Hi Syles

Not having seen something happen (or, alternatively, not understanding why something happens) doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

Using your example about SpeakerLink balanced and shielded cabling eliminating noise, the bit that wasn't mentioned is that all cables exhibit a resistance, a capacitance and an inductance.

This impedance will invariably distort an AC signal, whether balanced, shielded, or sitting in zero gravity (which would be far too problematic to seriously consider, even if it did work).

Digital audio cables transmit two signal components: the audio data (which can be pretty easily read back without errors) and a timing signal, which for all intense purposes is analogue. Unfortunately, any distortion to the latter leads to distortion in both the amplitude and time domains.

What is happening is that the cable alters the signal so that the data arrives with all the nice sharp edges of the transmitted signal rounded off (as the data and timing signals are combined, this also has an impact on the timing), making it difficult for the system to figure out when each timing signal/beat really starts (think of it as a kind of metronome).

As I understand it, the theory behind say the AudioQuest cables I use is that they reduce the capacitance 'seen' by the equipment, biasing the dielectric keeping it constantly charged.

Does it make a difference? To my ears, yes. Is it worth what it costs? Only the person buying the cables can make that decision.

What can't be said is that cables don't change the signal, otherwise everyone could have 100Mbps VDSL regardless of how far they lived from the fibre cabinet.

J.

Prolific music listener / Hi-Fi addict!