difference between S/P DIF cables and Fibre Optic cables??

[snowball]

What is the difference between S/P DIF cables and Fibre Optic cables??

i must add that i know absolutely nothing about canbles,so any help and tips on wires and what to look for when searching for them will be greatly apreciated!

[Aussie Geoff]

Snowball,

SPDIF is an encoding technique for translating digitial signals over a wire or fibre cable.

Technically once transmitted the data is the same and most CD and DVD players offer both Coax and fibre SPDIF interfaces with recievers also offering both options. However some manufacturers have a preference for one or the other (e.g. Rotel like the Coax version and use this in their CD and DVD players).

The encoding on the coax and fibre versions is quiet different (as one would expect with light being the transmission medium for Fibre and elctricity for Coax), but the underlining data structure and signal is the same. There are arguement as to whether there are audible differences. My experiece is that for most manuifactrers there are and it depends on which interface the manufacturer has put more effort into and the quality of cables... Technically if the digital signal is transmitted with increase jitter, then this is audible for many people. Jitter can be introduced by the coax or SPDIF converter of (in come cases) by the cable. However all this is a much debated topic...

Personally I like a good coax cable over a good fibre cable (a generalisation) however there are some very good fiblre cables out there (especially the pure glass ones)...

Geoff

[snowball]

Snowball,

SPDIF is an encoding technique for translating digitial signals over a wire or fibre cable.

Technically once transmitted the data is the same and most CD and DVD players offer both Coax and fibre SPDIF interfaces with recievers also offering both options. However some manufacturers have a preference for one or the other (e.g. Rotel like the Coax version and use this in their CD and DVD players).

The encoding on the coax and fibre versions is quiet different (as one would expect with light being the transmission medium for Fibre and elctricity for Coax), but the underlining data structure and signal is the same. There are arguement as to whether there are audible differences. My experiece is that for most manuifactrers there are and it depends on which interface the manufacturer has put more effort into and the quality of cables... Technically if the digital signal is transmitted with increase jitter, then this is audible for many people. Jitter can be introduced by the coax or SPDIF converter of (in come cases) by the cable. However all this is a much debated topic...

Personally I like a good coax cable over a good fibre cable (a generalisation) however there are some very good fiblre cables out there (especially the pure glass ones)...

Geoff

Thank you Aussie Geof,you shed some light on some dak corners there!
i dont want to seem ungreatful,but i still dont know the difference(if there is any) between spdif and fiber optic!

[Aussie Geoff]

i dont want to seem ungreatful,but i still dont know the difference(if there is any) between spdif and fiber optic!

SPDIF is the encoding technique used by CD players and DVD players for transmitting a digital signal...

SP/DIF Stands for Sony Philips Digital Interface. On some players the Fibre Optic Plug will be marked SPDIF. On others the Coax (RCA) Plug SP/DIF. In reality both are SP/DIF compatable - they are just using different types of cables to trapsport the signal.

So SP/DIF is a standard for digital data transmition over cable

Fibre is a type of cable that with a TOSlink connector is often used to transmit SP/DIF signals

Coax is also a type of cable that with a 75 Ohm RCA connector is also often used to transmit SP/DIF signals...

Try this link http://geraldtomyn.tripod.com/connector.htm for some pictures and further explanation...

I hope this is clearer?

Geoff

[snowball]

SPDIF is the encoding technique used by CD players and DVD players for transmitting a digital signal...

SP/DIF Stands for Sony Philips Digital Interface. On some players the Fibre Optic Plug will be marked SPDIF. On others the Coax (RCA) Plug SP/DIF. In reality both are SP/DIF compatable - they are just using different types of cables to trapsport the signal.

So SP/DIF is a standard for digital data transmition over cable

Fibre is a type of cable that with a TOSlink connector is often used to transmit SP/DIF signals

Coax is also a type of cable that with a 75 Ohm RCA connector is also often used to transmit SP/DIF signals...

Try this link http://geraldtomyn.tripod.com/connector.htm for some pictures and further explanation...

I hope this is clearer?

Geoff

so spdif is the encoding techique,and fiber optic is the material of the cable?

strange for i was looking at some cables and there were spdif cables and fibre optic cables.

or maybe i am still not getting this?

[Shawn Parr]

Both optical and coax are referred to as SPDIF. Often you will see optical referred to as Optical SPDIF or TOSLINK, it all basically means the same thing to those of us buying the stuff.

The data itself is the same between them.

In coax/copper SPDIF you use an RCA cable, and the digital output from the transport (CD/DVD, etc.) is from a conceptual side just sent right on down that RCA cable.

