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PROBLEM: CD Player Digital Output

I have received a couple of comments here that my cable choice could be the problem.

Is it actually possible that a cheaper cable could solve the problem?

And here is a question that will really show my level of ignorance when it comes to digital audio formats: Is it possible that I am using the wrong kind of digital cable? The digital output of the CD player and the digital input on the preamp are both RCA type jacks. I simply thought that using a digital coaxial cable with RCA plugs on both ends would be appropriate. Am I wrong? Is there another type of cable I should use that will fit?

Reply to
EADGBE
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NO they are joking. Since the same cable carries both the left and right channels it is impossible that a passive device such as a cable could reliably distingusih between the left channel data and the right channel data in the stream.

NO. It either works or it doesn't. It is as simple as that. People might argue that if you use really poor cable it might introduce such digital artifacts as "jitter". But there is no amount of arm-waving that can explain how it could affect only one channel of the interleaved data.

It is NOT the cable. Ignore the frivolity and go back to doing a proper differential diagnosis with the source and destination equipment.

Reply to
Richard Crowley

Note further that SPDIF has been demonstrated to work properly using a wet string (literally). There is NOTHING magic about the cable. Despite what Monster and the other rip-off cable shysters may try to say otherwise.

Reply to
Richard Crowley

Nope. Absolutely not.

Have you got some other digital audio source to check this problem yet. DVD player?

--
Adrian C
Reply to
Adrian C

Why ! - that's what makes life interesting, of course ... :-)

Arfa

Reply to
Arfa Daily

LOL

Reply to
Meat Plow

The data comes off the CD disc with the data interleaved. Physical data blocks are 2352 bytes each, of which 2048 bytes are audio data. The 2048 bytes make up 1024 16 bit samples, 512 for each channel. The remaining data is for error checking and correction.

Most consumer audio gear and a lot of professional gear use DAC chips with either 2 channels or pairs of channels. In either case the input data stream for each pair of DACs have the data for the 2 channels interleaved.

Reply to
Arny Krueger

Seems completely impossible, because the data for the 2 channels are always interleaved. Each physical data block is composed of 1024 audio samples, 512 for each channel, and a separate block of data for error detection and correction. Typically, the channel data is never de-interleaved.

Either situation will result in no audio data being recovered, just noise.

Reply to
Arny Krueger

Phew, after all that speculation we finally got some technical insight.

Thanks.

Reply to
Gareth Magennis

Didn't realize anyone was suffering from the delusion of any other cause.

Reply to
Richard Crowley

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