Topic: Coax or optical for audio?

[kizzm]

Mga ka-HT,

    Just a Question lang, Mas ok bang gamitin ang optical cable keysa sa 75 ohm rg59 coax cables for audio connections? or any difference? I know one is solid copper core and one is light conducting fibre, but is there a difference in sound tranfer capabilities? please help naman oh...

-pro-acts-

[bumblebee]

Theoretically, there shouldn't be any difference between coax and optical. But different people have different opinions. I'd choose coax because it's more durable.

[barrid]

Here's a good discussion of your query.

http://pinoydvd.com/board/index.php?topic=33594.0

[kizzm]

Thanks Bublebee and Barrid, at least i got some reference to refer to. And here's another question, what do you think of using aviation cables? I got a freind who gave ten metres of twisted pair cables and hook them up on my front speakers and I've noticed the sound becomes more brighter than using monster cables. and the size is 1/8th of the  cables I'm using. They are made of pure stranded silver cables and some kevlar/teflon coating bullcrap materials which is oxygen free. And he said that the specs are you can pump 10kvolts in one strand with the thickness of our hair. Is it possible? Can you please shed a light on these topic? Thanks Ulit.

[bumblebee]

I just use 12ga AudioPro speaker cables. 1/8th? Baka nawalan ka ng bass kaya naging brighter.

[kizzm]

siguro nga, nawalan nang bass, but my speaker are designed that way, my speakers are Jensen SPX-9 Quad 5" 2 way floor stander for the mains, small footprint, pencil thin enclosure rated at 180 watts RMS,. And for the centre Jensen SPX-13,  rears are Jensen SPX-5 and for the sub is Jensen SPX-17, outboard 160 Watts RMS. 
But don't we rely on the suby for LFE? Thanks again.

[kizzm]

Sorry ako ulit, when I said brighter I get more details of every dialogue or musical instruments, naging mas claro, hope you know what I meant.

-P-A-

[bumblebee]

I'd still opt for the lower gauges. Especially for long runs. Anyway, the important thing is, you like what you're hearing. There are no rules, just guidelines

[kizzm]

Thanks Bublebee, I totally agree with that, no matter how much you spend on all your gears and connectibles at the end of the the day its your ears that matters most.

Thats is why i ask lang naman, kasi I've seen a lot of set up na mala-anaconda ang gamit nilang mga connectibles where you can simplify things using thinner versions that delivers the same package, mas neat tignan di ba? have you seen some Kimber kables? I hope to upgrade mine to Kimber Kables someday. Sige happy listening na lang.

-P-A-

[bumblebee]

I've read about Kimber but I don't think I'll be spending that much, even if I can save up for it. Besides, entry-level lang naman ang balak kong setup. Expensive cables would be "out-of-place"

[av_phile1]

Thanks Bublebee and Barrid, at least i got some reference to refer to. And here's another question, what do you think of using aviation cables? I got a freind who gave ten metres of twisted pair cables and hook them up on my front speakers and I've noticed the sound becomes more brighter than using monster cables. and the size is 1/8th of the  cables I'm using. They are made of pure stranded silver cables and some kevlar/teflon coating bulls**t materials which is oxygen free. And he said that the specs are you can pump 10kvolts in one strand with the thickness of our hair. Is it possible? Can you please shed a light on these topic? Thanks Ulit.

Is your friend working for an aircraft maintenance company?  I used to work in one.  The cables used are mostly 99.999%silver and teflon coated.  The cost of these cables from aircraft parts manufacturer will put to shame some of the most expensive cables out there.  They're mostly NASA-grade.  Silver is the best conductor, though marginally better than pure oxygen free copper.  Because of better conductivity (lower resistance per foot), you can have thinner or higher gauge silver cables than those of copper. 

[kizzm]

thanks av_phile1 for the response, it's an experiment to test drive those cables binigay lang yun as a sample, cause i used to work for a plastic moulding company and we sell those spools where he can wound 100 to 500 feet of cables. He supplies the whole RAAF and most Tel Com. Yes you're right it cost a mint per foot of those things. The price? don't worry he can it to me at a whole sale price. Anyway so it is feasible then cause I never looked back when I hooked them on with my speakers, cause no one really believes me of the increase of details i'm getting. Buts the end of the freebies, next time i have to pay for those darn cables. But wish ko lang talaga eh, my ultimate connectibles? WIRELESS, I think thats the way to go in the future. What do you think guys?

but lets rest the case, so wala talagang pagkakaiba ang coax and optical cables in terms of performance...

-P-A-

[alistair]

But wish ko lang talaga eh, my ultimate connectibles? WIRELESS, I think thats the way to go in the future. What do you think guys?

You can get wireless from sources to amp but you'll still need wires to power your speakers.

[kizzm]

True ka dyan Alistair, at least nabawasan na yung wires from the the AVR to the speakers, worry ka na lang  kung saang power plug/point mo ikakabit. Anyway if they can wireless RF why can't they do it in V/A? Tanong lang.

-P-A-

[av_phile1]

True ka dyan Alistair, at least nabawasan na yung wires from the the AVR to the speakers, worry ka na lang  kung saang power plug/point mo ikakabit. Anyway if they can wireless RF why can't they do it in V/A? Tanong lang.

-P-A-

Ever wondered by wireless headphones, even coming for great headphone makers like Sennheiser, are  not widely accepted among seasoned audiophiles? 

There have been experiments and prototypes in this direction for amps and speakers  The problem is fidelity.  Any kind of wireless transmission requires a carrier medium to "carry" the audio signals.  Unfortunately, any technology employed reduces much of the fidelity, reducing the bandwidth and introducing some noise at the points of transmission and reception.  Perhaps a concerted research should eliminate these but the industry finds no incentive as the market is really lukewarm to the idea to say the least.

Another limiting concern is the power.  Bear in mind that amplifers output large high current high voltage signals to drive the speakers.  Carrying them over a short distance will require high wattage transmission that may not be feasible in the home.  A solution to this is to couple the power amps to each speakers directly, sort of like your powered subwoofers.  That means every speaker you use would have to have its own power amp and an antenna receiver.  So that the transmitter at the end of the preamp will just transmit small current signals from a preamp to the power amp receiver.  That's more feasible. 

But that means a total overhaul of your set-up.  Apart from getting separate powered speakers PER channel, you need a multichannel preamp.  Then if there are wireless products out there that carry the preamp's discrete 5.1 signals either as optical, radio or infrared  and a matching receiver connected to each speaker, then you can have a wireless connection.  Ofcourse you could start with a set already consisting of powered speakers and preamp with built-in wireless transmission and reception capabilities.  Whichever, you'd have to thrash your current gears.  Or modify them.   

[kizzm]

thanks av-phile1, galing and point taken, not everyone kasi embraces new technology, but one thing I can say, the possibilities are endless.

-P-A-

[bumblebee]

thanks av-phile1, galing and point taken, not everyone kasi embraces new technology, but one thing I can say, the possibilities are endless.

-P-A-

And are subject to profitability and politics