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Definition: AES/EBU


(Audio Engineering Society/European Broadcasting Union) A professional serial interface for transferring digital audio from CD and DVD players to amplifiers and TVs. AES/EBU is typically used to transmit PCM and Dolby Digital 5.1, but is not tied to any sampling rate or audio standard.

AES3 and AES3id - Short and Long Distances
AES3 uses 110 ohm shielded twisted pair (STP) cable with XLR connectors up to a distance of 100 meters. AES3id uses 75 ohm coaxial cable and BNC connectors for up to 1,000 meters. "Unbalanced" coax is better for long distances than "balanced" twisted pairs.

S/PDIF
S/PDIF is the consumer version of AES/EBU and uses a lower signal voltage. They both support the same audio data with slight differences in the frame bits. Conversion between these interfaces must be handled with electronic circuits, not by adapting one connector to another. See S/PDIF.




AES/EBU vs. S/PDIF
AES3 uses shielded twisted pair cables while the AES3id variation shares the same cable as the consumer-oriented S/PDIF interface.