AudioNervosa

Electro Stimulation Ward => Signals and Noise => Topic started by: tmazz on February 01, 2016, 09:29:15 AM

Title: Analysis Plus Toslink cable
Post by: tmazz on February 01, 2016, 09:29:15 AM
Being very happy with my recent purchase of the Bluesound Node I began to experiment a bit to push the limits on its SQ. I have used it primarily as the way to stream Tidal into my main system. The sound from Tidal was very good,, but, especially on classical recordings, the soundstage seemed more constricted than what I was used to hearing. At first I thought it might have been a limitation of Tidal itself, but then I made some lossless rips on my computer (the most informative of which was the Ansermet Scheherazade) and even with then the computer files played via the node seemed to compress the size of the image , both in with and depth as compared to playing the ripped CD through the same DAV (the original version of the Eastern Electric).

I had pretty much resigned myself t the fact that it was just a limitation of the Node unit itself when I got an email from Audio Advisor pushing a Toslink cable from Analysis Plus claiming that this was the first optical cable that sounds as good as a coax.

Over the years I had tried several different Toslink cables between my CD transport and DAC and found that A0 they all sounded pretty much the same and B) None of them sounded as good as a coax cable. But in the case of the Node I only have a Toslink output and since the cable was only $39 and it had a money back guarantee I figure what the heck I'd give it a try.

Well it arrived about a week ago and I put it in the system. I played the Scheherazade rip and BAM!, even with the cable ice cold, right out of the box the soundstage just exploded out to where it is with the CD and maybe even just a touch wider. (I don't know, is there really any such thing as break in on an optical cable?)

Now I need to do some more critical listening to determine if I like the computer file better than the CD overall as there bat be some differences in detail,  performance at the frequency extremes and overall tonality that could sway my preference one way or they other, but the most obvious sonic shortfall of the Node hooked up with the generic optical cable I had laying around the house was the soundstage and that problem is solved with this Analysis Plus cable. It may not be the best overall option, or even the best optical cable that I could put on the Node, but it sure upped the Node's performance quite a few notches in my book, and for $39, that's quite a bargain.

I was very happy with the Node and Tidal before thinking that the small decrease in SQ was a worthwhile tradeoff for all of the access to music that I got from Tidal, but now I don't feel like I am making any tradeoff at all. And I feel comfortable with the SQ I will get when ripping CDs to my computer for file based playback.

Title: Re: Analysis Plus Toslink cable
Post by: rollo on February 01, 2016, 11:03:31 AM
   Actually no break in at all . BRILLIANT !!    ENJOY !!!


charles
Title: Re: Analysis Plus Toslink cable
Post by: Werd on February 01, 2016, 11:48:47 AM
I like toslink better than an HDMI connection from my Xbox to the receiver. 
Title: Re: Analysis Plus Toslink cable
Post by: mfsoa on February 01, 2016, 03:40:53 PM
If you care to explore another toslink cable, check these guys out, from NY no less-

http://www.lifatec.com/toslink2.html (http://www.lifatec.com/toslink2.html)

I bought a short maybe 20" "B-Stock" for around $40. Very high quality look and feel. 470 glass fiber optic strands. Looks like the AP is not a glass fiber cable and they tout this as a positive, however it seems like the glass fibers are the preferred substrate based on internet perusal.

Who knows, maybe the Lifatec might even raise the bar a little more. And based on the audiophile dollar scale its a bargain for < $100.

-Mike
Title: Re: Analysis Plus Toslink cable
Post by: tmazz on February 02, 2016, 05:33:13 AM
I have read things but for and against glass figers in toslink cables. The people who are for them say that glass can be made optically purer than a synthetic (plastic) fiber and will therefore provide a better, more error free transmission path. Those who are against the use of glass in audio applications claim that while in a pristine condition glass may work better, in the real world it is much more fragile than other fiber materials and gets micro crack when moved around and especially when bent and those crack cause optical leakage and internal reflections and that in that condition, the glass is not better.

From an engineering standpoint I can understand the theoretical arguments on both side, but they are just that, theories. Like anything else in this hobby the real proof is in the listening.