Post by cooksferry on May 7, 2017 13:49:48 GMT 12
I have just woken up to the fact that my Rega Saturn cdp has a coax output and my Oppo HA-1 headphone amp has the same as one of its input options.
Would there be any advantage using the pair with this connection rather than RCAs.
I suppose I'm correct that by linking via coax music would then be via the Oppo DAC rather than the Rega's internal one ?
At the moment they're being used in separate systems and it's not a 5 minute job to swap things over so I'd need to be convinced of a possible gain before trying for myself.
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Post by Owen Y on May 7, 2017 14:44:11 GMT 12
Indeed cooksferry - if it looks like this 'Saturn-R', then the single Co-ax Digital Output connecting to the Oppo's Co-ax Digital Input, would utilise the Oppo's DAC conversion (rather than the Rega's). Whether or not it sounds better, of course, is another question - I'd be interested in the comparison. Others may want to comment. 
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Post by michaelw on May 7, 2017 16:04:52 GMT 12
yes, it will be a case of oppo ess sabre dac vs the rega's dual wolfson dacs.
on past experience my money is on the wolfsons being more musical.
the only way to be sure is to listen.
btw the rega should also have a usb input on the back.
have fun !
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Post by cooksferry on May 7, 2017 17:09:51 GMT 12
Thanks for the replies. My Saturn is an older model and only has two RCA and one digital out. I see in the owners book it mentions using a 78ohm cable, is this a standard measurement or do you have to look for specific cables?
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Post by michaelw on May 7, 2017 17:47:36 GMT 12
oh older one... still worth a try, a well designed one-box will usually hold up well against a separate dac.
75 ohms is nominal for a digital cable.
what connectors ?
iirc true 75 ohm rcas are rare.
if you have any spare video cables lying around they serve well as digital cables.
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Post by Owen Y on May 7, 2017 20:38:11 GMT 12
I'd try any RCA cable you have at hand, see which works best. RCA connectors are not really a good digital connector, but they work for digital audio. I wouldn't fret about the 75 ohm specification - true 75ohm standard cabling should be terminated with BNC connectors designed to transmit & shield freqs up into the GHz. A typical 75 ohm standard cable is say a satellite TV cable.
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Post by Owen Y on May 7, 2017 20:43:38 GMT 12
Here's the Saturn rear connections: 
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Post by cooksferry on May 8, 2017 7:22:50 GMT 12
Thanks again for the help. I see that the Listening Post list a 75ohm cable but at plus $200 a bit rich for an experiment that may yield no benefits.
I few other audio things to sort first then I'll give it a try.
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Post by Deleted on May 8, 2017 8:43:39 GMT 12
I'll have a dig around in my box of cables and see if I've still got a 75ohm cable I bought for my brief experiment in the digital realm some years back. If so, I'm happy to send it your way. Won't be getting any use here so of no worth to me. Will let you know if I find it.
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Post by michaelw on May 8, 2017 11:36:50 GMT 12
as per owen's post, don't fret too much over 75 ohm exactitude.
in a short run basically any IC will work.
i cited video cable as that's what i have a surplus of, from the dark days when analogue ruled the home video world.
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