optical or digital coaxial audio? (1 Viewer)

[Brian Warren]

Im debating between the pan 72, 82 and tosh 4800. will be hooked to hit swx20b and denon 3802. which is supposed to be better, optical or coaxial for sound quality
thanks
Brian

 

[Jeff Kleist]

This is something akin to the Dolby Digital vs DTS debate
bits are bits, either/or it's all the same. And don't waste your money on an expensive digital coax cable, odds are that the cheap yellow plug that came with your DVD player will do the job
If you have problems with interference, dropouts and such, then you should probably move to optical

 

[Luis C]

No way Brian,
Go with the coaxial out and get a good cable (ala BetterCables). Don't fall for that "it's all the same" c**p! I challenge you to test this out. You don't have anything to lose, BetterCables has a 30-day money back guarantee. But I will bet you will NOT want to return it.

 

[Pablo Abularach]

Brian,

This is the most difficult subject on HT, because in speakers you get what you paid for as well as recievers, you just audition the ones inside your budget and then decide, pretty simple.

But with cables, I dont know, is more complicated, there will always be the question, Are they worth it, do you see or hear any difference. I think sometimes you can see and hear a little difference, but not much. Nothing than an Radioshack cables wont do (at least for me).

Many people also say that you should invest 10% of your budget in hookup and cables. I dont think cables do much difference (making it better), but I do think that very cheap cables (without shielding) could degrade the picture or sound.

So returning to your question.

which is supposed to be better, optical or coaxial for sound quality

I think both are very good. Many say that optical is better because you wont have any magnetic interference, so the sound will go without any distortion. Others argue that Optical cable doesnt have the bandwith that an coaxial could offer. Another thing that Optical is more fragil than Coaxial.

But by the statement writen earlier, I think Optical is better. But why dont you buy both cables, same brand, same series and decide for yourself.

Hope this helps,
Pablo Abularach

 

[MannyE]

Is optical better than coax? I think they are different. Which one is "better" is up to you and your ears.

It is also dependent on if you have a 500 dollar HT or a 15K HT. USUALLY...the more you spend for better quality components, the more these subtle differences stand out. However, they are still miniscule differences in sound for most people. There are "golden ears" that claim to hear a difference if you raise the cables off the ground, etc and so on...I sure don't.

That said, I second Luis in saying get yourself a decent coax, like the BC, and a Radio Shack optical cable. Then LISTEN to the Optical, the BC coax, and the yellow included cable and LET YOUR EARS DECIDE....forums are for advice only.

None of us are in your HT...and even if we were...you're the one who has to listen to the system for the next few years...not us.

 

[Luis C]

Manny,

Now THATS one of the best replies I've seen anywhere.

It is very true that many changes can be "subtle" at best. Thats why auditioning in your own home, on your own equipment is so highly recommended.

None of us are in your HT...and even if we were...you're the one who has to listen to the system for the next few years...not us.

Absolutely... enjoy what sounds best to you.

 

[Rob Rodier]

2c;

If you are on a budget go optical. If money is not an issue, and you like to experament, than you can tweak your sound by playing with different coax cables.

I have found no audible differences from cheap and mid level optical cables. (

-rob

 

[Brian Warren]

excellent replies. the reason I was wondering was because the 72 does not have coax out. sounds like I should get a dvd player with coax so I can experiment if I like.
now for the next question, which player, the tosh 4800 or panny rp82
thanks
Brian

 

[Luis C]

Ok, wait a sec... I missed the part where you commented on the players... is this primarily for DVD playback? If so, get get the Tosh 4800 (excellent picture detail and color) and just use an optical cable. Coax won't make much difference in DD/DTS encoded material. MUCH more important will be channel seperation spec of the decoder/pre-amp. Some are really poor...