After the years of experimenting with hifi gear, I’ve concluded that it’s hard to conclude what is best based on specs. without auditioning. I’ve found my results are system dependent. I have clearly heard differences in AES cables, power cables, etc., and was glad that I auditioned them because there were times I thought my amp, DAC, or streamer, etc. was the weak link and with simple cable swaps and other system swaps, I found that there was absolutely nothing wrong with my amp or whatever. So, I don’t conclude that I2S, USB or AES is better than one or the other because you have to try them all and, if you can, with different cables within each cable type to really conclude what sounds the best in your system. Right now, I have a Pangea toslink cable outperforming all the AES cables I am demoing right now except this Acoustic Zen Absolute AES cable. That is insane, but that’s my experience at the moment, but I plan on demoing several more AES, toslink and USB cables before I make my decision on which one to buy. The Cable Company is a good option to demo multiple cables with their loan program. That’s what I am currently doing and it has been fruitful!
Thank goodness. There is some limit to the insanity. That said, balanced in the digital realm allow for much longer cables. But typically not an issue for home audio.
Always enjoy learning stuff from Paul. While I'm a fan of I2S I struggle to buy that an HDMI cable does not damage the clock signal. Even different quality coax with SMA connectors can be heard.
What is the damage is being done to the clock signal that is causing an audible problem? Can I see a calibrated screen shot of the clock waveform that is "damaged"? Different quality coax? You do understand that coax cable is designed for a specific impedance? 50,72, 75,93,124 ohms for example. It needs to be matched to the design impedance of the interfaces. Otherwise errors can result which are quite audible,
@@andydelle4509 You will have to seek that elsewhere. I do not have the equipment to measure what goes on. Just ears. We seek in digital audio low phase noise. Any form of wave change can change the trigger point negatively impacting phase noise. We use well shielded 50 ohm cables. Torquing SMA connectors is generally accepted best practice and is clearly audible. Even though a cable spec'd for low gHz transmission should be more than adequate for the 5-90 MHz clock speeds, I can assure you a cable spec'd for 20gHz sounds better than one spec'd for 4gHz carrying the clock signal. And if you use a U.FL connector a few times, the impact can collapse the sound stage or shut down the system.
@@user-od9iz9cv1w So you have no hard repeatable evidence these are problems for digital audio systems, but your ears say you do? If you truly understand the principles you outlined above, you must at least have access to the requisite test equipment at your job? Furthermore anyone employed in such a field knows proper scientific protocol and how to document test results. Or was this scraped from an audiophile magazine?
All digital signals. PSM and DSD. There's no advantage cancelling out any noise picked up by the cable when transferring digital signals. That doesn't mean that they can't sound better or worse depending on how your equipment is designed
All digital signals. PSM and DSD. There's no advantage cancelling out any noise picked up by the cable when transferring digital signals. That doesn't mean that they can't sound better or worse depending on how your equipment is designed
All digital signals. PSM and DSD. There's no advantage cancelling out any noise picked up by the cable when transferring digital signals. That doesn't mean that they can't sound better or worse depending on how your equipment is designed
It breaks my heart, everytime i see a vd of that set-up, with that TT NOT being used..?? It´s suppose to make music Paul....u know, putting a record on, gently lowering the arm, so when the stylus' hit the groove, magic happens 🙂 Cheers from Denmark. (love your daily vd´s).
MrBazsi888 is right. Analog balanced audio requires at least two additional amplification stages at significant gain to drive the cable. The receiving end is also has more components. That's more noise and distortion being added. Now with modern electronics, the effect is minuscule but nevertheless still present and even measurable.
@ 2:03 I2S not balanced? HDMI is a balanced topology. You mean that PS Audio is running the HDMI I2S single ended? Balanced signals provide the same benefits be it analog or digital. And BTW, all electrical signal transmission is analog. True HDMI is balanced, Ethernet is balanced, USB is balanced, Apple Thunderbolt is balanced as was Firewire. Most high speed interfaces are balanced. SPDIF and AES-3 are unbalanced but AES runs at video frequencies which are lower than the computer interfaces I noted above. FWEIW, most AES installations in the past 20 years were AES-3 75ohm unbalanced as the unbalanced version actually has more length capability, cheaper using coax cable and BNC connectors, and higher density on jack panels. Balanced AES is not used that much anymore except in recording studios. P.S. I don't care what people think they hear, there is no subtle audible difference between balanced and unbalanced AES. Cable problems will cause errors which are highly audible. These audiophile ideas such as sound stage, presence, detail, are not affected by any digital interface. It either delivers consistent error free data or it doesn't. Then you get clicks and pops. That's it. Jitter is a DAC issue not affected by 6-10 foot digital cables.
I have a negative comment about the person who asked the question. I’m binning it. I have nothing productive to say or add. So… I’m shutting the f*ck up. Feels good. Cheers Paul.
After the years of experimenting with hifi gear, I’ve concluded that it’s hard to conclude what is best based on specs. without auditioning. I’ve found my results are system dependent. I have clearly heard differences in AES cables, power cables, etc., and was glad that I auditioned them because there were times I thought my amp, DAC, or streamer, etc. was the weak link and with simple cable swaps and other system swaps, I found that there was absolutely nothing wrong with my amp or whatever. So, I don’t conclude that I2S, USB or AES is better than one or the other because you have to try them all and, if you can, with different cables within each cable type to really conclude what sounds the best in your system. Right now, I have a Pangea toslink cable outperforming all the AES cables I am demoing right now except this Acoustic Zen Absolute AES cable. That is insane, but that’s my experience at the moment, but I plan on demoing several more AES, toslink and USB cables before I make my decision on which one to buy. The Cable Company is a good option to demo multiple cables with their loan program. That’s what I am currently doing and it has been fruitful!
