Toslink optical audio cable.

Thread Starter

AlbertHall

Joined Jun 4, 2014
12,345
I have just received a Toslink optical audio cable - I have never used one of these before. On the box it came in, under 'features', it says:
1. Polished gold plated connectors to provide a reliable connectivity.
2. Multiple layers of braided shielding minimise interference and signal loss.

Do either of these features make any sense for an optical cable?
I had to hold it up to the light to make sure it actually was an ptical cable!
 

Dodgydave

Joined Jun 22, 2012
11,284
I've tried both types and not noticed any difference, the cheaper ones tend not to fit snugly into the tv,,it's mainly for the Audio output from the TV to the surround speakers.
 

Ya’akov

Joined Jan 27, 2019
9,069
I have just received a Toslink optical audio cable - I have never used one of these before. On the box it came in, under 'features', it says:
1. Polished gold plated connectors to provide a reliable connectivity.
2. Multiple layers of braided shielding minimise interference and signal loss.

Do either of these features make any sense for an optical cable?
I had to hold it up to the light to make sure it actually was an ptical cable!
Apparently, manufacturers make the cables look like "premium audio cables" probably to leverage Dunning-Kruger pseudo-expertise about what a "good audio cable" needs.

There is NO use for gold plating or screen/shield in a Toslink cable.
 

BobaMosfet

Joined Jul 1, 2009
2,110
I have just received a Toslink optical audio cable - I have never used one of these before. On the box it came in, under 'features', it says:
1. Polished gold plated connectors to provide a reliable connectivity.
2. Multiple layers of braided shielding minimise interference and signal loss.

Do either of these features make any sense for an optical cable?
I had to hold it up to the light to make sure it actually was an ptical cable!
@AlbertHall TOSLINK cables are 'Toshiba Link' cables, and these fiber optic cables were originally designed for use with digital CD AUDIO not video. Connector lifetime: 500 connections. But if you have the appropriate TOSLINK connectors, I'm sure you can use them however you like. I do.

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Thread Starter

AlbertHall

Joined Jun 4, 2014
12,345
When I looked online, one of the 'golden ears' was telling me how much better it would be to use HDMI. I don't have a spare HDMI so that's not an option and I doubt I would notice the difference, especially as one ear is on the way out.
 

crutschow

Joined Mar 14, 2008
34,281
When I looked online, one of the 'golden ears' was telling me how much better it would be to use HDMI.
HDMI supports multi-channel surround sound which a Toslink connection may not.
Otherwise I think there is little difference in the audible sound quality.

As with most things digital, it either works or it doesn't, there are really no shades-of-gray.
You may have noticed that with over-the-air digital TV.
You either get a perfect picture or none (perhaps with some blotchy block dropouts).

As long as you get a continuous sound output from the Toslink cable, that's as good as it gets.
 

Ian0

Joined Aug 7, 2020
9,667
HDMI supports multi-channel surround sound which a Toslink connection may not.
Toslink support S/PDIF or AES3, which according to Wikipedia "S/PDIF can carry two channels of uncompressed PCM audio or compressed 5.1/7.1 surround sound (such as DTS audio codec); it cannot support lossless surround formats that require greater bandwidth.["
 
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