- Joined
- Sep 15, 2013
- Messages
- 2,464
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I have two SACD players of which the combined replacement value is close to R100-000.
According to the experts the newer SACD player should sound best with no need to retain the older player. I need to recover some of my outlay so my thinking is to sell the older SACD player. However I wanted to experiment with using the older player as a drive and held back with selling the older player.
About two months ago used the older player as a drive with an expensive optical cable feeding into the new SACD DAC. Sounded OK but since I had not tried any Coax cable I held back the sale.
This weekend I decide to solder up two coax cables. One cable was a gift from a forum member and the other was a Cardas cable bought from Hi-Phibian.
I used 25 cm of the donated cable (could that have been to short?) and soldered up. Sonically the cable did not impress. The bass was too muddy for my taste.
The Cardas cable of about 50 cm. sounded significantly better. Supertight bass, fast and with a slight emphasis on the top end.
Then on a spur of the moment I insert a cheap optical cable. Absolute bliss. Incredible bass and with an added depth to the music that is not heard on the new SACD player. Very impressive.
Now I am slightly confused:
Questions for the experts
1. Why does the coax not outperform the optical ?
2. Any explanation for the difference in optical cables ?
3. Is it just pot luck for the two player to work so well together ?
According to the experts the newer SACD player should sound best with no need to retain the older player. I need to recover some of my outlay so my thinking is to sell the older SACD player. However I wanted to experiment with using the older player as a drive and held back with selling the older player.
About two months ago used the older player as a drive with an expensive optical cable feeding into the new SACD DAC. Sounded OK but since I had not tried any Coax cable I held back the sale.
This weekend I decide to solder up two coax cables. One cable was a gift from a forum member and the other was a Cardas cable bought from Hi-Phibian.
I used 25 cm of the donated cable (could that have been to short?) and soldered up. Sonically the cable did not impress. The bass was too muddy for my taste.
The Cardas cable of about 50 cm. sounded significantly better. Supertight bass, fast and with a slight emphasis on the top end.
Then on a spur of the moment I insert a cheap optical cable. Absolute bliss. Incredible bass and with an added depth to the music that is not heard on the new SACD player. Very impressive.
Now I am slightly confused:
Questions for the experts
1. Why does the coax not outperform the optical ?
2. Any explanation for the difference in optical cables ?
3. Is it just pot luck for the two player to work so well together ?
