Digital - Optical and Coax connections

[Syphanx]

Hi Guys,
I have the Logitech Z-5500D speakers and from tomorrow they will be hooked up to a Soundblaster X-fi Xtreme Music Fatal1ty edition.

Now on the Media Control Panel for the speakers it has a connection saying Digital then under it, Coax or Optical. Now by the looks of it, i don't think my xfi has an optical input but im pretty sure it has a coax, should this be right?


If so, what coax cable do i need to buy AND will i notice a more clearer sound quality?

At the moment I am running on the 'Direct' Input, thus I have 3 cables running from my sound card into the media control panel (green, black and orange, obviously for front, rear, center and sub).

Also what is the general difference between the coax and optical connections?

 

[KSoD]

Optical is also known as Toslink. Which looks like this:

That is the Male End

That is the female end. So if your card doesnt have those connections then it is not Optical.

Coaxial is this:

Notice how it is a Orange Plug. If you have that then you want to get a Digital Coaxial cable from someplace. That will give you good sound. IMO Better than the jacks they give you.

 

[Baez]

Yeah I'm using coax and the sound is better than the jacks. Same setup as you but I have the XtremeMusic instead.

 

[Syphanx]

Yeah I'm using coax and the sound is better than the jacks. Same setup as you but I have the XtremeMusic instead.

A noticable difference?

Like if you had one set-up in one room without and one in another with, could you tell the difference?

 

[Oreo]

Uh urgh now im confused. Hi-Fi setups use Analogue phono jacks, yet your all saying these Coax and Toslink cables sound better

Surely, impossible ? A speaker runs off an Analogue signal, so if your sending it a digital signal thats just more conversions for the DAC's to do and loss of signal purity ?


Maybe it sounds better because the jacks are to bad a quality, with noise etc.'



Damm this is some headbanging music ''Lighten up the sky'' by scooter