Using RCA for a CD player?

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  • Опубліковано 13 тра 2024
  • Here's a very simple question yet one whose answer really helps a lot of people, especially stereo beginners.
  • Наука та технологія

КОМЕНТАРІ • 108

  • @TheDarthvader123
    @TheDarthvader123 25 днів тому +93

    I think his question is about replacing the 75Ohm coax for an rca cable.

    • @robmyers4512
      @robmyers4512 25 днів тому +15

      Yep thats the impression i got too

    • @DethFromAbove1985
      @DethFromAbove1985 25 днів тому +4

      Can you? I always wondered about that. A single rca cable is a 2 way cable. Is there more too a coax cable than an rca?

    • @Theupgradeguy
      @Theupgradeguy 25 днів тому +6

      Not all RCA cables are Coaxial in composition. Some are actually coaxial(signal & shield) while others are plain 2-conductor twisted or parallel pair. But you could use either to connect a COAX input , but you may not have a noise-free connection.

    • @jedi-mic
      @jedi-mic 25 днів тому +2

      @@DethFromAbove1985 no just ohms are different, a digital coaxial is 75 or 93 ohms and analog RCA should be 50 ohms or less, but there's nothing stopping you trying it, it doesn't affect the resistance of the cable just the inductance

    • @digggerrjones7345
      @digggerrjones7345 25 днів тому +2

      Yep, another swing and a miss...

  • @amolebirje1982
    @amolebirje1982 25 днів тому +22

    Paul misunderstood the question altogether! Paul needs a break 😢😢

  • @franktatom1837
    @franktatom1837 25 днів тому +3

    1) RCA is a type of connector.
    2) RCA connectors are used on "patch" cables for audio connections and on digital coaxial cables.
    3) Digital coaxial cables are designed to carry greater bandwidth than patch cables, so patch cables should not be used to carry digital signals.
    4) Source components have optical and coaxial digital outputs plus analog outputs (analog typically being at least stereo) so that the user can use the digital-analog converter (DAC) in the source component or send the digital signal to an external DAC for analog conversion.
    5) Listen to both DACs to decide how to set up your system. IF THE DAC IN THE SOURCE COMPONENT SOUNDS BETTER THAN THE DAC IN THE AMPLIFICATION COMPONENT OR IN ANOTHER EXTERNAL DAC, USE THE ANALOG OUTPUTS. IF NOT, USE ONE OF THE DIGITAL OUTPUTS AND LET THE AMPLIFICATION OR EXTERNAL DAC DECODE THE DIGITAL SIGNAL.
    Using, of course, proper cables.

  • @konstantinosdimitrakopoulo7243
    @konstantinosdimitrakopoulo7243 25 днів тому +15

    Hi Paul & team - his question was whether the RCA cable will perform the same as a coaxial cable when connected from the digital output of his CD player to the digital input of his preamplifier. I always had this question too, I have all it takes to try it out but never did for some unexplainable reason 😊

    • @MrBonger88
      @MrBonger88 24 дні тому +1

      That’s also what I thought he was asking

    • @robertdubard7959
      @robertdubard7959 24 дні тому

      If it fits, it will conduct. Quality--Probably ok. I have done it and been unable to tell the difference, but my ears are old and abused.

    • @AnthorOne
      @AnthorOne 22 дні тому

      It will work, that's what I did before buying dedicated short coax cable, more for the less clutter than anything else. Same interface, it worka, no difference in quality I can hear.

    • @pnichols6500
      @pnichols6500 19 днів тому

      Simply, if using an internal DAC on a player you are outputting an analog signal and standard RCA cables are fine.
      If using a DAC in another component, you are outputting a digital signal and a coaxial cable handles the signal better.
      On good equipment you may be able to hear a difference, on lesser equipment it's not as important.
      There are many sources on the internet that will explain this further if you are more curious.

