Amazon Basics Digital Optical Audio Toslink Cable, 6 Feet, Black

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If you already have this problem with your existing equipment, there are a couple of solutions that may work: Coaxial digital audio cables use a copper conductor surrounded by a shield and insulation to transmit digital signals. They are widely used for connecting devices like Blu-ray players, cable/satellite boxes, and home theatre receivers. Coaxial cables provide excellent signal transfer with high bandwidth capabilities. HDMI Cables: You can achieve this with the help of an adapter. An analog to digital adapter will have RCA ports on one side and digital output ports on the other side, which will be used to connect directly to your digital sound device. For digital to analog converters, it’s the only way around: they will have optical and coaxial inputs and analog RCA outputs. Additionally, new video formats like 4K resolution and HDR are also supported by HDMI. Overall, this might be your answer if you would like the most out of your AV audio.

In the picture above, the optical port has a protective ‘door’ that will move out of the way when you push the cable in. Analog audio out styles can be found on old Blu-ray, DVDs, and TVs. They have been slowly phasing out over time, and are now uncommon. Connecting Digital Audio Out to an Analog Sound System And, in our experience, compared to optical, a coaxial connection does tend to sound better. That's because it has greater bandwidth available, meaning it can support higher quality audio up to 24-bit/192kHz. Optical is usually restricted to 96kHz. Some TVs will pass through Dolby Digital 5.1 audio and not DTS – or vice versa. Alternatively, others may downmix all external audio to stereo. You'll find HDMI inputs and outputs a firm fixture on the best TVs, Blu-ray players, AV receivers and, increasingly, soundbars. An entry-level cable like the AudioQuest Pearl HDMI will suit a wide range of systems.

How fast are Optical Audio Cables?

Optical audio cables are used extensively for digital audio applications, providing clean audio signals without interference. These types of digital audio cables are often used with entertainment systems and devices such as: S/PDIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interface) is a type of digital audio interface used in consumer audio equipment to output audio over relatively short distances. The signal is transmitted over either a coaxial cable with RCA connectors or a fiber optic cable with TOSLINK connectors. Coaxial connections commonly support 24/192 resolution audio, so higher resolution audio formats may be one reason to choose coaxial over optical audio.

Also, think of your DAC as the source, not the player (transport) since the DAC is the source of the analog signal. So in this mindset keeping your source in close proximity still applies. HDMI Cables (High Definition Multimedia Interface) are versatile cables that transmit both digital audio and video signals. They are commonly used to connect devices such as TVs, projectors, AV receivers, and gaming consoles. HDMI cables support high-definition audio formats like Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, offering stunning audio quality. Benefits of High-Quality Digital Audio Cables: Superior Sound Quality:If better to use the receiver; I have an optical cable already. I take it from your opinion that there shouldn't really be anything in it between that and a similar quality coaxial cable? (makes sense to me). Dive into our comprehensive range of digital cables, designed to elevate your Hi-Fi and audiovisual experiences. At the heart of our collection is the unmatched precision of our digital audio cables, including both digital coaxial cable and digital optical cable selections, ensuring optimal clarity and transmission for your systems. For those after the very essence of audio purity, our digital audio cable and digital coax cable offer an unparalleled auditory experience.

Digital audio cables are designed to meet industry standards, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of devices. Whether you have a home theatre system, a soundbar, or a gaming setup, there's a digital audio cable that will fit your needs. Choose from some of the world's top-selling brands such as Audioquest, Chord Cables, Naim Audio,and QED Conclusion: Long HDMI cable runs can sometimes cause signal issues, so optical audio provides a reliable separate audio path.Cheap: thinner and more prone to breaking if you regularly reconnect them. Fine for short connections. Also, coaxial doesn't have the bandwidth required to support high-quality surround sound formats such as Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. So, in a modern home cinema setting, its uses are quite limited.

You will find it more frequently than coaxial in devices like televisions, Blu-ray players, and game consoles. If you look carefully, you will see that this matches the shape of the port on your device. So be careful when inserting the cable into your device. In the final analysis always try before you buy and if you are happy with something (Whether it actually makes a difference of not) and you can afford it, then go for it, as happiness cannot be measured. A good starting point is to consider getting in touch with the manufacturer of your stereo amplifier and asking if they recommend a particular brand or model of interconnect. After all, engineers will have spent hours experimenting during the development process and you might be told some valuable nuggets of information which might make your job of finding something suitable more simple. Here is a handy table comparing the differences between optical and HDMI ARC and HDMI eARC connections: Optical, HDMI ARC and HDMI eARC Connection Comparison

What is an Optical Audio Cable used for?

Of course, this will only work if the content you’re watching or listening to was mixed with 5.1 audio in the first place. If it’s your usual stereo, then using DTS will not make any difference. A common issue for some people is they can’t get 5.1 surround sound from their TV’s optical output to their sound system or soundbar. They could easily update both to support full bandwidth, all formats but it's all about HDCP, which is a shame. Also, maybe Toshiba invented the original digital toslink connected but both are S/PDIF, which was created by Sony and Philips.(see below). Pretty much this outside the fact that almost all HDMI cables shorter then 10 to 15ft max are copper. Really, you just need a well shielded cable although it's always a good idea to keep all cable runs as short as possible in my experience. For sending your TV’s audio to your sound system. You may be able to use HDMI ARC for this, but many devices don’t have ARC support.