DAC to Crack cable question

PharmaCyclist · 2675

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Offline PharmaCyclist

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on: December 01, 2014, 01:09:29 PM
I'm a bit new to the enthusiast world of hi-fi audio, and have longed after Sennheiser HD-600 series phones and a nice amp for years and years-- I decided to pull the trigger this holiday season.  I ordered the Crack kit today and the 650's are on their way.  I have a pretty high quality DAC on my computer mobo, but it only outputs as a single 1/8 headphone connector.  Is the norm to just buy an RCA set that splits the two channels from the single connector?  This may be a stupid question and I think that is the correct answer, but I'm wanting to have all the proper equipment at hand when the time comes--I've got LOTS of lossless audio to enjoy!  Any recommendations on a specific cable or does it matter much at all?  Thanks in advance and cheers!



Offline Grainger49

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Reply #1 on: December 01, 2014, 01:13:15 PM
Yes, you want a cable with a 1/8" phone plug male on one end and two male RCA plugs.



Offline mcandmar

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Reply #2 on: December 01, 2014, 01:16:02 PM
Or if you already have an RCA cable you could use a 1/8" to RCA adapter like this -> http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3-5mm-1-8-Stereo-Male-Mini-Plug-to-2-Female-RCA-Jack-Adapter-Audio-Y-Cable-/400720055445?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5d4cc6cc95  A proper cable with the right connections on each end would be preferable though.

M.McCandless


Offline PharmaCyclist

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Reply #3 on: December 01, 2014, 01:22:28 PM
Excellent-- thanks for the super fast responses.  I will go ahead and buy the proper cable-- after dropping hundreds, it seems pointless to cut corners on a lousy cable.  Thanks again-- I'll post/ask questions as I get working on all of this.



Offline Doc B.

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Reply #4 on: December 01, 2014, 01:37:05 PM
Blue Jeans Cable MSA-1 might be a good choice.

Dan "Doc B." Schmalle
President For Life
Bottlehead Corp.


Offline PharmaCyclist

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Reply #5 on: December 01, 2014, 02:23:06 PM
Is there a justifiable/noticeable difference in quality between it and say, for example, a generic Mediabridge dual-shielded 12 foot cable?

I ask because the generic cable is about 1/4 the price I saw calculated on the Blue Jeans website.



Offline jabbr

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Reply #6 on: December 02, 2014, 11:21:58 AM
Your previous post suggests you'd want to the the Blue Jeans cable -- they tell you exactly what you are getting and make nice solid cables. If you want to know whether you'd be able to tell the difference get both cables and see. Some generic cables are okay, many aren't.



Offline Doc B.

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Reply #7 on: December 02, 2014, 12:03:31 PM
That's not a valid question, because everyone has to decide for themselves whether something is worth the money. If you ask me if I would buy the Blue Jeans cable, I will say yes.

Dan "Doc B." Schmalle
President For Life
Bottlehead Corp.


Offline PharmaCyclist

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Reply #8 on: December 02, 2014, 12:27:07 PM
Interesting responses-- thanks.  I think I will try the generic cable and maybe also order a Blue Jeans cable to compare them side by side and shed some light on whether I notice any difference.  Reading about Blue Jeans Cable policies/knowledgebase alone really makes me want to order from them since they are a company that sounds like they know what they're doing and are honest about what they do.  It also does seem silly to go too cheap on a cable when I'm spending as much on the rest of the system.



Offline Natural Sound

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Reply #9 on: December 02, 2014, 01:44:40 PM
Blue Jeans Cable MSA-1 might be a good choice.

+1