The "Wire we Here?" Blog and Forum
A place for BAV XLR discussions
Go HERE for homework - https://www.iconoclastcable.com/story/bavxlr.pdf
The BAV XLR is a heavily designed studio cord for harsh use and superb analog electrical, both. For those with extremely rugged and / or tight bend requirements, this is the cord for you. No stone was unturned arriving at the ideal optimization possible.
Will this work for spdif connections or is there a more suitable cable that you could recommend?
Nevermind. I found that the BAV XLR does work for digital. This should probably be added to its product description as I had to dig to find it.
Yes, the AES/EBU standard is a 110 +/- 15 ohm impedance (specs suggest +/- 20% impedance tolerance). The RCA series I and XLR are 103 ohms nominal at RF (Zo = 101670/11.5pf/ft * 87% Vp) = 103 ohms. This was designed in at the start such that the series I can be used as a AES/EBU link and analog, BOTH for the pro market in the BAV series. The ICONOCLAST simply (or not so simply) ups the BAV's design to the next level of materials. I use the ICONOCLAST XLR series I link for the PS Audio Memory CD player to the T+A DAC, for example.
The series II RCA and XLR are ANALOG optimized designs ONLY! In no way will using this more expensive cable benefit AES/EBU or S/PDIF. For S/PDIF use our precision 75-ohm serial digital olefin + copper 1694A or fluorocopolymer + silver plated copper 4694P coaxial digital cable.
The series II XLR and RCA use a four wire 30 AWG design that is ~70 ohms nominal at RF (101670/16.5 pf/ft* 87% Vp) = 70 ohms. This design is NOT suitable for the geometric return loss precision needed at RF and the impedance does not apply to analog, and is why I can split off from RF and make better analog cable using the 4x30 AWG design this way.
Another factor is the bulk cable impedance is just that, the cable and no connector. Adding a connector and it's reactance will also impact RF.
Summary, for digital use the series I XLR ICONOCLAST for AES/EBU and for S/PDIF precision coaxial use the 4694P (fluococopolymer + silver plated copper) or 1694A (olefin + bare copper).
My personal recommendation for the absolute best sounding SPDIF cable on the planet is our Belden 4694P. The FEP insulation/fluorinated ethylene propylene that gives this design a "plenum" rating just does something magical to the audio quality. Though I can't explain it, I've compared 1694A to 4694P and see a dramatic sonic improvement. And, consider that 1694A has been a long, long time staple coaxial digital cable of Belden. It has been the undisputed champion of its category for years. I sold miles of it during my years at Belden. This is one cable (4694P,) that I'm not aware of a single return from customers who have made a purchase. I also use 4694P as a subwoofer cable with incredible results. For those with an "off-air television antenna," 4694P delivers "Ultra-High Definition Digital Video, 4K Single-link 12 Gb/s UHDTV, 4K D-Cinema, 8K Quad-link UHDTV, HD-SDI 1080p video performance that is the best ever." Highly recommended and versatile digital cable!!