  • @Sanslab-wu8tv
    @Sanslab-wu8tv 25 днів тому +8

    As others have noted, the question is if one can use a regular RCA cable for the digital coax output. The short answer is that analog cables are not designed to faithfully transmit digital square waves. Some information will definitely pass through, but you are better advised to use a digital coaxial cable or a video cable.

    • @lasskinn474
      @lasskinn474 25 днів тому +1

      its not just 'some information' will pass through, if the cable doesn't have something wrong with it then the stream goes through just fine. the short answer is thats what they bought as the cables they shipped with the devices in early '00s when you'd see rca plugs for digital out or in on devices.
      optical overtook it though. you can also make a device to convert between the two really simply. optical costs just few cents more on the devices. on an optical you just have converters in either end to convert the digital signal to light and back from light to digital electric signal.

    • @RafaelPernia
      @RafaelPernia 21 день тому

      I have used an rca audio cable to do this and it works.

    • @Sanslab-wu8tv
      @Sanslab-wu8tv 21 день тому +1

      As I said, the regular RCA cable will definitely work. Nevertheless, it has a different impedance and bandwidth capability. Thus, though it will work, it will likely have lower fidelity. A digital cable is not necessarily expensive, so it does not make sense to spend money on components and speakers, only to neglect the quality of an inexpensive cable.

  • @endrizo
    @endrizo 25 днів тому +26

    didnt answer the question.. he asked if he could use a rca cable as coaxial cable. using the coaxial out..

  • @BobGeogeo
    @BobGeogeo 25 днів тому +15

    If he wants an opinion on whether or not at 1:00 to "use an RCA cable as a coaxial cable to connect"from CD player to amplifier, it seems like he's looking at the CD's digital output to an amplifier with an internal DAC, so an integrated amp. If so, Paul answered a different question than the one posed.

    • @Baerchenization
      @Baerchenization 25 днів тому +3

      I don't understand why Paul reads out so many weird questions where the answer is actually RTFM, which would answer the question entirely.

    • @EdoDijkgraaf
      @EdoDijkgraaf 25 днів тому +3

      @@BaerchenizationI don’t understand why you watch the videos if you are not here for the Paul approach.

    • @Unicorn-ST
      @Unicorn-ST 25 днів тому

      I understood the same.
      The digital CD coaxial output is in fact an RCA connection and it's possible to use any RCA cable for the coaxial output.
      In the same way you can use any RCA cable to RCA video signal.

  • @stimpy1226
    @stimpy1226 25 днів тому +7

    There are CD players with volume controls which was not mentioned in this video.

    • @SpyderTracks
      @SpyderTracks 22 дні тому

      Not in high end audio there aren’t. In high end audio, cd players don’t exist, you have transports with a separate DAC

  • @harveyellis6758
    @harveyellis6758 25 днів тому +1

    Some power amps have gain controls which easily provide input adjustment and will easily allow a CD player to be plugged directly into the power amp,

  • @hugobloemers4425
    @hugobloemers4425 25 днів тому +5

    I think Angu (sorry if I butchered that spelling) is now just as baffled with the answer he got, as we are with the question. I am not even sure if he wanted an answer regarding the analog or digital CD output signal.

  • @Audiogeek-kf2ez
    @Audiogeek-kf2ez 25 днів тому

    Yes, the type of wire is what matters. The end(RCA, Toslink, etc) but standard braided with VS RG59/RG 6 cable. Excellent question

  • @bigmacfullerton7870
    @bigmacfullerton7870 25 днів тому +3

    I use RCA cables from my CD player to my amp cause my CD player has a Wolfson DAC in it that is pretty darn good.

