[GokieKS]

Optical cables are not subjected to RF interference, whereas Coax is.

~KS

 

[imported_Matt_Carter]

It's not analog though, these factors shouldn't matter. Coax/toslink transfers like firewire or usb. The audio gets transferred to a digital buffer which consist of raw data which is then decoded then amplified. Yes if RF is to high it may corrupt but like I said if it gets across it shouldn’t matter.

 

[zachary80]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt_Carter It's not analog though, these factors shouldn't matter. Coax/toslink transfers like firewire or usb. The audio gets transferred to Dolby's digital buffer which consist of raw data which is then decoded then amplified. Yes if RF is to high it may corrupt but like I said if it gets across it shouldn’t matter.

I don't quite understand why it would matter either.

Are you suggesting that the interferance somehow makes the binary LESS binary? Or that the cable carries interference to the DAC and just the cable being near it causes a problem?

 

[Grigorios]

For those interested, I've posted my RightMark Audio Analyzer results for the E-MU 0404 card here:

http://www.kordak.net/0404/results.htm

Grigorios

 

[nkd]

Interference can turn a 0 to a 1 (at least that's what we were taught in college

)

 

[imported_Matt_Carter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nkd Interference can turn a 0 to a 1 (at least that's what we were taught in college )

Called corruption and would result in nothing to compare with.

 

[Solude]

Sigh another kid taking an entry level digital logic class who thinks he has the world figured out

The problem with the PC and coax digital connections as said is the power supply noise. Like it or not, your digital 1 and 0 are just voltage levels sent by electrical components that feed on power. Garbage in, garbage out isn't only a data thing, it effects power too. If you feed a piece high levels of electrical jitter then that jitter rides on the data lines. That jitter looks exactly like data, so your perfect little digital receiver buffers the wrong value and spends a lot of time doing correction before reorging and decoding the 1s and 0s. The result is sloppy audio results. The reason you have never seen or heard this is that one, class power supplies are awesome and two just like chemistry they show you a world that makes sense before they tear it down and give you 'the truth'.

That said it only matters if you know it does, otherwise the good old placebo effect will tell your ears your new mega buck DAC sounds much better on the same craptacular digital feed

 

[papa_snap]

Matt, I'm not an expert on the topic but as I understand, subjective opinions aside - even the issue of coax vs optical aside - its accepted that there are measurable (and, for some, easily discernable) diffences in the quality/accuracy of the digital outputs of different devices, with some highly prone to error/jitter (hence products like Monarchy's DIP -Stereophile Review of DIP, designed to sit between source digital out and DAC digital in).. so I think you've got bigger fish to fry than Lan if you want to argue the point

(ah, sorry Lan - not that you're not a reasonably-sized fish, or anything

)

 

[amol]

That's quite a good result ! This card looks really good indeed.

 

[lan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt_Carter It's 1's and 0's, grounds don't matter, if it gets across ill be the same.

Let's say you are my landlord and I pay rent. April 1st, May 17th, June 10th, but I can't make July payment until August 8th. It doesn't matter that I'm late as you'll eventually get your money. What's the difference?

So you believe that all digital outputs from all bit perfect soundcards are the same? How did you come to that conclusion, through technical education or personal experience?

 

[imported_Matt_Carter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lan So you believe that all digital outputs from all bit perfect soundcards are the same? How did you come to that conclusion, through technical education or personal experience?

When did i say this?

 

[lan]

Didn't you say "if it gets across ill be the same"?

"If it gets across" implies I can use any soundcard (as long as it's bit perfect), any cable, and any interface (coax or optical).

"The same" implies the same results referring to sound quality.

Is there another interpretation to your statement?

 

[300_baud]

Ian, how can toslink not be connected to the computer's power supply ground when the optical transmitter must be hooked up to ground in order for it to work?

Thanks,
300_baud

 

[Solude]

The key here is optical. Though the transmitter itself is being fed a less than rock solid power feed, the LIGHT it transmits has no electrical component. The received bits from light have no electrical jitter. When electrical jitter is not an issue then coax is usually preferred for it's on paper performance benefits over optical. But the PC is an electrical jitter nightmare. A few of ther Stereophile reviews show this pretty well where the jitter on an RME coax side is great data jitter wise but junk for electrical jitter. The optical on the same card had the same data jitter but ZERO electrical jitter resulting in superior results compared to coax on the same card. Pretty sure it was the RME PST?

 

[300_baud]

Hi Solude,

Thanks for the quick response! But i have another question. What is the difference between electrical and data jitter as i have never encountered this before?

Thanks again,
300_baud