Rca vs Digital CoAx

E

entered

Audiophyte
Can someone please help me understand these two? Ive done my research and found out that digital coax input produces better sound than rca. How do i connect my cd player using digital coax thru a receiver? Thanks. I know. Super beginner question. Sorry


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
Your receiver needs to have such a digital input to use, as well as such an output on your disc player, and using a simple rca cable would do it. What receiver do you have? What disc player?

ps By using the analog l/r rca cables from player to receiver you're using the player's DAC (digital to analog converter) circuitry, if you use digital, you'd use the DAC in your receiver....
 
HTfreak2004

HTfreak2004

Senior Audioholic
I had 6 analog rca cables and was using a digital coax from DVD to surround processor. Bought Bluray player which had coax and used one of my analog interconnects which is a nicer looking rca.

Anyhow cannot tell difference in sound between the digital coax rca and analog rca so they are interchangeable!
 
tmurnin

tmurnin

Full Audioholic
Are you asking about the inputs themselves, or about the difference between cables labeled RCA vs digital coax? the inputs are described above. As for the cable, technical a digital coax cable is supposed to be rated to 75 ohms to avoid signal loss. Practically speaking, I’m not sure there is any real difference. If you have an RCA cable lying around, try it and see if you have issues before buying a new cable
 
S

sterling shoote

Audioholic Field Marshall
Can someone please help me understand these two? Ive done my research and found out that digital coax input produces better sound than rca. How do i connect my cd player using digital coax thru a receiver? Thanks. I know. Super beginner question. Sorry


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Connecting your CD Player's RCA analog output to your Receiver's analog input, your music will be decoded by the CD Player's DAC. If you use the CD Player's IEC 958 output to your Receiver's IEC 958 input, the Receiver's DAC will decode the music. The better sound is about which DAC is better.
 
BoredSysAdmin

BoredSysAdmin

Audioholic Slumlord
RCA vs Digital Coax is very simple and only one thing which is guaranteed is the later is shielded cable 75ohm, where RCA could be shielded or not. Cable shielding helps with noise rejection.
That's it. If you don't have noise isolation issues to worry about then both cables will sound identical in both analog and digital sources.
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
Another digital option is an optical cable (toslink), depending on what your player/receiver have in the way of connections. Bluray players generally would use HDMI instead.
 
HTfreak2004

HTfreak2004

Senior Audioholic
Another digital option is an optical cable (toslink), depending on what your player/receiver have in the way of connections. Bluray players generally would use HDMI instead.
Have you done any critical listening with toslink vs coax and found any discernible difference favouring one over the other?
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
Have you done any critical listening with toslink vs coax and found any discernible difference favouring one over the other?
I've used both but no proper comparison, but no discernible difference I've noticed. Wouldn't really expect one either except perhaps level.
 
HTfreak2004

HTfreak2004

Senior Audioholic
W
I've used both but no proper comparison, but no discernible difference I've noticed. Wouldn't really expect one either except perhaps level.
I’ve noticed more devices use either (HDMI or Toslink) and Coax Digital less available except on higher end models.
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
W

I’ve noticed more devices use either (HDMI or Toslink) and Coax Digital less available except on higher end models.
I use all three digital types of connections. As well as wifi. They all work great. Availability of legacy connections is starting to disappear now, both analog and digital....depends somewhat on audio only or with video....hdmi (and optical/coax to an extent IIRC) has that drm stuff built in.
 
