What digital lead for Marantz 6000

[Gadusmorhua]

I've just bought a Marantz 6000 OSE LE, primarily because my Marantz CD41 only has analogue in, and I'd like to hook it up to my Chord Mojo.
It has both Coaxial and Optical inputs- will there be any audible difference between the two?
I am guessing the answer is no with my set-up, so my next question is how much to spend on an optical interconnect? I've gone with cheapish branded cables for everything else, and presume that will suffice here.
Thanks.

 

[Revolutions]

No & not much, imo. Your presumptions match mine.

 

[abacus]

Amazon Basics will do you fine.

Bill

 

[nopiano]

Most folk seem to express a preference, and my limited experience suggests it might be system dependent. My guess, from dozens of similar threads over the years is that for Hifi coaxial is a better choice. I certainly use that myself as I find optical connections less easy to locate, and a less secure grip. However, for TV to soundbar, for example, optical often seems to be the default as it’s included by the manufacturer.

If you are nerdy about it, some suggest 1.5 metres is optimum length for a 75ohm cable. Something to do with reflections or transmission lines or summat! I chose shorter for tidiness. Designacable will make to your spec, colour etc.

 

[bigfish786]

Try both, they are cheap enough to experiment with. Buy from Amazon and try for a week, then send back one of them .
I bought a braided optical cable for about 7 quid, and used an old Atlas component cable as digital coax. (I can’t tell the difference between them)

 

[daveh75]

Most folk seem to express a preference, and my limited experience suggests it might be system dependent.

It isn't.

That's just a rehashing of the "you need a revealing enough system" nonsense

My guess, from dozens of similar threads over the years is that for Hifi coaxial is a better choice.

It makes no difference.

 

[daveh75]

I bought a braided optical cable for about 7 quid,

Did it also have gold plated connectors 🙄

 

[Dom]

I bought a braided optical cable for about 7 quid

Did it also have gold plated connectors 🙄

Braided cable's means it wont kink as easily as regular PVC and is fairly stiff.

As for gold connectors, they are there for durability and anti corrosion.

Nice try, Dave.

 

[daveh75]

As for gold connectors, they are there for durability and anti corrosion.

Nice try, Dave.

Not on an optical cable they're not!

Aside from the fact they carry light and not an electrical signal, Toslink connecters are plastic, as is the socket...

They're gold plated purely to dupe buyers into thinking they'll improve SQ.

But nice try, Dom

 

[Dom]

Nope, the gold connectors are for corrosion resistant's and strength.

Keep trying.

 

[daveh75]

Nope, the gold connectors are for corrosion resistant's and strength.

Keep trying.

Plastic doesn't corrode, Dom, and gold plating is about as strong as you're arguement...

But, keep trying.

 

[nopiano]

It isn't.

That's just a rehashing of the "you need a revealing enough system" nonsense



It makes no difference.

It is nothing to do with needing a revealing enough system. It’s more to do with grounding arrangements and noise passing along screens. But I anticipate you’ll say that’s nonsense too.

It might make no difference to you, but I’d wager the consensus from those who’ve tried both is a preference for coaxial. Your mileage obviously varies!

 

[My2Cents]

Another 'cable conundrum'.
I doubt that you will hear a difference between the two types of transfer medium, but as already suggested, buy one of each (decent quality ones) and make your own decision.
You may however hear a 'difference' of some kind, which has nothing to do with the transfer method but is caused by the digital board in the receiving device and how it 'reassembles' the 0's and 1's.
I tend to prefer optical, but that's just me.
With coaxial, the transmitting and receiving units must convert the 0's and 1's to electrical voltages and then back again. With optical they convert the 0's and 1's to light pulses (and back again).
Optical transfer can create jitter issues, coaxial can create electromagnetic interference issues.
The signal 'integrity' is superior with optical transfer and cheaper DAC's / digital boards seem to do a better job of converting light signals back to 0's and 1's (and fixing the jitter) than they do converting voltage back to 0's and 1's (while trying to fix any EMI issues).
Optical transfer is also faster, and so if you want to hear your music playback a little sooner, optical is a good choice... ROFL
Also, optical is far more 'Star Trek' and so it's also got that going for it.

 

[Gadusmorhua]

Amazon Basics will do you fine.

Bill

And that's what I've bought, thanks.

