just a query does digital ever lose quality apart from being compressed more. can it ever lose quality like a tape can but at a slower rate. if so i cant see how it can becuase its eaither in an on or off state unlike anologue so if there is dust on a dvd or cd it may affect the tranfer and you player would have to work harder but the quality would be the same. also people say the coxial cable is better sounding than the optical how can this be they both transmit data not anologue wave so the only way it can be different is the decoder on the other end might have better sound not the cable ....