Importance / difference of a Digital Cable

How important is it to use a dedicated “Digital Cable” (RCA to RCA from CD Transport to DAC)?

Would using an ordinary RCA interconnect have an adverse effect when connecting a Transport to a DAC?

What is the main difference in materials and or construction between a typical RCA interconnect to a RCA “Digital Cable”?

Digital cables are coaxial and have totally different impedance. Apart from the connection, their construction bears no similarity to line level interconnects.

In the same way as a turntable phono interconnect is not similar to a line interconnect.

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S/PDIF signals are much higher frequency than the audio frequency range of analogue signals (MHz not just up to 20KHz), and for accurate transmission the cable characteristics are quite critical - much like handling radio or video signals. Much available online that explains in detail. Whilst audio interconnects and S/PDIF cables are both coaxial (though I’ve come across some interconnects that weren’t) so superficially similar, S/PDIF need a 75 ohm characteristic cable impedance, and that includes the plugs.

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