High quality optical cables - what's your preference?

TP

I'd say it's now readily accepted that unless the optical feed is from a current Mac Mini, the best way to go with a Mac Book is with a USB to S/PDIF adaptor, eg Hiface or The Bride. Or if you want to go all out, the new Berkeley Audio USB converter.

I too use a MBP and until recently was using a Chord optical cable.

Swapping to the above mentioned adaptor was like night and day. The positive change was not subtle.

Usual caveat applies; it's all system dependant of course.

BTW, what are you using for the playback software?

James, 

Not sure this is actually true. In my view the Mac Mini is just one option amongst a number of excellent options. I am more than pleased with the sound coming from my MBP connected via the cheap POC. In fact it is so good there isn't much between it and the sound produced by my ND5XS/DC1 playing those same files via UPnP of the MBP (into nDAC/555PS). I have a BNC Hiface as well and again IMHO the difference here is not great enough to worry about. Connecting via optical out is a very convenient way of getting real good SQ from a recent MBP (mine is a 2010 model running SL). POCs and GOCs come in various length above 1m, that way you needn't have the MBP on top of your rack but instead have it placed on the lounge table and play back your music while doing other things on the MBP for example or whatever. Neat.

Best

tp

TP...

I'm not sure where you're coming from here. Even you are saying the differences between different transports and compressed vs uncompressed is minimal. What are you trying to gain by buying the expensive optical cable. I know you've seen the other thread I'm posting in as you've posted in it.

Really, the purchase of an expensive optical cable is going to change the sound of your system minimally. 

For the record, now that my Supernova6 cable has been installed for a few months, I agree that the sound seems to about equal that achieved with the M-Audio interface before.  Hooray for simplification!

Nick

New mac mini into NDAC is VERY good when connected with a decent toslink cable,  I have been surprised at how good it is with a WireWorld SuperNova 6. Easily beats the HiFace and HiFace2 in my particular configuration.  (Bear in mind the digital coax cable I had from the HiFace was quite long).

Of the players on the Mac, taking FLACs from QNAP nas I have not found anything to beat songbird yet.   Tried Amarra demo, itunes not close.    Enqueue was close but not quite as good. 

Fozz

tried expensive opto cables ,settled for tci £35 one. again as with any audio cable the connection is important with regard to leakage and reflection within the toslink plug and socket.keep cable in free space and just allow natural bending on the length of cable avoiding any stress at the end od cable

Rich, I also use £30 to £ 50 fibres as i have found some of them to be completely effective. As you say, and in my expierience, it's bandwidth, polished connectors and the numerical apperture that are probably the most important parameters unless you are doing longer distances > 5 metres.

yes i have TCI ,i could not detect any difference in this one and a £200 cable, still prefer dig cable .

I have a layman question: The Supernova 6 is made of glass. Can you bend it easily without danger of breaking it?

The Wireworld SN 6 can be slightly bent but not way bent. Just for your information, I can hear little difference between the WSN6 and a €10 plastic optical cable when playing AIFF files off my MBP 2010 built. Maybe the Mac Mini is different but I'd be surprised if they were worlds apart.

One question in my mind for a quite,when i began to venture into digital music.

Why some of the biggest hi-end brands (IMO) such as: Nordost, Zensati,Taralabs...their hi-end and high price digital interconnect is only coaxial. They do make optical,but for their 2nd or lower grade, not for the highest premium grade.Does it mean that coaxial is better?

I do not know all the brands of course, so my observation may not be entirely correct

short  lengths of optical cables may be under stress at the tos end if the bending radii is too small. a longer cable with have a more natural radius

Yes it is ... has much better optical out in terms of noise/jitter - easily measurable.

I have found a definite improvement in my system using WWSN6 over Belkin and Chord cables ... but the TCI Kuriki and Mark Grant cables were just as good. 

Nordost and friends are probably aiming at connecting a CD transport or high-end streamer to a DAC rather than a computer or more basic streamer. Naim recommend an optical cable between a Mac and the Naim DAC. I never tried anything from Nordost .. a bit expensive for me. 

I could use a hiFace and an expensive coaxial cable ... never tried it ... only tried a hiFace v1 with Chord coax and prefer the WWSN6 [this is with a newish Mac Mini, hiFace every time for older Apples]. 

The MG cable is the first relatively low priced cable I have heard that equals the WWSN6, but there may be others and it is my ears I'm using to judge differences ,,, nothing scientific. 

Is coax better than optical ... no - it's horse for courses. 

Is optical better than coax .. no - it's horse for courses. 

What works best with a Mac Mini ... WWSN6 or Mark Grant glass optical of those I've tried and imo

If I was buying a high end coax it would be a DC1

DH Labs optical...$50 USD shipped in the US. Not sure about the UK and elsewhere but a damn good cable.