coaxial cable

[tylerdurden]

When linking up to a surround sound system, why is the coaxial cable different to any other coaxial cable?

[edDV]

I've found that a standard 75 ohm (yellow) composite video cable works fine. But it won't be totally in spec because the connectors aren't orange. Apply paint to fix that.

[redwudz]

Coaxial cable: "Cable consisting of a single copper conductor in the center surrounded by a plastic layer for insulation and a braided metal outer shield." RCA cable works fine for me also. If you had higher frequencies involved, it would then have ends like the cable TV coaxial cable.

[Teutatis]

It's not different. It is just another 75 ohm coaxial cable. They try to make it sound different so that they can charge you their "monster" prices.

I have been using a video cable as the digital coax for the past eight years.

[tylerdurden]

so why is the pin in the middle longer if you get the 'designated' cable?

[redwudz]

It's just made with a different brand of plug. I have a coaxial audio cable that came with my DVD player and, except for being orange, it's exactly the same as my video and other RCA phono cables. Here's a Monster cable. Works the same as a $3US RCA cable, just costs $40US.

[edDV]

The reason optical cables were offered as the alternative relates to the fear of audiophiles that AC hum might affect the sound quality of the digital stream.

It probably never was a real problem but in traditional analog systems, hum was always the enemy when cable distances went longer than 3 feet. Optical gave comfort to that fear.