High end RCA Audio Cables vs Digital Optical Cables

[tigger1874]

Just upgrading my HT and buying the Marantz SR-7500..Just wondering when I hook up my surround system......what would I get better performance out of when listening to music and watching movies........Digital Optical cables or a high end RCA audio plug...........

[nicholtl]

It all depends on how high a quailty your source component (ie. CD player, DVD player) is. If your source component has the superior DAC's -- and that would have to be a pretty damn good player to be better than a Marantz SR-7500 (a nice unit indeed!) -- then you'd want to use a good pair of analog interconnects.

If, however, your source component is a standard run-of-the-mill variety purchased from your local Best Buy or Walmart or what have you, then use a good digital cable. Personally, I like coaxial, but you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference between toslink (optical) and coaxial.

In general, for a DVD player, use a digital cable to obtain surround sound enjoyment. If your DVD player also features hi-resolution SACD and/or DVD-A playback, then you're required to purchase 3 pairs of analog RCA's to hook it up. Don't ask why, that's just how it goes. Unless you own a Pioneer Elite DVD player, in which case you could opt for their proprietary iLink cable.

For a CD player, the aforementioned information is more applicable than that of a DVD player. Jesus, sorry for the convoluted post. I'm not myself today.