Last edited:
S

sterling shoote

Audioholic Field Marshall
W

I’ve noticed more devices use either (HDMI or Toslink) and Coax Digital less available except on higher end models.
All of these carry DMR schemes, HDMI takes the cake, virtually impossible to copy with today's means to record. Toslink and IEC 958 are both S/PDIF, connections which must carry DRM/SCMS data. I have some recording equipment which connects via Digital XLR's, which can be set to not transmit DMR/SCMS instructions, thus, I can sometimes copy DRM music, although today there's not much sense in doing that as long as you can afford to pay the monthly streaming bill.;)
 
HTfreak2004

HTfreak2004

Senior Audioholic
All of these carry DMR schemes, HDMI takes the cake, virtually impossible to copy with today's means to record. Toslink and IEC 958 are both S/PDIF, connections which must carry DRM/SCMS data. I have some recording equipment which connects via Digital XLR's, which can be set to not transmit DMR/SCMS instructions, thus, I can sometimes copy DRM music, although today there's not much sense in doing that as long as you can afford to pay the monthly streaming bill.;)
I’m a Nostalgic Nut. To me just because the industry continues to evolve doesn’t make me say, “hey time to toss my old CDs or DVDs. I don’t have a tape deck anymore or a dedicated CD player. I never got into vinyl however nothing against it!

Streaming is a great way to save on Silver. As long as people do away with their old movies and music for the newest trend I will save the mini fortune they spent to build their libraries:) building my library!

Nice to have different options. Personally I don’t need the best quality products of today as long as what I’m using does the trick and is reliable. I will wait until the audio market slows way down and demand is way down than buy at a discount.
 
S

sterling shoote

Audioholic Field Marshall
What's interesting is the trend to use Universal Players and Computers connected to HT amplification where there is no means to record digitally. In other words, home recording is over.
 
Speedskater

Speedskater

Audioholic General
'RCA' is the type of connector.
It might be used in these cables:
Analog audio
Digital audio
Video
Low powered loudspeakers

Being a very low budget connector, over the decades it has been used for several other purposes.
 
HTfreak2004

HTfreak2004

Senior Audioholic
'RCA' is the type of connector.
It might be used in these cables:
Analog audio
Digital audio
Video
Low powered loudspeakers

Being a very low budget connector, over the decades it has been used for several other purposes.
And it still allows us to enjoy audio:)
 
P

PENG

Audioholic Slumlord
Ive done my research and found out that digital coax input produces better sound than rca. How do i connect my cd player using digital coax thru a receiver? Thanks. I know. Super beginner question. Sorry


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
The way you asked your question, some people may think you were asking about the difference between the two types of cables.

If your question was actually as simple as the way you asked, that is, "How do i connect my cd player using digital coax thru a receiver?", then the answer is equally simple, just use a digital coax cable to connect between your CD player's coax output and the receiver's coax input.
 
S

sterling shoote

Audioholic Field Marshall
Can someone please help me understand these two? Ive done my research and found out that digital coax input produces better sound than rca. How do i connect my cd player using digital coax thru a receiver? Thanks. I know. Super beginner question. Sorry


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Addressing this original post where the OP states he's done his research, I got the idea he might not have understood the research was likely not an RCA cable vs. Digital IEC 958 cable argument; but instead, a CD Player's DAC vs Receiver DAC, argument.
 
HTfreak2004

HTfreak2004

Senior Audioholic
Can someone please help me understand these two? Ive done my research and found out that digital coax input produces better sound than rca. How do i connect my cd player using digital coax thru a receiver? Thanks. I know. Super beginner question. Sorry


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
You cannot use the CD output port marked digital coax to receiver digital coax input as a pass through.

Your CD player will read the CD and pass that signal in the “digital domain” through the digital coax output to the receiver for Digital to Analog conversion inside the Receiver.

If you prefer to have digital to analog conversion occur inside the CD player you will use a minimum 2 analog outputs rca’s from CD player to Receiver. (Rcas marked as digital coax can pass the analog signal as well if connected to 2 ch analog outputs)

The Receiver now acts as a pass through for the analog signal allowing that signal to be either amplified inside the Receiver amp or an external amp. You can use the volume gain on your receiver to set your play back listening level.

And now Bob is everyone’s Favourite Uncle:cool:!
 
newsletter

  • RBHsound.com
  • BlueJeansCable.com
  • SVS Sound Subwoofers
  • Experience the Martin Logan Montis
Top