Confuddled on coaxil and digital optical inputs on amps (DVD & Sky+ into one)

[Bernie Steak]

Currently I have a Marantz sr4300 which I have my sky+ and DVD player plugged into via digital optical.

I'm considering a few replacements (low cost as it's died unexpectedly) and some of them only have 1 optical and 1 coaxial digital inputs.

Does coaxial work as well as/compare to digital optical? Or to keep the quality do I really need 2 optical inputs still?

 

[Jase]

Some will say Coaxial is better. Either way, you'll be fine.

 

[Bernie Steak]

Oh right, that's not a problem then! Thanks.

 

[Ru55]

Id much prefer to use an electrical Coaxial connection anyday!

 

[davehk]

If the interface is properly designed, it will make no difference in data terms. Providing the interface can discriminate between a 1 and 0, then the data will be perfect (it's self clocking, and will be put through a jitter buffer and reclocked out to the DSPs thus removing the jitter. Of course, once it's in the DSP, you're at the mercy of the unit's designers to ensure there is no jitter or skew into the DACs, but that's another story.

And actually, it would take a really badly designed optical or co-axial interface, or a really bad quality or excessively long cable (of either type) to get to the point where data errors will start to occur.

In terms of interference, possibliity of ground loops etc, optical is better as it is not susceptible to these.