[Solved] Upgrading from Mini Jack to SPDIF for ASUS DX/XD Sound Card and Edifier 2730 Speakers - Worth It?

I bought Edifier 2730 speakers. I have an ASUS DX/XD sound card.
I received a mini jack -> 2x phono cable
optical-optical (square - square)

I have speakers connected to the computer with a mini jack, but apart from the fact that I can't assess its quality (and on the forums, users write that its quality is Chinese / poor / bleee / yuck!), I read that the mini jack is an analog output and the chinch is a digital one .

My sound card in my computer has an SPDIF output, a round one that glows red. The speakers have 2x2phono inputs (for 2 audio sources), coaxial and optical (square).

I got the idea to buy a SPDIF cable (round like a mini jack) output from the sound card to the SPDIF (square) input to the speakers. Then I avoid the conversion to analog and the light does not theoretically cause losses.

The main question is is it worth it? I read that digital connectors are used for 5.1+ sound for DTS to work etc... and I have 2.0 speakers. I will only add that I care about the sound quality and I am not convinced of the Chinese analog minijack, hence I am scheming like a horse uphill The price of the cable is PLN 30 and it's no money but I don't want to buy it if it doesn't make any sense.

If you are an audiophile, you will feel the difference, or rather listen to it, and if you are not an audiophile, you can still buy this optical cable and see if you are not an audiophile by any chance And so you said that PLN 30 is not an expense :)

ps seriously, you should feel a minimal difference, the sound should be a bit different, softer, cleaner.

Connect with an optical cable. If you have a good DAC in your speakers, you'll get good sound quality. Although I seriously doubt you'll feel the difference. It depends what you listen to, because if you listen to music from youtube, give it a rest. Optical eliminates interference and ground loops (humming, rumbling).

If that cable looks something like this:

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This means that both cables transmit an analog signal. Otherwise you would see some kind of converter there. So if you were worried that some extra conversion was causing quality loss, it's not.

I checked on a few forums and there shouldn't be any difference at all.

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/dual-rca-to-3-5mm-losing-quality.596095/

However, one more issue needs to be considered - when you use the 3.5mm or RCA (cinch) connector, the sound card and the built-in DAC are responsible for the conversion. However, if you chose to use SPDIF then the signal the speakers receive is still digital and they take care of the conversion. Depending on the quality of the module built into them and the quality of what you have in your computer, it can make a difference.

Regardless of the cable type, light shouldn't cause interference as long as you don't keep the cable exposed outside a window in the sun.

Hello,
Cables are not expensive and you can test it, but here are some comments:
- depends on the DACs, maybe you have a better one on the sound card or maybe in the built-in amplifier
- the plus is that you can switch and choose a better sound
- the sound does not have to be better, it all depends on your own preferences
- the sound doesn't have to be better, it depends on the source material, i.e. the source of the music, if it's mp3 or youtube files, it won't be crazy, it can even be worse because you may get more details / garbage, rather look for good company CD "DDD".
- digital connectors are used to transmit sound in this case and the "type of sound" does not matter here, everything is provided by DSP processors in the audio track.
Regards

I listen to music from Youtube, mostly House/Trance/Dance.
I switched from the 5.1 Genius 6000 set. People these geniuses praise to the skies what great sound quality they have, and I did not correct it anyway, I was struggling with their flat sound in the treble and the bass was much too strong and I had to lower it a lot it wasn't a top notch sound either. I had the same with Logitech 2300, this subwoofer is a total exaggeration. Hence the change to the subordinate 2.0 for PLN 900 and I must admit, for this price you can't ask for more. However, the switch from 5.1 to 2.0 took away my spatiality, but the ASUS sound card makes up for it with virtual 7.1.

Coming back to the merits, since SPDIF is not only used for DTS/5.1 etc. and I have a chance for 2.0 to gain at least a little quality, I will buy a cable. After all, a card worth PLN 200, speakers PLN 900, let the cables also be decent, if it's worth it - and that's what I asked about.

