Quote Originally Posted by Donnie27 View Post
Hey Bradan, let's start over? The last thing I need is another enemy, OK?
I'm unilaterally dropping any kind of meanness from my posts to you.

Your first pic is of a Analog or Digital Video Coaxial Cable. It is has NOTHING to do with Audio at all. I see where the confusion comes from. The RCA Cable (Composite) can be used for;

A Sub's Analog Signal in,
Composite Video Signal in or out
and Analog sound In & Out.

For these uses Shielding is very good idea.

The RCA/Composite Cable serves as the COAX connection for Computer's Sound Cards Digital In and Out. For that purpose, Shielding is a rig off. So Monster selling Very think, reinforced shielded Digital Coaxial Cables are a 100% rip off. It is very hard to interfere with a Digital signal even with a Cheap $1.99 RCA cable.

ttp://www.hphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=492852&Q=&is=REG&A=details

SIIG SoundWave 7.1 PCI Sound Card with Coaxial S/PDIF OutputMfr# IC-710012 B&H# SIIC710012

Now I'm NOT about to flame you or make fun of you, hell I'd much rather try to help. Newer Motherboards Ship with RCA based S/PDIF as well Toshlink/Optical.

So Bradan, on your picture of that the Asus sound card, that bottom Grey "composite" as you called it is for the card's Digital Out. Like the other card Prelude has both as well COAX/Optical via RCA with an optical adapter. I'm sure that's (Grey) the universal color code for Digital Out just as the Orange, Lt Green, Black, Blue and Red/Pink are for the other connections.
I was really tired when I posted that. Coax refers to the copper core and coppet jacket style cable. Composite is just the the style we use for audio/video, and the beefy one is for video transmissions running a long distance.

I have a full understanding of the composite analogue, composite digital, optical out, RTS 1/4", 1/8" jacks on my card.
This is no topic for arguement! We sound like crazies.

Though I kid you not, a guy on head-fi was arguing that a Monster Cable DIGITAL OPTICAL cable was necessary to stop EM radiation from interfering with the flow of the photons in the cable. He argued this would cause output errors, and colour the sound.