  • @user-vs8bk4pl7z
    @user-vs8bk4pl7z 20 днів тому

    Hi Paul yes I agree with the poster before me who said I think his question was can you use a normal RCA cable as a coax cable for a digital signal

  • @rudolfglaser9664
    @rudolfglaser9664 25 днів тому +1

    The volume can be individually "regulated" with mattresses and cushions in front of the speakers ;)

  • @paulstubbs7678
    @paulstubbs7678 25 днів тому

    There are plenty of power amps out there with level controls, not really intended for everyday volume control, more for matching it into a system, but they will do as a volume control in a pinch, albeit you will probably have to adjust separate left and right controls at the same time.

  • @DrBroncanuus
    @DrBroncanuus 25 днів тому

    I have read 'They Came First: In the beginning' by Paul...it was a great read

  • @angumotzfeldt3093
    @angumotzfeldt3093 25 днів тому +1

    Glad to be the first from Greenland to ask Paul a question (which he completely misread, but OK). My question was, can you use a good quality RCA cable (from a CD player's digital coaxial output) instead of a coaxial digital cable?

    • @stevengagnon4777
      @stevengagnon4777 24 дні тому

      Fortunately Paul's viewers did understand the question. So the answer is in the comments....looks like the answer is RCA cable would not be recommended. My Onkio CD player is old so it's only got a pair of stereo analog outputs. It has a good transport though as it only hangs up on one of my CDs, unfortunately thais one of my Can CDs . Not bad for a forty year old CD player. Like all the rest of my equipment. Except my $8 Black Web Bluetooth adapter that I use for UA-cam Music . That tiny little chip sounds a lot better than it ought to. But then the whole system sounds better than it ought to. That leads me to believe my 33 year old Yamaha RX-V850 ( being used as two channel feeding two more amplifiers and three sets of speakers )has a decent pre amp section in it.

    • @RafaelPernia
      @RafaelPernia 21 день тому

      I currently have a yellow video cable as coaxial from a CD player to a receiver. It works the same. It reads the digital info.

  • @crapmalls
    @crapmalls 25 днів тому

    To try to answer the question... My monoblocks have input level control so i can plug in a cd player and turn them way down. Sounds thin, bright and not great. I think maybe its just a huge signal to noise ratio or starved power amp. Sounds better even bypassed from my preamp it must be managing volume differently somehow?

  • @TerThroneber
    @TerThroneber 25 днів тому

    @Paul McGowan, PS Audio
    analog interconnect as a digital coaxial cable

  • @Fufiloofa
    @Fufiloofa 25 днів тому

    as digital coax from CD digital out to in on HT receiver, yeah sure, not perfect but works. From analog out to input on a power amp, will work fine, but 2V straight into power amp? Bye bye speaker fuse or cone/dome

  • @NoEgg4u
    @NoEgg4u 25 днів тому

    Two items:
    1) Angu, in Greenland, should test his connection with a song that starts off quietly and gradually gets louder, because he does not know how loud his direct connection will be.
    2) Many CD players have a gain, or volume, function built-in. If that is the case, then Angu can ignore #1, above.
    I am assuming that Angu either does not have a pre-amp, or he does not like his pre-amp's sonic character, or he is just curious about how a direct connection will sound.
    Whatever the reason... the inclusion of a quality pre-amp will result in the best, overall sound quality.
    If Angu can budget a quality pre-amp, then that is the best option.

  • @grumpy9478
    @grumpy9478 25 днів тому +1

    I've got so many cables laying around that I gotta stick w/ separates.

  • @gotham61
    @gotham61 25 днів тому +1

    Because they referred to it as a “coaxial cable” I’m guessing that they were talking about a digital connection

  • @Britishbandogge
    @Britishbandogge 25 днів тому +4

    "Sometimes the simplest questions that people ask are the most misunderstood". That cracked me up. 😂

    • @joso5554
      @joso5554 25 днів тому +1

      And to illustrate, he didn’t answer the question that the guy asked!!

  • @spacemissing
    @spacemissing 25 днів тому +5

    Don't use a normal audio cable for SPDIF.
    Use a proper 75 ohm "video" cable made of RG56 or RG59 coax.

