[HiFi FOR METAL]

EnOYiN is right. USB is the best because it has error correction for both sides of the data stream. Coax defiantly sounds better than Toslink. I use both in my home theater because my cable box and xbox 360 both use them only. When I was in high school and fist getting into DVD I experimented with both and found the sound on my magnepan and rotel setup was way better with coax. So for all of you guys that have never done a side by side. Just plug in a cheap dvd player to your DAC with a high quality video cable and high quality toslink cable, that is what I did and the sound was amazingly better. Even the salesmen at the highend audio store I go to said that coax was better and the Toslink cable cost 20$ more than the basic video cable.

 

[pftrvlr]

I have been using USB for long time, it is reliable and sounds good to me too.

 

[JerryJ]

Will the AV-710 accept coax?

 

[Zuerst]

I think in your case, the best option is USB.

 

[cooperpwc]

Interesting thread. By contrast, I've read some people saying that optical is better than USB. Personally since I started this hobby, I have used nothing but USB and love it. It's such a smart way to get music from a laptop to my head. (And as a guy who spent a month configuring Foobar, 5 minutes setting up ASIO4ALL using Enoyin's guide was hardly onerous.)

 

[JerryJ]

Are some USB cables better than others and how does one know which ones are? Any particular brand name to look for?

 

[ericlikeseatin]

to answer a previous queston, no, the av710 has no coax out. it does have an optical out.

one thing to consider when using usb...im not sure how fast your computer is but under load, you could experience skipping. also, if your dac ONLY has a usb connection, you limit yourself to what you can listen music to (only a computer). just something to consider.

 

[lowmagnet]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JerryJ /img/forum/go_quote.gif Are some USB cables better than others and how does one know which ones are? Any particular brand name to look for?

Don't worry about this. Unless a cable has badly-connected terminals, there's not much to go wrong with USB. Just make sure it's shorter than the spec's theoretical limit (5 Meters)

 

[ericlikeseatin]

yup, almost all usb cables are shielded so it should all be good. let us know how its turning out.

 

[jeanius]

please keep us posted

 

[Xakepa]

Hmm, I'm using Toslink and I have no problem with it. That'll be the last thing I'll care about - all (possible) software resamplings, DAC flavor or (heaven forbid) capacitors in the signal path will make much more of a difference.

Spend ALL the time it takes to make sure you get NOS bit-perfect KS to the optical out of the AV-710, put the stock optical link and start to worry (i.e. spend as much as you want) for the rest of the setup.

 

[JerryJ]

Thanks for everyone's input - I really appreciate it.

Jerry

 

[JerryJ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lowmagnet /img/forum/go_quote.gif All glass cables, more or less, are good. Those cables are priced well for glass fibre. Monoprice.com may have something for less dough, though.

You were right - I just received some cables (optical & RCA) from Monoprice today. That optical cable is something else - I wasn't expecting anything that nice for that price.

Thanks for the tip!