In TOSLINK/Optical SPDIF the signal coming out of the transport is passed to a transducer that converts the digital signal to pulses of light. That light is then shot down a plastic tube, and on the other end is another transducer that takes the light and turns it back into electrical signals for the D/A converter.

Signal wise there theoretically is no difference at the end. Of course this being the real world, there can be a lot of factors that may make one method more exacting over the other (proper impedance cables, jitter, design of the equipment in use, etc) and hence have a slightly different sound quality.

The real question I think you may be asking is if one definitely sounds better than the other. Many people seem to think SPDIF/copper sounds better. It is possible that due to the conversion between light and electrons jitter is increased, or more bits get lost in the process and error correction goes into interpolation mode (it starts making up the missing bits).

The answer to whether or not it will sound better to you depends on your equipment, your ears, and your listening skills. I have seen many people that can't hear the difference between different digital clocks. Personally I (and a few other people I know) hear it very distinctly. I attended a demo for Aardvark clocks at one point and the guy sitting next to me said he might have heard something, but for me and the guy sitting on the other side of me it was like a light switch being turned on and off.

In reality I wouldn't get too worked up about it. If one is more convenient than the other go that route. If one may save you a lot of money for some reason, consider that route. If it can go either way, and cost isn't different enough to matter, just go copper and get a warm fuzzy that you are playing along with the others.

[snowball]

Both optical and coax are referred to as SPDIF. Often you will see optical referred to as Optical SPDIF or TOSLINK, it all basically means the same thing to those of us buying the stuff.

The data itself is the same between them.

In coax/copper SPDIF you use an RCA cable, and the digital output from the transport (CD/DVD, etc.) is from a conceptual side just sent right on down that RCA cable.

In TOSLINK/Optical SPDIF the signal coming out of the transport is passed to a transducer that converts the digital signal to pulses of light. That light is then shot down a plastic tube, and on the other end is another transducer that takes the light and turns it back into electrical signals for the D/A converter.

Signal wise there theoretically is no difference at the end. Of course this being the real world, there can be a lot of factors that may make one method more exacting over the other (proper impedance cables, jitter, design of the equipment in use, etc) and hence have a slightly different sound quality.

The real question I think you may be asking is if one definitely sounds better than the other. Many people seem to think SPDIF/copper sounds better. It is possible that due to the conversion between light and electrons jitter is increased, or more bits get lost in the process and error correction goes into interpolation mode (it starts making up the missing bits).

The answer to whether or not it will sound better to you depends on your equipment, your ears, and your listening skills. I have seen many people that can't hear the difference between different digital clocks. Personally I (and a few other people I know) hear it very distinctly. I attended a demo for Aardvark clocks at one point and the guy sitting next to me said he might have heard something, but for me and the guy sitting on the other side of me it was like a light switch being turned on and off.

In reality I wouldn't get too worked up about it. If one is more convenient than the other go that route. If one may save you a lot of money for some reason, consider that route. If it can go either way, and cost isn't different enough to matter, just go copper and get a warm fuzzy that you are playing along with the others.

in the end it all comes down to personal taste,isnt it?
i will do a a/b test in the future about coax vs optical,if i dont hear any difference,i will go for the $$$ saver!

the funny thing is that,even if i have learned a lot about various issues with this topic,nobody has answered my question yet!

or maybe my brain is malfunctioning today! :P

i will ask it again!

is there a difference between SPDIF cables and fiber optic cables?

feel free to answer,even if its about something else,i dont mind,i am in learning mode here!!!!

[Shawn Parr]

As far as the cables themselves go:

Optical: Glass or more commonly plastic tube that light can travel down. Due to the differences in refractive quality between the inner material and outer material almost no light should get out except at the ends. Imagine a solid clear plastic straw.

SPDIF: Copper or Silver cable constructed just like an ordinary analog RCA cable. To meet specifications the cable and connectors should be rated at 75 ohms.

Is that what you were looking for?

[snowball]

As far as the cables themselves go:

Optical: Glass or more commonly plastic tube that light can travel down. Due to the differences in refractive quality between the inner material and outer material almost no light should get out except at the ends. Imagine a solid clear plastic straw.

SPDIF: Copper or Silver cable constructed just like an ordinary analog RCA cable. To meet specifications the cable and connectors should be rated at 75 ohms.

Is that what you were looking for?

Yes,that answers it i think!!!!
oh and what would you reccomend?are there any serious quality differences in these cables?

[aud19]

Both formats should perform equally as well under optimal conditions.

That said, IMO, digital coax tends to offer a higher quality cable for a given cost compared to optical and is less fragile in the process. High performance optical cables require glass (rather than plastic) and tend to be more expensive for that level of quality.

So on a pure cost/performance comparison, I'd go with a good quality coax where possible.