Is SPDIF sound quality identical as ADAT?

[Rockman413]

Is SPDIF sound quality identical as ADAT?
I understand they are both digital and technically digital should be exactly the same. If a sound goes thru SPDIF from one audio interface and record into another audio interface (Pro Tools HD), is it the same as it go thru ADAT? Did anyone actually test it and hear it with analogue ears :)?

Your experience?

[Sardi]

Mods... please put us out of our misery and do what needs to be done.


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[Burbree]

Short answer: no, use decent cables for either format and you'll be fine.

Long answer: ADAT format is based on Toshibas TOS Link which at a software level is essentially an optical version of the S/P DIF format. AES/EBU, S/PDIF and TOS Link all share a similar bitstream format, and the clock is encoded with the data signal. Some mastering engineers however postulate that there is some line induced jitter introduced by the air between the two ends of the optical interface! However a long run of optical digital signal is likely to outperform a cabled version. In conclusion: use correct impedance cable with decent connectors and keep runs short when using S/P DIF (75 ohm) or AES/EBU (110 ohm) , and decent optical cable when using ADAT/TOS Link and you'll never have to lose sleep over whether one is better than the other.

[abc1mce2]

When you say long runs, what sort of distance are you referring to?
I use AES as my standard digital I/O if that helps you with an answer for me.

[Darryl Ramm]

Somebody just trolling DUC. He needs to be given a DUC vacation...

[Carl Kolchak]

Originally Posted by abc1mce2

When you say long runs, what sort of distance are you referring to?

I use AES as my standard digital I/O if that helps you with an answer for me.

I think a lot of people forget that most of our internet data, and streamed entertainment, gets around the world via the transatlantic cable.


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[john1192]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

Somebody just trolling DUC. He needs to be given a DUC vacation...

i 2nd the motion !!!! this is getting pretty silly .. thread after thread ..

[Rockman413]

Originally Posted by Burbree

Short answer: no, use decent cables for either format and you'll be fine.

Long answer: ADAT format is based on Toshibas TOS Link which at a software level is essentially an optical version of the S/P DIF format. AES/EBU, S/PDIF and TOS Link all share a similar bitstream format, and the clock is encoded with the data signal. Some mastering engineers however postulate that there is some line induced jitter introduced by the air between the two ends of the optical interface! However a long run of optical digital signal is likely to outperform a cabled version. In conclusion: use correct impedance cable with decent connectors and keep runs short when using S/P DIF (75 ohm) or AES/EBU (110 ohm) , and decent optical cable when using ADAT/TOS Link and you'll never have to lose sleep over whether one is better than the other.

Thanks. When you say decent cable, currently I use Hosa adat cables and SPDIF cables and monster pro SPDIF cables. Do you think they are fine or any other cable is better?

[JFreak]

As long as digital signal goes through, it is 100% clear. The difference between SPDIF/ADAT/AES is in now long cable runs you can do before you get dropouts. As long as everything is perfect, who cares which format delivered it?

[Burbree]

Originally Posted by Rockman413

Do you think they are fine or any other cable is better?

Do >I< think they are fine? YES!

There's some fascinating (or boring however you view it) rabbit holes you can dive down should you wish to read up on the lengths that some people go to "improve" their sound regarding jitter induced by S/P DIF, USB, Logic buffering, cable length, circuit board trace spacing, the list is nearly endless..