Well although I now have a following of haters, I shall still post my impressions of 3 digital cables. Each at a slightly different price range and with different construction, only 1 is true bnc [or can be]
First up:
Stereovox XV2 - $150 for 1m
The Stereovox comes with a silver-ish metal shield over the entire cable. The ends come of so that the cable came be use as a 100% BNC cable.
This cable takes an awful long time to break in [if you believe in such things] However brand new is real lean and light on the bass, its a fast cable and very clear.
Trying it out with different Dac's and computers it seems to let all the brightness and everything else through untouched, again holding back a bit on the low-end.
Everything is clear and at some times can sound metallic. But with further breaking in and listening it was determined that the metallic nature of the sound actually
went away and was replaced with just more clarity. However if a front end is suffering from digititis the cable will let it show. Otherwise after a long time of break in
the Cable reaches down pretty deep in to octaves and brings out the music just right, all the emotion from the original recording comes though with ease and clarity.
Second:
Oyaide DR-510 $175 for 0.7m
The Oyaide [pronounced [O-Ya-E-de]..not O-ya-e-day.
This cable is shielded from end to and and has a nice clear jacket over it. It uses RCA which fit nicely. This cable takes relatively little time to break in, it comes right out
the box kicking butt. It tames all the highs, and jittery edgy sounds, all in all it does a good job at making digital sound like analog. However to my taste it does so too much
When I moved it around to different gear it sounded the same, smooth and mellow, forgiving of all the sins of digital and glare. Perhaps the cable is a Buddhist at heart and
easily forgives while trying to bring harmony into the world. Well personally I like like roses as well as my lumps thank you. End the end I regarded the Oyaide as flavoring
or coloring the sound, to an albeit pleasing sound, but colored non the less. If you have a glaring system this might be the ticket. It lest the music through nicely and polishes
the sound knocking off all the edges that might cut you, in this way it gives you beautifully defined vocals.
Third:
Valab Silver $70 for 1m
I must say, like other Valab products it performs well above its class. And its construction can be picked apart as less than perfect by anyone I guess. It uses RCA connectors
that screw which allows you a very tight fit. The silver wire is has layers upon layers of shielding which should prevent anything from getting through to the cable including vibrations.
Construction is solid. Sound wise the cable is very smooth on the upper end, the mids make themselves known without their digital buddies, just as clear as the Stereovox but not as buttery
smooth as the Oyaide, instead more of a silky texture. All that shielding actually makes the cable really have a dark background to it because sounds can at times appear to pop
out of nowhere. The lows are not as deep as the Stereovox in terms of the 'hit' factor but do go as deep in a more mellow way. Kind of like ss vs. tubes with regards to the bass difference.
I like them all in their own special way....