coaxial or optical digital ?

[Dark Atheist]

on the soundcard i have - its an interagted 8ch HD Audio card which has coaxial and optical digital outputs, and my reciever has coaxial and optical digital inputs, now asking which is best is always subjective, but which would you suggest? atm the reciever is only a few feet away from the output on the card and the coaxial cable isnt that long, where as the optical is, although i may move the reciever away from the pc as its not in the best of places atm.

Dont think either cables are high quality, although i may look at replacing them with high quality branded ones soon.

 

[Luna]

Both cables should give nearly the same output if they are well shielded. It's all digital so the data coming through should be the same regardless of the cable. That's not to say data will be distorted when it is converted.

One thing to keep in mind, Optical is converted from electrical, to light, and back to electrical. The converters can distort it. You will probably get the "best" sound with a well shielded Coaxial because it stays purely electrical (if there is no outside noise hitting the cable).

In the end I would say go with a well shielded coaxial. To be honest you probably could not tell them apart in a blind test, the sound is virtually the same.

 

[Steevo]

Optical offers no interference from outside sources, and I checked my 30' e-bay unbranded monster and the signal is 100% of what it started at, and that is the same as more expensive glass or branded cables. I prefer optical.


I paid $17 a few years ago for it.

 

[Dark Atheist]

yes i did some googling last night and found that optical is good over distance and isnt prone to interferance - so i willl go with optical

 

[kcnychief]

My vote would also go for optical, hope you enjoy the quality

 

[Shamus MacNoob]

I use optical for my xbox360 and coaxial for my hd-cable box both to my home theater amp, I prefere the optical .

 

[kcnychief]

I thought it was really cool when I first got it to stare into the bright lights

explains alot about me actually :lick:

 

[AlexK]

Yeah i would also go with Optical..

1 cable instead of 3-4 Coxial cables..

 

[zeke_mo]

on the soundcard i have - its an interagted 8ch HD Audio card which has coaxial and optical digital outputs, and my reciever has coaxial and optical digital inputs, now asking which is best is always subjective, but which would you suggest? atm the reciever is only a few feet away from the output on the card and the coaxial cable isnt that long, where as the optical is, although i may move the reciever away from the pc as its not in the best of places atm.

Dont think either cables are high quality, although i may look at replacing them with high quality branded ones soon.

I would use optical mainly because light isn't effected by emi like electrical cables are. That and it looks cooler

 

[Tuffgong4]

I prefer optical. but it also depends on the source. Certain components just don't have very good sound quality and it matters on the quality of the source, the cables and the output.