[COLOR=000000]AES-EBU sounds the best and certainly drives a longer cable than coax S/PDIF. So what is so different about it? Well, it is balanced. Now then, normally balanced is better, but the balanced we think of in analog systems is baseband audio. The bi-phase encoded digital stream in S/PDIF and AES-EBU is 2.8-ish to 3.1-ish MegaHertz. Quite a bit higher, like 150x of the highest audio baseband stuff. Much better for longer runs. So what is the circuit difference, besides the connector interface??[/COLOR]
[COLOR=000000]Are you ready? It is a transformer. That is it, all, done*. A 3Mhz-ish pulse transformer that can drive a 75ohm total load. So you say, well all I have to do is add a transformer to my Modi-Multibit and I can convert my coax input into AES-EBU?? Yup, that is about it except for the connector. Now that XLR plugin connector is a real horsecock compared to the RCA already on the Multi-Modi. Ugh, won't fit. It will fit fine on a Bifrost size chassis. Bad idea #1: Hey, all I have to do is change any of our Magni-Modi chassis sized units to Bifrost or Jotunheim size and I can bring AES-EBU to everyman! How cool. Not so fast – the Bifrost/Jot chassis costs a lot more. Translates to just about eighty bucks. That means the Multi-Modi is now $329 bucks and everyone, including those who could care less about AES-EBU are paying more.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=000000]Since punishing the masses for the sake of the few didn't seem attractive, I retired to a quiet location. Guess what! While in meditative spiritual congress with the digital audio gods the location of a secret schematic with a solution was revealed. Bad idea #2: All I have to do is build a bidirectional cable with an integrated transformer. This, with an appropriate gender-bender for the XLR end, could make a cable to either convert a coax input to a AES-EBU source, or vice versa, so it would not be necessary to spend a kilobuck for either a DAC or a DDC with AES-EBU connectivity. Brilliant![/COLOR]
[COLOR=000000]Then I googled S/PDIF coax to AES-EBU converter cables. There are several available. Under 50 bucks! Phew! No Schiit price inflation necessary for less expensive products! Great news. Oh, the footnote:[/COLOR]
[COLOR=000000]*AES-EBU and S/PDIF are not identical. This should be no problem unless you are using pro-gear and pro masters. The subcode information and levels can be different on true pro-audio sourced material, which few/if any of us have access to. If you have a EBU on a DDC connected to a USB, you have nothing to fear. If you have a spinner with a XLR out, no problem. However, if you have a digital master tape connected to a Rane mixer with AES-EBU, then you probably know what you are doing to interface all properly.[/COLOR]