Digital connection from PC to receiver question

[Nater]

I recently just purchased a new Onkyo TX-SR607 receiver and am interested in running digital coax from my s/pdif from my computer's sound card to the digital in on the receiver. With that said, I'm looking for an appropriate cable. I'm not interested in paying $60 for a monster cable at any random retail store, and I don't want to wait to order one online as I have all my new equipment arriving in the next few days.
My question then is would I be able to purchase a 16 ft "sub-woofer" labeled cable and use it as my s/pdif connect from the computer to the receiver? The guy at radio shack mentioned it wouldn't work due to differences in the shielding? Does it really matter? I can't find anything online about anyone attempting this method. I'm new to the forums, so please let me know if any of you guys have tried this method and thank you for your time!

 

[Adam]

Welcome to the forum!

It sounds like your S/PDIF connection is not an optical connection - correct? If so, then you can use pretty much any metal cable with the proper connectors at the ends. A subwoofer cable would work just fine. An inexpensive cable with RCA connectors would also work just fine.

You do not need to spend much money on this. Monoprice.com has some good quality and very inexpensive cables. You can probably find some locally, too.

What sort of connection does your soundcard have? Is it a minijack connection?

 

[Nater]

Adam, thank you for getting back to me so quickly! Yes, the connection on the computer side is for the orange rca plug digital coax, not an optical toslink connection. Unfortunately, it's an on board audio solution and not a dedicated sound card; but I don't think that should matter too much. I've never attempted this before because my older receiver does not have the digital coax in option. Now that I'm getting the new equipment I'd like to give this method a shot. The digital coax branded cables at radioshack were too short for what i needed and the only one long enough was the subwoofer branded cable, but as I mentioned the guy there said I couldn't use it for what I described. So it's safe to assume then he was wrong and any one of those cables would suffice? Thanks again!

 

[Adam]

Happy to help!

That orange RCA connection is going to make it easier. My soundcard uses a minijack that requires an adapter. So, you're sitting pretty. I sure wouldn't worry about using the subwoofer cable. Heck, even if I'm wrong (which I don't think that I am), you can always return it to Radio Shack. My first ever computer speaker system with S/PDIF came with an RCA cable that was incredibly thin and fairly long. It worked great.

Monoprice.com sells cables such as this one (they come in several lengths) that are labeled as being "for S/PDIF, Digital Coax, Subwoofer & Composite Video."

 

[Nater]

Thanks a lot for your help! I think I will pick up one of those cables from monoprice. Hopefully this helps! Thanks again!