Question about Component Audio cables

[dayg]

Hi all,

Just recently bought a 50" Panasonic LCD projection TV and just trying to get the most benefit out of it. Here is my question. For the DVD player, I now use Component Video cables Instead of S-Video but not sure about the Audio connections. I understand Component is much better than S-Video. But for Audio, is there a big difference using regular cheap RCA (Red&White) cables (which is what I always used) VS ones that cost about $20 bucks (like AR audio cables). FYI, I have a decent SONY receiver with BOSS A10 speakers. Should I upgrade my audio cables?

TIA

 

[Rallispec]

if your receiever and DVD player support it - upgrade to digital coax or optical

 

[Viper GTS]

You have a 50" HDTV & you're still using the stereo outputs on your DVD player?

Get yourself a cheap boxed set (receiver + 5.1), the difference will be night & day over your TV's built in speakers.

As for the original question, once you have a receiver I'd spend the money for a decent set of interconnects (if you end up using any decoding capabilities on your DVD player - SACD or DVD/A). DON'T spend Monster money, AR sells some nice cables at decent prices. Unless you're using high resolution audio you probably won't need any analog audio interconnects, you'll probably use digital (be it coax or optical).

The $2 cables that came with your DVD player are garbage, but they're not nearly as bad as the speakers in your TV.

Viper GTS

 

[DingDingDao]

Originally posted by: Rallispec
if your receiever and DVD player support it - upgrade to digital coax or optical

Seconded. Unless you have 5.1 RCA outs, you should definitely try to use a toslink or digital coax connection. Between those two, most people on AVSforum agree that digital coax sounds better (plus it's just easier to work with than fiber optic cable).

 

[Viper GTS]

Originally posted by: DingDingDao

Originally posted by: Rallispec
if your receiever and DVD player support it - upgrade to digital coax or optical

Seconded. Unless you have 5.1 RCA outs, you should definitely try to use a toslink or digital coax connection. Between those two, most people on AVSforum agree that digital coax sounds better (plus it's just easier to work with than fiber optic cable).

Anyone who says one form of digital interconnect sounds better than another is smoking the good sh!t.

Viper GTS

 

[DingDingDao]

Originally posted by: Viper GTS

Originally posted by: DingDingDao

Originally posted by: Rallispec
if your receiever and DVD player support it - upgrade to digital coax or optical

Seconded. Unless you have 5.1 RCA outs, you should definitely try to use a toslink or digital coax connection. Between those two, most people on AVSforum agree that digital coax sounds better (plus it's just easier to work with than fiber optic cable).

Anyone who says one form of digital audio sounds better than another is smoking the good sh!t.

Viper GTS

Well then everyone at AVS must be severely high.

 

[Rallispec]

Originally posted by: Viper GTS

Originally posted by: DingDingDao

Originally posted by: Rallispec
if your receiever and DVD player support it - upgrade to digital coax or optical

Seconded. Unless you have 5.1 RCA outs, you should definitely try to use a toslink or digital coax connection. Between those two, most people on AVSforum agree that digital coax sounds better (plus it's just easier to work with than fiber optic cable).

Anyone who says one form of digital audio sounds better than another is smoking the good sh!t.

Viper GTS

i dont know enough about this -- but in the same respect that cat5 cable can transfer more information than standard phone cable -- why is it not possible that more data can be sent via coax than optical. More data = more complete sound, right?

this is just an assumption.. i'm sure in reality that most recievers use the same encoding for optical or coax, so the data sent remains the same - its just a matter of how it gets there.

 

[dayg]

Rallispec,
Thanks for the reply. I didnt think about the digital coax or optical. I imagine both choices are hella better than RCA audio? Just checked out the pricing on both coax and optical, both seemed about same price (egay). Should I choose Optical for sound optium should quality?

Viper GTS,
I use the RCA output to my receiver, not to TV speaker. As you mentioned, I just bought 2 AR Component video cables instead of those monster cables which is way over priced.

 

[welst10]

Originally posted by: DingDingDao

Originally posted by: Viper GTS

Originally posted by: DingDingDao

Originally posted by: Rallispec
if your receiever and DVD player support it - upgrade to digital coax or optical

Seconded. Unless you have 5.1 RCA outs, you should definitely try to use a toslink or digital coax connection. Between those two, most people on AVSforum agree that digital coax sounds better (plus it's just easier to work with than fiber optic cable).

Anyone who says one form of digital audio sounds better than another is smoking the good sh!t.

Viper GTS

Well then everyone at AVS must be severely high.

AVSforum is full of pseudo-science sh1t. Many (if not most) users there dont even have an advanced degree. I've seen many nonsense there such as "double-blinded test is not an acceptable way to judge speaker or cable quality", etc. I've learned to be very skeptical on the claims made there.