    • @bikdav
      @bikdav 25 днів тому +1

      Tell us why. I’ve tried it both ways and heard no difference.

    • @systemera2902
      @systemera2902 25 днів тому +1

      Agreed that mileage may vary. Here is why “For digital output, coaxial cables are generally better suited than RCA cables. Coaxial cables provide better shielding against electromagnetic interference and can transmit digital signals more reliably over longer distances.”

    • @bikdav
      @bikdav 25 днів тому

      @@systemera2902 OK.

    • @spacemissing
      @spacemissing 24 дні тому +1

      @@bikdav Well, I tried it with an audio cable and it DIDN'T work.
      Maybe your audio cable is good enough, but most are not.
      SPDIF sources and loads are designed for a 75 ohm impedance match,
      as are analog video circuits, which is convenient because you can use the same type of cable for both.
      And yes, "audio" cables Will handle NTSC video, but not optimally.

    • @bikdav
      @bikdav 24 дні тому

      @@spacemissing Oh. Maybe I got lucky. Experimentation is how I get many (but not all) things to work.

  • @West3rror
    @West3rror 23 дні тому

    Yes, you can use a RCA cable as an COAX cable.

  • @D1N02
    @D1N02 25 днів тому

    Kabeldirekt rca cables are rated for analog as well as digital playback. Not expensive and as rca's come in a set, you get 2 for the price of one.

  • @johannkrist
    @johannkrist 25 днів тому

    So can I use RCA cables for coax digital connection between my cd to the dac?

    • @robertdubard7959
      @robertdubard7959 24 дні тому

      You can. Claims are that the digital ones are better at carrying digital signals and analog ones carry analog better, but most systems (and ears) cannot resolve the difference.

  • @Ricksta_83
    @Ricksta_83 25 днів тому +2

    I’ve been wanting to know the answer to this question and I still don’t know, thanks

    • @ford1546
      @ford1546 25 днів тому +1

      The way he asks and explains, it is difficult to understand what he means.
      Almost all RCA cables are coax!
      Can i use an rca cable as a coax cable?
      If he means to use a normal rca cable as a digital cable if the amplifier has a built-in DAC. the answer is YES. but it is not optimal and recommended since this signal requires 75 ohms cable. normal audio rca cable, works over short distances.

    • @Ricksta_83
      @Ricksta_83 25 днів тому

      @@ford1546 thankyou, so you can use an RCA cable in place of a coax but its not ideal as the cables are actually different.

  • @Geerladenlad
    @Geerladenlad 25 днів тому

    I guess it would depend also on the quality of the DAC that's built into the CD player.
    Yeah it will work using the CD players built-in DAC.

  • @MrOlea
    @MrOlea 25 днів тому

    Another example is my onkyo dx 7500 CD player. It has variable controls so you can raise and lower the output level. Also, the matching amp, Onkyo M508 has variable volume controls that raise and lower the output level. If these controls were not present, then you could not do this.

  • @Baerchenization
    @Baerchenization 25 днів тому

    I can set the input on my amps, only it is not very practical to crawl behind 2 amps every time I wanna change the volume.

  • @robaroy2269
    @robaroy2269 24 дні тому

    I chose a optical interconnected

  • @MarcoRistuccia
    @MarcoRistuccia 25 днів тому

    I think he meant if he can use an "analog" RCA cable as digital S/PDIF cable in place of the canonical 75 Ohm one.

  • @marcse7en
    @marcse7en 25 днів тому

    Here in the good ol' United 🇬🇧 Kingdom, we DON'T tend to call Radio Corporation Of America Cables, Radio Corporation Of America Cables!
    Oh no sir! ... We tend to call them, "phono leads." At least that's what I've called 'em for 45 years!
    Phono leads are very much alive and kicking, in this digital era! ... I've heard some jaw-dropping sounds, over RCA / phono leads!

