Cables Query - Component Video and Coax digital vs norm Audio Cables

[lonewolf]

I am now starting to realise maybe i havent been getting the direct /
bypass stereo at all through my Rotel preamp because i have been using
optical out rather than the analog RCA outputs on my CD player. Is
that assumption right? should i have been using my analog stereo RCA
outputs all along?

On Cables, my store has a couple of types of cables, it has basically
3 types: cheap/bulk, avg and good (for the store, not real high end).
Its a wholesaler basically and hence actually put together their own
cables plus sell a larger variety of cables inits raw parts as in
plugs and wires etc etc. Question i had was can Coaxial Digital cables
and Component Video cables be used for Audio or would they detract
from the sound quality? The reason why i ask is they actually tell you
the parts they used to put together their cables since they sell the
parts separately as well. And the parts used for the coaxial digital
and component video are a higher grade generally speaking than the
parts they used for their best audio specific cables. They tend to
believe you can use the component video cables and it will perform
better than their audio cables but they might be saying that because
the component video cables and coaxial digital cables are more pricey
than their audio cables too quite abit more pricey.

For instance i was thinking of using the component video / digital
coaxial cables to connect my cd player to my preamp and also from my
preamp to my poweramp. Plus maybe even my dvd player and all my other
equipment to my preamp and vice versa.

I have read somewhere that apparently i shouldnt use them cos most
likely the component video and coaxial digital actually have fewer
strands at the core of the cables and are just thicker and cost more
due to better shielding and protection which audio cables dont need
and also are 75ohms and audio cables are 50ohms. Now i looked at the
parts used and yes i think the audio cables parts actually do seem to
have more strands of wires at the core than do the component video and
coaxial digital cables, does this make any difference? All i know is
the component video and coaxial digital cables use higher quality
parts and are considerably heavier, more solid and thicker plus seem
to use more expensive parts for their wires / cables as well as for
their plugs. And according to the store they seem to believe its
better to use the component video cables for audio as well but they
didnt seem positive about that fact themselves, they presumed it would
be better.

Advice would be much appreciated and if you need any more info from me
before you can help me out dont hesitate to ask.

 

[Unregistered]

Direct/Bypass:
----------------
This means that the signal bypasses the DACs and no processing at all is done. The signal is sent straight to the amplifier or in the case of a preamp straight to the analog outs. So yes, you will need analog audio cables to use that mode.

On cables:
------------
Component video and digital coax audio cables are identical. Either will work for either application. By definition a component video or digital coax audio cable is a 75 Ohm cable. Composite video cables are all 75 Ohm as well and will work as digital audio or component video cables too.

Strand count, type of jacketing, shielding, etc are 'quality' factors and I would not worry too much about it. As long as they are reasonably well constructed and not flimsy they will be fine. Good connectors are important though.

Component video/composite video or digital coax audio cables will also work for analog audio. Analog audio cables are often 50 Ohm, but not always.

Analog audio cables that ARE 50 Ohm will likely still work just fine as component/composite video or digital coax audio cables, but they will not technically be the 'right' cable the spec calls for and so you really should not use them for video or digital audio.

I do think its good to buy cables that are specifically marked component video, digital audio, etc but only for the fact that they are color coded according to the thx spec; ie, red/green/blue for component, yellow for composite, orange for digital audio, purple for sub, etc. While the color obviously has no affect on the sound, it does make it easier to tell which is which while you are behind the rack (in the same way that green is for your keyboard and purple for your mouse on your computer).

Just buy decent quality 75 Ohm cables and all will be well.