 

[Gadusmorhua]

Another 'cable conundrum'.
I doubt that you will hear a difference between the two types of transfer medium, but as already suggested, buy one of each (decent quality ones) and make your own decision.
You may however hear a 'difference' of some kind, which has nothing to do with the transfer method but is caused by the digital board in the receiving device and how it 'reassembles' the 0's and 1's.
I tend to prefer optical, but that's just me.
With coaxial, the transmitting and receiving units must convert the 0's and 1's to electrical voltages and then back again. With optical they convert the 0's and 1's to light pulses (and back again).
Optical transfer can create jitter issues, coaxial can create electromagnetic interference issues.
The signal 'integrity' is superior with optical transfer and cheaper DAC's / digital boards seem to do a better job of converting light signals back to 0's and 1's (and fixing the jitter) than they do converting voltage back to 0's and 1's (while trying to fix any EMI issues).
Optical transfer is also faster, and so if you want to hear your music playback a little sooner, optical is a good choice... ROFL
Also, optical is far more 'Star Trek' and so it's also got that going for it.

Yes, I was wary of starting arguments again
I've ordered an Amazon optical cable, they seem to be considered reasonable quality, and are a good fit- I've had issues with optical falling out of my telly easily.
I have also just realised I bought a coax rca cable by mistake for my Mojo, so I'll compare. I'm sixty-odd, with budget gear, so don't really expect a difference. I think I prefer the idea of optical too, but we'll see.

 

[Gray]

....don't really expect a difference. I think I prefer the idea of optical too, but we'll see

You're right not to be expecting any audible difference.

But where it's needed (as it was for me) the galvanic isolation that optical provides, makes the choice for you.

I've got a (22 year old) CD6000 OSE KI.
Its own DAC sounds good - but your Mojo will certainly give you a difference.

 

[Al ears]

You're right not to be expecting any audible difference.

But where it's needed (as it was for me) the galvanic isolation that optical provides, makes the choice for you.

I've got a (22 year old) CD6000 OSE KI.
Its own DAC sounds good - but your Mojo will certainly give you a difference.

I would agree, optical that is well constructed, would be my cable of choice.

 

[Gray]

I would agree, optical that is well constructed, would be my cable of choice.

I had no choice - linking the same two things worked with optical but played up with coaxial.
(And there was nothing wrong with the short, 75 ohm coax cable).

 

[Al ears]

I had no choice - linking the same two things worked with optical but played up with coaxial.
(And there was nothing wrong with the short, 75 ohm coax cable).

Odd.

 

[Gadusmorhua]

You're right not to be expecting any audible difference.

But where it's needed (as it was for me) the galvanic isolation that optical provides, makes the choice for you.

I've got a (22 year old) CD6000 OSE KI.
Its own DAC sounds good - but your Mojo will certainly give you a difference.

I'm looking forward to playing with my new CD. I'm happy enough with what comes out of the 41, but the lack of digital output was my first (hasty)mistake in HiFi- though I remind myself it cost less than the leads for its replacement.
I've also bought an QED profile optical cable to compare to the Amazon Basics. It was only a tenner more, so will probably be a keeper on build quality alone.

 

[Gadusmorhua]

Update:
I returned the QED Profile optical lead, after hearing no difference between it and the Amazon Basics. I would have kept the QED for its claims of 'medical grade fibres' and build quality, but it looked like the cable had memory- even after hanging it up in my airing cupboard overnight it was horribly zig-zagged. The Amazon cable was as flexible as an optical cable can be, and the plugs maintain a good fit in the socket. Now I need my new (used ) cd.....

 

[twinkletoes]

Plastic doesn't corrode, Dom, and gold plating is about as strong as you're arguement...

But, keep trying.

Though you're being combative it's a point worth noting that even seasoned hifi enthusiasts fall for . Why have they put conductive material on a none electrical connection, it makes no sense at all. In fact the interface is only a flimsy plastic hole so inserting metal into a plastic hole is going to cause damage and the weight of that connection can and will deform that little plastic hole. If metal was needed the hole would contain metal.

I go out of my way to find light weight optical cables and there cheap as peanuts.

But if people want to spend money, spend it where I makes sense and get one that has proper glass interior and even then ive heard no decreeable difference at all.

In my experience optical sounds better purely because it's not bothered by RF noise when sitting in a busy rack of components and wires , that it.

 

[daveh75]

Though you're being combative

I treat as I find....

it's a point worth noting that even seasoned hifi enthusiasts fall for . Why have they put conductive material on a none electrical connection, it makes no sense at all. In fact the interface is only a flimsy plastic hole so inserting metal into a plastic hole is going to cause damage and the weight of that connection can and will deform that little plastic hole. If metal was needed the hole would contain metal.

The outspoken Director of a now defunct British active speaker manufacturer used to proclaim that many of their warranty claims came from damaged Toslink sockets as a direct result of using such cables.

They would only recommend inexpensive 'standard' optical cables.

 

[nopiano]

The outspoken Director of a now defunct British active speaker manufacturer

That sounds like it might be Mr Ashley James! Is he still around?

 

[Messiah]

That sounds like it might be Mr Ashley James! Is he still around?

Seems to have left HiFi behind.

He’s not even in the AVI Club group on FB (that he used to be in).