  • @pytaniedodcf9230
    @pytaniedodcf9230 25 днів тому +1

    *Finally, an interesting question, but the answer is, unfortunately, completely off topic. Pity...*

  • @gtrguyinaz
    @gtrguyinaz 25 днів тому

    Many CD players have a digital volume control… California Audio labs did 30 years ago….

    • @MrOlea
      @MrOlea 25 днів тому

      and so does my real nice Fisher BA 6000 amp from 1980

  • @hamidrezahabibi8111
    @hamidrezahabibi8111 19 днів тому

    Using RCA or XLR or 75 ohm cable was his question I guess.

  • @Coolguy-xo3cj
    @Coolguy-xo3cj 23 дні тому

    Yep ; cut Paul some slack; a busy dude no doubt ... is allowed a mulligan or two😉

  • @RafaelPernia
    @RafaelPernia 21 день тому

    Answer in 5 seconds: YES. You can use a red or white or yellow cable to connect orange coaxial.

  • @rollingtroll
    @rollingtroll 25 днів тому +1

    You got this one wrong. Not sure where you got the power amplifier idea, but he clearly meant using a normal hifi rca cable instead of a digital coax cable. Answer; it works, but doesn’t sound great.

    • @LetsRideIllinois
      @LetsRideIllinois 19 днів тому

      I've done it all the time and never had any issues with the sound quality

    • @rollingtroll
      @rollingtroll 19 днів тому

      @@LetsRideIllinois it works. It is audible though. Whether you care is another matter 😁

    • @LetsRideIllinois
      @LetsRideIllinois 19 днів тому

      @@rollingtroll not really, compared it to Toslink... Still no major difference. Although the AVR I did it on at the time was a late 90s Technics. Didn't exactly set the world on fire and the analog inputs of what I have now sound better than its digital inputs.

    • @rollingtroll
      @rollingtroll 19 днів тому

      @@LetsRideIllinois Toslink is worse in most cases than SP/DIF. But differences between the cables used for SP/DIF are easy to hear.

    • @LetsRideIllinois
      @LetsRideIllinois 19 днів тому

      @@rollingtroll doubt Toslink is worse than SPDIF, pulses of light is almost always better than electrical. Even HDMI is prone to interference.

  • @johannkrist
    @johannkrist 25 днів тому

    That little island of of Greenland, That wouldn´t be Iceland you are talking about? 🤔😁

  • @LetsRideIllinois
    @LetsRideIllinois 19 днів тому

    You misunderstood his question, this video definitely needs a reup. There's two ways to answer it
    1) use RCA for the analog out only if the DAC on the CD player is better than the DAC in the AVR.
    2) any RCA cable can be used for digital out. I've done this trick for every device with coaxial out ever since discovering the trick at age 17 up until I got a new AVR with HDMI inputs.

  • @robertspringer9477
    @robertspringer9477 25 днів тому

    What means RTFM?

    • @weust2672
      @weust2672 25 днів тому

      Read The Fucking Manual

    • @andyhanson5935
      @andyhanson5935 25 днів тому +2

      Read the...manual.

    • @weust2672
      @weust2672 25 днів тому

      Wow. My actual answer was removed?

    • @ford1546
      @ford1546 25 днів тому +2

      RTFM is an initialism and internet slang for the expression "read the fucking manual"[1] - typically used to reply to a basic question where the answer is easily found in the documentation, user guide, owner's manual, man page, online help, internet forum, software documentation or FAQ.

  • @superslug1000
    @superslug1000 25 днів тому +1

    And this guy is a best selling book author also?? This bloke just keeps blowing me away. He’s a fucking genius 👍

    • @paulc7190
      @paulc7190 25 днів тому +3

      settle, petal

    • @superslug1000
      @superslug1000 25 днів тому

      @@paulc7190 😂 much respect to you, my friend. I travel over there to visit you soon from Australia.

