Coaxial and HDMI are some of the options you can choose from to transfer digital audio signals. These connectors are very good. They have some similarities but they are also different. These two differ in terms of the quality of the sound they produce and the formats that they can support. But, which is better, Coaxial or HDMI cable?
An HDMI cable is better than a Coaxial cable. The main difference is how HDMI is able to offer more upgraded features than Coaxial cable connections do. HDMI can support more audio formats than coaxial. It also supports the transmission of video signals which is not supported by coaxial.
When choosing what cable and kind of connection to use between an HDMI and a Coaxial cable, there are so many things that you need to put into consideration. One of the main things includes the kind of devices that you are connecting. Make sure to check for the ports on your device.
This will allow you to know if you are able to use the connections since other devices lack the coaxial connection while others lack the HDMI connection. This article explains in detail why the HDMI connection is better than the coaxial.
Digital Coaxial Connection
These are very common choices when it comes to digital audio. They are very durable and have great construction that ensures that they can last longer. Coaxial cables are usually thicker and have some shields for protection.
The material used to make these cables is usually copper. They also provide sound that is very good. The bandwidth is great and has a decent resolution.
The digital coaxial connection makes use of electricity in order to transmit audio signals. The coaxial connection is not very common nowadays. The coaxial digital looks are very similar to the RCA connection that is used to transmit analog audio signals. Coaxial’s main rival is the optical connection. Although this connection is not very popular, it’s is still found in certain devices like stereo amplifiers, AV receivers, and TVs.
The coaxial digital connection also has its own downsides. The main downside is that it can be affected by interference. This can alter the sound quality of the audio delivered. Coaxial also has a lower bandwidth that is not able to support lossless formats such as Dolby Atmos, DTS X, Dolby True HD, and DTS HD master audio.
A digital coaxial connection transmits S/PDIF digital audio signals. This connection can also support the transmission of uncompressed PCM stereo audio, Dolby Digital surround sound and DTS.
However, it lacks support for other audio formats like DVD-A, Dolby digital plus, Dolby Atmos, SACD, DTS X and other lossless audio formats. Therefore, if you want to play sound in such formats, an HDMI connection will be needed.
HDMI Cables
HDMI cables were introduced later than the coaxial cables. The HDMI cables can transmit both audio signals and video signals using one cable. They have a design that is different from the coaxial cables.
HDMI connection has been around since 2002, by this time digital coax connections were already there. HDMI has a lot of benefits over other audio connections because it fits a lit of applications. This audio connection is able to support new lossless formats such as DTS HD master audio, Dolby True HD, Dolby Atmos and more.
HDMI inputs and outputs are usually found on most devices like TVs, AV receivers, soundbars and Blu-ray players. HDMI also provides many other versions and standards capable of supporting newer audio formats like Dolby Atmos, DTS X, and many other formats. HDMI can so support so many video formats like HD 4K resolution and other HDR video formats.
Comparison Between Digital Coaxial And HDMI Audio Connections
The digital coaxial cables and HDMI audio connections boast different features. These are both used for a sound connection. However, they have different designs and offer different results. The following is a clear comparison between these two.
Construction
Both coaxial and HDMI cables are made of copper wires. HDMI is made of shielded twisted pair wires from copper material.
Coaxial cables are made of very sturdy material. The build quality is good. They are a very good option when you are looking for some cables that cannot be easily damaged.
Audio
When it comes to the audio, HDMI connections provide sound in high quality compared to the Coaxial cables. This is because HDMI is able to support many high-quality formats like DTS HD Master Audio. DTS X, Dolby Atmos and Dolby True HD. The sound that the coaxial provides is decent. However, the lack of support for high-quality formats is a downside.
Video
Digital coaxial connection is not able to support the transmission of videos. On the contrary, an HDMI connection can support both video and audio transmissions. If you want to use a single cable for both video and audio signals, then go for the HDMI cable.
HDMI cables come at a higher price as compared to the digital coaxial. Therefore, you can choose the digital coaxial if you are on a tight budget. However, the price may be higher than that of a single HDMI cable if you want to use different cables fot audio and video signals.
Bandwidth
When it comes to the bandwidth, HDMI supports a higher bandwidth than the digital coaxial connections. HDMI has a bandwidth of you to 48 Gbps while the digital coaxial has a bandwidth of up to 192 kHz, this is also very good. However, it will not be able to support lossless formats that HDMI can support.
Benefits And Challenges Of Digital Coaxial And HDMI Audio Connections
Earlier in this post, we have talked about HDMI connections and digital coaxial connections. The following are some of the points that will give you a better understanding of each of these audio connections’ pros and cons.
Coaxial Cables benefits
They have a good and sturdy design that helps to prevent them from being easily damaged. Although their bandwidth is not as good as that of the HDMI connections, it is better than that of optical cables. Therefore, they provide decent sound quality.
Challenges
They cannot support high lossless audio format, which HDMI is able to support.
Can easily be affected by radio frequency and electromagnetic interference.
HDMI Cables Benefits
They are able to support the high-quality resolution as compared to digital coaxial cables. Therefore, the sound quality that they provide is better than that of the Digital coaxial and optical audio connections.
They have support for multichannel audio formats. Multichannel audio formats include Dolby atmos, DTS X and more.
HDMI cables are also able to support the current video formats including HDR formats and Ultra HD 4K resolution.
When To Use A Coaxial Digital Connection
Most of the time, an HDMI connector is recommended instead of a coaxial digital connection. This is because the HDMI connector can support the use of almost every kind of audio signal. In addition to that, you can also send video signals and audio signals through one cable.
A coaxial connection can be used if your device lacks an HDMI but has the coaxial. The coaxial is also a very good way to send audio signals to your device. A coaxial connection can also allow you to hear good quality sounds.
If you want to send audio from a DVD player to a surround system, a coaxial connection is a good option. You can also use it to send multichannel audio from a computer to a surround sound system, from your CD player to your stereo amplifier. You will usually find a coaxial out on your TV and other devices. However, nowadays most TVs.
When To Use HDMI
As said in this article, HDMI is usually more recommended than coaxial when it comes to audio. Therefore, if your device has an HDMI port, make sure to use HDMI because it has a higher bandwidth and capable of supporting lossless audio formats in order to give you very high sound quality.
HDMI is also a good choice if you want to transmit both audio and video signals. This is because HDMI is capable of transmitting both of this via one cable. On the other hand, if you have to transmit audio and video using coaxial digital, you will need a separate cable for the video signals since digital coax only supports audio signals.
Conclusion
Digital coax is not better than HDMI. The coaxial connection has a lot bandwidth as compared to HDMI. Digital coax connection can not support lossless formats that HDMI connection supports.
Coaxial also faces a lot of problems with electromagnetic and radio frequency interference, which can affect the sound quality. On the contrary, HDMI is capable of transmitting both audio signals and video signals, cutting the problem of you needing separate cables for transmitting these signals.
With HDMI connections, you will be able to get high sound quality because it has a high resolution and bandwidth. It can also support so many other formats that coaxial cannot support.
