. You're half right htough, there is no such thing as an optical to coax cable and it would require more gadgets to do so and it wouldn't be efficient. Buuuut..

 

[jpelg]

Quote:

Originally posted by DarkWolf Uh.. He's not going from optical.. He's going from 1/8" mono to coax.

Quote:

Originally posted by dd3mon I'm wondering how I can hookup my Audigy's digital out (listed as a mini-jack SPDIF out) to an ART DI/O (coax inputs I believe)

^

 

[JaZZ]

Quote:

Audigy's digital out (listed as a mini-jack SPDIF out) to an ART DI/O (coax inputs...)

No optical...

 

[dd3mon]

now I'm really confused.. is the mini-jack output from my audigy compatible with coax? (I would think just a simple specialized mono mini -> rca cable or adapter would do the trick then) or is it optical? (I'm not sure if optical can go through a 1/8" mini-jack connector).

 

[JaZZ]

It will work – SPDIF is electrical, not optical. You can make the cable by yourself if you know how to solder.

 

[jpelg]

There is an optical version of S/PDIF interface called Toslink. I assume(d) that the mini digital-out of the Audigy card is optical.

 

[grinch]

Quote:

Originally posted by jpelg There is an optical version of S/PDIF interface called Toslink. I assume(d) that the mini digital-out of the Audigy card is optical.

i'm pretty sure the audigy has both. might depend on the model you get though. you may want to consider getting your art di/o modded at boldercables.com though.. they also make some specialty cables for the di/o, i believe.

i use an external dac with my soundcard and it sounds quite lovely for a computer. mp3s are very convenient even if they don't sound perfect.

 

[JaZZ]

After a little search I discovered that jpelg is right: the S/PDIF interface can also be optical. But in these cases it's usually called Toslink.

The «normal» Audigy only has electrical S/PDIF minijacks.

 

[DarkWolf]

I went to newegg and looked at pictures of the card before i made my first post. The breakout box on the platinum version has coax and obtical digital i/o. the base card does not. it uses mini. optical is never called mini becuase there is only one size for otpical. (that I know of anyway.) your card does not have optical. you need 1/8" mono to RCA coax.

 

[jpelg]

Quote:

optical is never called mini becuase there is only one size for otpical. (that I know of anyway.)

Optical can have mini, 1/8" connectors or square-ish Toslink ends (or both on either end of the same cable). FYI.

 

[HighwayStar]

This -> http://www.midiman.com/products/m-audio/CO2.php will convert optical (Toslink) to coaxial. Works like a champ. I'm using it on a CD changer that only has an optical out. Provides a coax to input into the ART D/IO. Buy it here -> http://www.minidisco.com/minispecs/maudioco2-m3.html