  • @cengeb
    @cengeb 25 днів тому +1

    I have 75 Ohm coax cables with either RCA terminations or BNC...he didn't answer the question, but then again, the question also was meaningless...like a PS $79 "noise harvester"....

  • @ThinkingBetter
    @ThinkingBetter 25 днів тому

    Dad, what is a CD player? Son, imagine a music player able to play music you own like sort of like having your own Amazon Music datacenter containing the music on nice discs so you actually own the music. But dad, how many discs do I need to buy to have same music? Son, about 8 million CDs. But dad, that's too many and how do I make my favorite playlists? Son, it's time to shut up.

  • @mikedelara8226
    @mikedelara8226 25 днів тому

    Oops

  • @ford1546
    @ford1546 25 днів тому +1

    The way he asks and explains, it is difficult to understand what he means.
    Almost all RCA cables are coax!
    Can i use an rca cable as a coax cable?
    If he means to use a normal rca cable as a digital cable if the amplifier has a built-in DAC. the answer is YES. but it is not optimal and recommended since this signal requires 75 ohms. normal audio rca cable. works over short distances

    • @mattdudamusic
      @mattdudamusic 25 днів тому +4

      Adding to this, in a pinch I have used one of the crappy small diameter RCA cables (red or white) for the SPDIF between transport and DAC but the impedance mismatch will theoretically increase the jitter.
      A preferable crappy cable option is to use the video cable (yellow) from an old set of composite RCA cables if the diameter is larger than the white and red RCA ends as it is more likely 75 ohms.
      Even better is one of the RCA cables from an old set of component video cables (YPbPr) as any of these three cables are likely to be 75 ohms.

  • @tomeoftheancient2225
    @tomeoftheancient2225 25 днів тому

    That's not the question he asked.

  • @KarlHamilton
    @KarlHamilton 25 днів тому +1

    A lot of you don't seem to know that a RCA cable IS a coaxial cable. Scary.

    • @joso5554
      @joso5554 25 днів тому +1

      Wrong. The RCA connector is coaxial, but the actual cable on a « RCA analog cable » can be anything, like a pair of wires.
      A coaxial cable is a specific type of cable.
      A « SPDIF coaxial cable » does use RCA connectors, but also a coaxial 75 ohm cable…

    • @KarlHamilton
      @KarlHamilton 25 днів тому +1

      Lmaooooo when have you ever seen a RCA connector without a coax cable. 😅

  • @jorgebarbery1099
    @jorgebarbery1099 19 днів тому

    Didn't go to the right answer.

  • @RafaelPernia
    @RafaelPernia 21 день тому

    70% of the video talking about something unrelated to audio. 30% answering another question altogether

  • @ShahidiSabri
    @ShahidiSabri 25 днів тому +1

    for us in east asia , a cd player is a non lasting mechanical device , it is almost absolete , so there is no questions about it .

    • @maidsandmuses
      @maidsandmuses 25 днів тому

      If you have a large collection of CDs, some rare, there is nothing obsolete about a CD player.
      Good ones last a long time; I have two 35 year old CD players which I serviced about 15 years ago. They still work perfectly like new and are able to flawlessly read quite a few CDs that new CD players and computer CD drives struggle with.
      Also, I 'm not sure where from east asia you are, but in Japan CDs are still very popular (~70% of market share of music sold), and so are CD players.

    • @joso5554
      @joso5554 25 днів тому +1

      A pair of loudspeakers is also a mechanical device that creates acoustic waves, also called sound. I don’t know about East Asia, but listening to audio recordings still requires the use of some sort of mechanical device in my area. Or maybe you have an iPod directly plugged inside your brain ???

  • @volpedo2000
    @volpedo2000 25 днів тому +2

    Come on! It wasn’t such a hard question to understand.

  • @joso5554
    @joso5554 25 днів тому +1

    👎👎 You should read the question twice before answering. So that you avoid misunderstanding and answering to a totally different question - that the viewer didn’t ask.