Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Advice from Axiom Owners Interconnects

Hi All,

I would like some advice regarding interconnects.
For audio from a CD or DVD, is it better to use Analog or Coaxial or Optical?

Thanks for all the help.

For CD, Coaxial and Optical provide the same digital input, so no difference between those two. Whether you use digital or analog connections depends on where the better circuitry/DAC/power supply resides. If its the source player then use analog, if its the processor then go digital. Many receivers/processors let you connect both so its easy to go back and forth. Your ears be the best judge.

For DVD assuming you want full surround effects I would suggest digital input, unless you have DVD-A discs or can't process some of the newer HD sound codecs in your receiver/processor then you need analog connections if you have the decoder in your BR/HDDVD player. Bass management is also more challenging without a digital connection.

Hi,

Thanks for the advice.

Can you clarify, what you mean "If its the source player then use analog".
Not sure what it means. Sorry, i'm still to this.

Don

I just meant that you should try analog cable connections, then try digital connection. Use whichever one sounds better.

Asiatic, if you want to use the digital/analog converter in the CD player, use the analog (RCA) cable connections. If you want to use the DAC in the reciever, use a digital connection (either toslink or coax).

If you need to split hairs, then for digital, select coax over optical

Uh Oh!!! Incoming....

Asiatic, use a digital connection from your player for CDs and DVDs(there's no need to be concerned about the DACs on any modern equipment). It makes no difference soundwise whether you use a coaxial or optical cable, but the coaxial cables are a bit sturdier.

I prefer optical to coax, just me. I'll have to try analog from my Sony CD player to see if that is better than using optical to my Denon. The player is an older CD player, but still high end for its time.