Digital coax should have no difference whatsoever from optical in theory. I personal tested the two, absolutely cant hear difference.

 

[Doggiedog]

You got the 50LC14?

 

[dayg]

Thanks all for the help. It seemed I can't go wrong with either coax or optical. Looks like I'll just go with Coax because it's easier to handle. Thanks again.

 

[dayg]

sup doggiedog! I sure did over the weekend!

 

[Viper GTS]

Originally posted by: Rallispec

Originally posted by: Viper GTS

Originally posted by: DingDingDao

Originally posted by: Rallispec
if your receiever and DVD player support it - upgrade to digital coax or optical

Seconded. Unless you have 5.1 RCA outs, you should definitely try to use a toslink or digital coax connection. Between those two, most people on AVSforum agree that digital coax sounds better (plus it's just easier to work with than fiber optic cable).

Anyone who says one form of digital audio sounds better than another is smoking the good sh!t.

Viper GTS

i dont know enough about this -- but in the same respect that cat5 cable can transfer more information than standard phone cable -- why is it not possible that more data can be sent via coax than optical. More data = more complete sound, right?

this is just an assumption.. i'm sure in reality that most recievers use the same encoding for optical or coax, so the data sent remains the same - its just a matter of how it gets there.

If there's any more data being sent something in the chain is making sh!t up as it goes, all the digital interface has to do is transfer the stream from the source (DD/DTS stream, redbook audio) to the receiver. It's transferred bit for bit, there is no more (or less) information.

The only difference is which device does the decoding, & eliminating an unnecessary analog transmission.

Viper GTS

 

[nakedfrog]

I need to buy a new DVD player, my 3 year old Apex finally died... my receiver supports coax, fiber, and 5.1 inputs. I'm trying to figure out which DVD player to get (already got the cables necessary for every connection)

 

[DingDingDao]

Originally posted by: welst10

Originally posted by: DingDingDao

Originally posted by: Viper GTS

Originally posted by: DingDingDao

Originally posted by: Rallispec
if your receiever and DVD player support it - upgrade to digital coax or optical

Seconded. Unless you have 5.1 RCA outs, you should definitely try to use a toslink or digital coax connection. Between those two, most people on AVSforum agree that digital coax sounds better (plus it's just easier to work with than fiber optic cable).

Anyone who says one form of digital audio sounds better than another is smoking the good sh!t.

Viper GTS

Well then everyone at AVS must be severely high.

AVSforum is full of pseudo-science sh1t. Many (if not most) users there dont even have an advanced degree. I've seen many nonsense there such as "double-blinded test is not an acceptable way to judge speaker or cable quality", etc. I've learned to be very skeptical on the claims made there.

Digital coax should have no difference whatsoever from optical in theory. I personal tested the two, absolutely cant hear difference.

I would have to say that the difference between the two is marginal at best. I'm just telling the OP what I've learned in my experience. Personally, I can't tell the diff either. However, coax is definitely less fragile than optical cable and less expensive as well.

The performance differences between optical and digital coax are moot, however, as the quality of sound IMO depends entirely on the media. The difference in sound quality from one DVD to the next is ridiculous.

 

[Viper GTS]

Originally posted by: nakedfrog
I need to buy a new DVD player, my 3 year old Apex finally died... my receiver supports coax, fiber, and 5.1 inputs. I'm trying to figure out which DVD player to get (already got the cables necessary for every connection)

There are several multi-function players out there that do DVD Audio, SACD, and DD/DTS decoding. I have a Pioneer that I use for SACD & DVD/A, but I still use toslink for DD/DTS. If you're buying a new player anyway, you might as well play with some high res audio. Redbook sucks, most people just don't know it yet. 😉

I will likely be putting my two year old Panasonic (Faroudja) back in for my video source & leave the Pioneer strictly for high res audio - It's video simply isn't up to par with the Panasonic.

Viper GTS

 

[Doggiedog]

Originally posted by: dayg
sup doggiedog! I sure did over the weekend!

Couldn't resist huh?

 

[dayg]

Nope, tired of waiting. I want to enjoy life NOW! 😀

I'm looking for a decent progressive scan DVD player now with or without a decoder. Does it matter much in video which Progressive DVD player to get?

 

[Doggiedog]

Dude call me this weekend.

I'll tell you what I've got.

 

[Viper GTS]

Originally posted by: dayg
Nope, tired of waiting. I want to enjoy life NOW! 😀

I'm looking for a decent progressive scan DVD player now with or without a decoder. Does it matter much in video which Progressive DVD player to get?

The odds are very good that the line doubler in your TV is equal to or better than the line doubler in 99% of the progressive scan DVD players out there.

Do your homework before you jump on one, you may be better off where you are.

Viper GTS