Thanks

By the way, I don't know your exact preferences or why you choose speakers, but have you considered switching to headphones? In the budget in which you seem to operate regularly, this would probably be a more reasonable option.

I was thinking about headphones. Once I bought the Senheissers HD205 and they didn't suit me at all. The sound was not overwhelming, ears hurt from listening to it. And they cost 200 zlotys. I don't like that solution. I'm used to having sound all over the room. I enjoy the vibrations on surrounding objects. Maybe if I swallowed some decent headphones for a few hundred zlotys to listen to, maybe I would consider ... but so far these Edifiers are doing a good job. And I don't miss space at all. While on Genius I felt that the sound card does not do much, on Edifiers I feel the difference on every parameter of the card. I finally feel that the sound card has meaning and meaning.

Well, when you compare headphones that currently cost PLN 150 to speakers that cost PLN 600, I'm not surprised that the speakers are better

Spooky86 wrote:

I listen to music from Youtube

Take it easy and you have nothing to worry about. If the music comes from youtube, we can basically end our considerations.

I'm going with the majority of votes. The cable stays in the shop You saved me $30. Thanks :)

CAN BE CLOSED

Wrong decision, buy and as I wrote you on this equipment you will feel a small difference.

procsa wrote:

Wrong decision, buy and as I wrote you on this equipment you will feel a small difference.

Listening to music from youtube? You're kidding?

And why is that? How's the sound quality on YT? Give data.

I would suggest the author to buy it and check it out, if only out of curiosity.

procsa wrote:

How's the sound quality on YT?

Don't know how to check? Here is the manual: http://bfy.tw/IHfD

procsa wrote:

Give data.

240p - 64kbps
360-480p - 128kbps
720p+ - 192kbps
-----

Piterixos wrote:

I would suggest the author to buy it and check it out, if only out of curiosity.

In fact, if the author writes that

Spooky86 wrote:

30 zlotys and it's not money

I'd be interested in buying it too and comparing it. But on lossless sources, or at least original CD quality.

^ That's not true when it comes to this YT. It used to be that way, now they changed the system.

Hello

I think it's worth at least trying to switch to a digital connection. We isolate ourselves galvanically from the signal source, which reduces hum and noise. Even with the poor quality of music from YT (yes, I know, now a different system and even it plays somehow, but older materials will not gain in quality) there is a sense of such a connection.

Regards

^That's not entirely true either, these YT changes affected all videos, not just those uploaded after the change.

I did buy a cable though. Out of curiosity and for purity of conscience. I'll report back. By the way, the quality of music on YT is usually satisfactory, especially at 720p +.

After changing the cable from mini jack to optical, I did not notice any, even the slightest difference. Regardless of source and volume level.

I give 24 hours for comments and close.

procsa wrote:

Wrong decision, buy and as I wrote you on this equipment you will feel a small difference.

Spooky86 wrote:

After changing the cable from mini jack to optical, I did not notice any, even the slightest difference.

@ProCs you owe the author of the topic PLN 30.

Szyszkownik Kilkujadek wrote:

Take it easy and you have nothing to worry about. If the music comes from youtube, we can basically end our considerations.

And me a beer :-D

@Spooky86 Have you tried a source other than youtube?

Yes, I have the original DVD. Changing the cable gave me only that the mini jack has 1-1.5m optics 5m so I have much more mobile speakers. Overall, as I wrote, totally no difference regardless of the sound source and volume. It is worth adding that apparently optical cables are susceptible to mechanical damage, they cannot be bent, broken or abused, so in general the jack is probably even better.

So the digital-to-analog converter in the speakers is of a similar class as the one in the sound card.

Better for you, yes. Now that I think about it, at the price of PLN 900, it is definitely a better option for the manufacturer to invest in the best quality speakers than a better DAC. Well, what if he would give something from a higher shelf if the speakers themselves sound bad.

Szyszkownik Kilkujadek wrote:

you owe the author of the topic PLN 30.

Or maybe the author of the topic is not an audiophile, he does not even have any inclinations towards it and will not distinguish even a small difference in listening

Changing the mini jack cable to optical in my case did not affect the sound quality in any way.