Almost any S/PDIF 75 ohm cable terminated in RCA is going to offer compromised performance; nearly all RCA connectors are incapable of maintaining the correct 2:1 ratio necessary for correct impedance. Ideally, your termination should be a 75 ohm BNC (there is also a 50 ohm BNC -- its inner wall is thicker.) To reduce cable reflections, some people recommend a minimum length of 1.5 metres... others feel 1 metre works.

The Apogee Wyde Eye is a very affordable digital cable (about or under $50 a metre) that offers excellent sound/performance, especially given the price. The mids and treble are not as smooth as the Kimber D-60 (formerly Illuminati), but, the Apogee is a fraction of the cost. However, you can get a 1/2 metre of D-60 for about $199.00, so, it's within your budget. The Kimber is a better cable, but, the short length might not be ideal. If you can audition them, it would be best to let your ears be the judge. Make sure to burn them in a couple hundred hours -- the sound changes with use.

I haven't been in the market for a digital cable in a long time, so, can't say for sure since I haven't heard them in my own system. However, I suspect Stereovox would be a good option, especially since the designer is Chris Sommovigo, who designed the original Illuminati digital cables (which I like very much and still use in my headphone rig.)

Cool! I'm glad it worked out for you. Funny, isn't it? At first it seems counterintuitive that a digital cable could make such a difference. Years ago, when I was first checking out cables for one of my DACs, it took virtually no time at all to hear the difference in the smeary, bloated sound an Audioquest AES/EBU offered and the clarity of an Apogee and Illuminati.

You guys are just trying to get Dup's blood pressure up. Cables don't make no stinkin' difference.

Checkout http://store.mycableshop.com

It's where I get all my cables and other stuff. Godd service, good prices.

Explain what you talkin' bout, "emphasized leading edges". Leading edge of which pulse? you gotta be halucinating really? If it's all the critical why does the BenchMark DAC give me adaptors to use RCA to BNC and vice versa...if there was such a dramatic influnce in sound due to this impedance mismatch, don't ya think they would disallow it to be used? BenchMark is supposed to be such a super duper DAC, now why would they comprimise it's excellence by allowing it? Perhaps it don't matter?

Here's where I get my cables and stuff, good service good prices www.partsexpress.com Dayton house brand, use there 5 way plugs GOLD plated, cheap, no corrosion, Nuetrik, etc.....No fancy color ads, just stuff that does the job, priced for mortals, not maniacs. the only cord that matters is teh proepr guage of teh AC line cord to feed lotsa current to a high powered amp...even then looks like 14 ga does it just fine. Basic electrical paramters never got reworked just cus' it's used in audio, the electrons don't know if it's audio or heating a toaster..OHM knew that

According to this ad, this magic outlet cures all AC line troubles, it says, with this $199 wall outlet there is no need for magic AC line cords? and these guys sell magic wires, now I'm all confused......i think these marketeers are getting caught up in their own fables of nansense. they are contridicting themselves. Furman AC line condidtioners I sue and some Furman power factor correction units I just added, to kinda help take some of teh massive inductive load my amps place on teh AC line....PF below 90% is low, and wasting energy, don't see any spec on teh Furman power factor units to watch extent they bring up the power factor, it's basically a gian transformer in there across the line to counteract the large Inductive load from teh transformers in teh amps... Furman PF-Pro units 3 of em. Made by people that don't claim maigic, just solid electical designs. Seen Furmans everywhere in live pro setups

silvertone wrote:

Is there a concensus out there for which may be the best rca digital cable in this price range? This will be used with my Stello DA220 DAC. Thanks.

I just bought a (NOS) 1.5 meter Nordost Moonglow 2 from Upscale for $139, delivered. Smooth, detailed, non-fatiguing. It may not be the last word in hyped-up resolution, but I think it sounds great.

I think you will be suprised at just how good the Acoustic Zen Mc2 digital cable performs. Here is one for $180 obo.

http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?cabldgtl&1302375292&/Acoustic-Zen-MC2-1M-RCA-

Mark Evans