For professional use, cable length can become more of a concern. AES/EBU can do 300 feet.
You must have a Big livingroom😂
@@Error2username I don’t use this standard. It makes sense for concert venues and studios.
@@ThinkingBetter And that's exactly what it was created for - e. g. broadcasters, production companies. Consumers were never the main target. 😉
AESEBU was the one i picked because i thought balanced had a benefit, but if coax does it better then it makes my life easier :)
I learn something new every day. Thank you.
i'm not expert but i found aes/ebu connection between cd transport and dac is so much better (sonically) than spdif
Thank goodness. There is some limit to the insanity.
That said, balanced in the digital realm allow for much longer cables. But typically not an issue for home audio.
I don't use my AES/EBU today but I would love to use it.
those chairs look nice, which brand please?
AESEBU - whaaaat? Ok acronym defined ….. but does it really have to cost so much !
Usually it's written AES/EBU and it's for professional use.
Can I use a AES/ EBU output to a wordclock?
Always enjoy learning stuff from Paul. While I'm a fan of I2S I struggle to buy that an HDMI cable does not damage the clock signal. Even different quality coax with SMA connectors can be heard.
What is the damage is being done to the clock signal that is causing an audible problem? Can I see a calibrated screen shot of the clock waveform that is "damaged"? Different quality coax? You do understand that coax cable is designed for a specific impedance? 50,72, 75,93,124 ohms for example. It needs to be matched to the design impedance of the interfaces. Otherwise errors can result which are quite audible,
@@andydelle4509 You will have to seek that elsewhere. I do not have the equipment to measure what goes on. Just ears.
We seek in digital audio low phase noise. Any form of wave change can change the trigger point negatively impacting phase noise. We use well shielded 50 ohm cables. Torquing SMA connectors is generally accepted best practice and is clearly audible. Even though a cable spec'd for low gHz transmission should be more than adequate for the 5-90 MHz clock speeds, I can assure you a cable spec'd for 20gHz sounds better than one spec'd for 4gHz carrying the clock signal. And if you use a U.FL connector a few times, the impact can collapse the sound stage or shut down the system.
@@user-od9iz9cv1w So you have no hard repeatable evidence these are problems for digital audio systems, but your ears say you do?
If you truly understand the principles you outlined above, you must at least have access to the requisite test equipment at your job? Furthermore anyone employed in such a field knows proper scientific protocol and how to document test results.
Or was this scraped from an audiophile magazine?
Playback Designs streamer is the best I've heard, including the airlens
True. Shame they chose an arm and a leg.
Where talking about transferring DSD signals right?
All digital signals. PSM and DSD. There's no advantage cancelling out any noise picked up by the cable when transferring digital signals. That doesn't mean that they can't sound better or worse depending on how your equipment is designed
All digital signals. PSM and DSD. There's no advantage cancelling out any noise picked up by the cable when transferring digital signals. That doesn't mean that they can't sound better or worse depending on how your equipment is designed
All digital signals. PSM and DSD. There's no advantage cancelling out any noise picked up by the cable when transferring digital signals. That doesn't mean that they can't sound better or worse depending on how your equipment is designed
What about USB?
It breaks my heart, everytime i see a vd of that set-up, with that TT NOT being used..?? It´s suppose to make music Paul....u know, putting a record on, gently lowering the arm, so when the stylus' hit the groove, magic happens 🙂 Cheers from Denmark. (love your daily vd´s).
For analogue and short distances rca is best, balanced signal modifies the original sound. But for digital, aes/ebu is great.
How does using balanced for analog "modify" the sound?
@@wty1313 m.ruclips.net/video/omC52EtizWg/видео.html
Sorry, MrBazsi888, that doesn't stand the test of reality. Vice versa would make a bit more sense.
MrBazsi888 is right. Analog balanced audio requires at least two additional amplification stages at significant gain to drive the cable. The receiving end is also has more components. That's more noise and distortion being added. Now with modern electronics, the effect is minuscule but nevertheless still present and even measurable.
@ 2:03 I2S not balanced? HDMI is a balanced topology. You mean that PS Audio is running the HDMI I2S single ended? Balanced signals provide the same benefits be it analog or digital. And BTW, all electrical signal transmission is analog. True HDMI is balanced, Ethernet is balanced, USB is balanced, Apple Thunderbolt is balanced as was Firewire. Most high speed interfaces are balanced. SPDIF and AES-3 are unbalanced but AES runs at video frequencies which are lower than the computer interfaces I noted above. FWEIW, most AES installations in the past 20 years were AES-3 75ohm unbalanced as the unbalanced version actually has more length capability, cheaper using coax cable and BNC connectors, and higher density on jack panels. Balanced AES is not used that much anymore except in recording studios.
P.S. I don't care what people think they hear, there is no subtle audible difference between balanced and unbalanced AES. Cable problems will cause errors which are highly audible. These audiophile ideas such as sound stage, presence, detail, are not affected by any digital interface. It either delivers consistent error free data or it doesn't. Then you get clicks and pops. That's it. Jitter is a DAC issue not affected by 6-10 foot digital cables.
only reason i havnt purchased an airlens is because it doesn't have a screen. it may sound the best,but doesn't look it, in my opinion.
I have a negative comment about the person who asked the question. I’m binning it. I have nothing productive to say or add. So… I’m shutting the f*ck up.
Feels good. Cheers Paul.
I asked the question 😅 feels weird to hear my name comming from Pauls Mouth😂 so you can comment right below if it helps me or other 😉