Connect stereo amp to tv with Rca or coax?

[hybridauth_Google_100305019701768814103]

Hi all!

I am buying a new stereo system and I want to connect it to my tv. I have 2 options: rca or coax. I will buy dedicated (high quality) audio cables. I don't know which is better.

I read that modern tv's don't have rca connection so when I buy a new one, the expensive rca cable will be useless in the future?
Also, does one or both coax or rca go through the dac on my amplifier?

I read that both give the same audio quality when the length is below 10 metres and I will only have 1 metre.

Thanks for the help!

 

[muljao]

If your tv has a digital out (coax or optical) and your amp has a digital in, I would use this one. Any coaxial or optical cable (well made branded but not stupid expensive) will do the trick. If your tv or amp does not have digital ouyputs you need to use the rca cables

 

[hybridauth_Google_100305019701768814103]

But why is the coax the better option? What are pros and cons?

 

[muljao]

If your amp has a digital input it has a built in dac. If your tv sends the digital to your amp, your amp decodes the digital signal. If you use the rca output from the tv, your tv uses its inbult dac to decode and then send analog signal to your amp. The chances are the dac in an amp, or indeed a seperate dac will be better than the tv inbuilt one. This is not a given, but likely

 

[Leeps]

I depends.

Almost all new TV's now use digital optical outputs, not coaxial or analogue RCA, so if I were you, I would purchase whatever you need now. My TV does have analogue RCA outputs and I used to use these into a Cambridge stereo amplifier and had excellent results. So in my case, the DAC in the TV was excellent. These results were achieved with £15 cables from Richer Sounds.

Presumably if you're contemplating using a coaxial output, you have a DAC to plug it into? If you already get good results from your digital inputs with other sources, then go ahead and use the coax.

 

[hybridauth_Facebook_100004211376004]

I don't think I've came across a TV with coax out....optical out only on my Sony and LG tv's.

 

[hybridauth_Google_100305019701768814103]

I got the Philips 37pfl8684h/12. Checked it again on the Philips site. S/PDIF (coax) out is stated. No optical (a bit older model).

Ill go with the coax to bypass the dac of the tv. I bet the one in my onkyo tx-8020 is better.

 

[davedotco]

If you buy an amp with a built in dac you will most likely get both Toslink and coaxial inputs.

If your current TV does have a coaxial digital output then you will be fine, modern TVs mostly have optical digital outs so you can switch to that then.

Note. I am somewhat concerned by your description of the outputs on your TV, digital outputs are often termed coaxial but delivered via a single RCA connection. In the world of TV, coax often refers to the aerial lead, I suggest you check exactly what connectors you do have.