Cable for old x-fi extreme music...

schoenda

Gawd
Joined
Apr 8, 2003
Messages
860
So, I am using the S/PDIF output on an old x-fi for the first time. I am using an old 3.5 mm to dual RCA, with just one of the RCA ends plugged into my amps coax-digital audio in. It sounds great. Is there any reason in the world to get an actual "digital" 3.5mm to single RCA cable. I am guessing...um, no. 1's and 0's right? No quality difference as long as the music plays..?? Could someone slap me in the face and verify my thinking before I do something silly.
 
*SLAP!*

There. :D If it works, it works. There's nothing special about "digital" 3.5mm to RCA. I mean... It will look less ghetto, and that's the only benefit it will provide. But I mean... I have yet to see a high-end audio setup that didn't have a bunch of cables running everywhere. lol
 
...Are you sure you're actually sending a digital signal, and not a mono analog signal? That would be my question.

Usually with digital signals it is sent SPDIF either coaxial (RCA-RCA cable) or optical (TOSLINK-TOSLINK)...and with the optical there's the option of embedding the connector inside a standard 3.5mm stereo-mini jack, but you need a reducer plug to use with one end of a TOSLINK cable in order to use it. I've never heard of a digital signal sent via TRS stereo-mini on only one channel of said connector to mono RCA. I've not yet seen in practice a setup like you describe that runs digitally.
 
...Are you sure you're actually sending a digital signal, and not a mono analog signal? That would be my question.

Usually with digital signals it is sent SPDIF either coaxial (RCA-RCA cable) or optical (TOSLINK-TOSLINK)...and with the optical there's the option of embedding the connector inside a standard 3.5mm stereo-mini jack, but you need a reducer plug to use with one end of a TOSLINK cable in order to use it. I've never heard of a digital signal sent via TRS stereo-mini on only one channel of said connector to mono RCA. I've not yet seen in practice a setup like you describe that runs digitally.

digital coax via headphone style jack is actually quite common on many soundcards, especially the ones that do not have optical. Its usually shared with the center/sub jack.
 
if you want to clean up the cables, monoprice sells an adaper for that 3.5mm plug. I bought one too when I had my x-fi music for that same reason.
 
Back when I used that sound card I simply went to radioshack and bought a 3.5mm connector and an RCA connector and took some speaker wire and put it all together to make my own cable.
 
Back when I used that sound card I simply went to radioshack and bought a 3.5mm connector and an RCA connector and took some speaker wire and put it all together to make my own cable.

I will do this. Thanks guys.
 
it's been a while since I used coax digital but IIRC, I needed to use a mono 3.5 plug for SPDIF.
 
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