The cables and connectors used to interface various components in sound systems play a key role in enhancing any audio experience.
Digital Audio Cables
Today’s audio devices no longer use analog signals to create sound. They use digital signals derived from data, namely 0′s and 1′s.
The term ‘analog’ is used for phonographs and audio cassettes. Digital media includes CDs, MP3s, and DVDs in which a chip processes audio signals to create superior sound. Digital audio cables are manufactured with the aim to preserve and transmit the digital signals, maintaining the highest possible quality. There are two distinct types coaxial and optical digital cables.
Coaxial Digital Cables
Coaxial digital cables are the most common type of connection cable used for digital audio. They look similar to the RCA cables that many people use and are familiar with. The only difference is that they carry digital signals instead of analog signals.
These cables look very similar to standard analog RCA cables. They are thicker than RCA cables and are shielded just like regular cable TV coaxial cables. The interference from outside signals is minimized with greater shielding.
Coaxial digital cables transmit digital signals in pulses of electricity. They consist of copper wires shielded from interference with the help of surrounding aluminum wraps. The wires are housed in a strong outer case. Coaxial digital cables used for audio applications have an impedance of 75 ohm, which means they can handle considerable energy. Also, they have a larger bandwidth than a normal RCA cable. For an affordable digital audio cable that delivers premium sound, coaxial digital cables are an extremely attractive choice.
Optical Digital Cables (also called S/PDIF, for Sony/Philips Digital Interface)
The other type of digital audio cable is the optical cable. Optical digital cables are the premier choice for transferring digital audio signals between components. They do not use RCA style connectors. Instead, they use what are called Toslink (or EIA-J).
These cables use pulses of light instead of copper wire to transmit data. Since they are immune to electromagnetic and radio-frequency interference, the signals do not degrade and weaken over long distances. Distortion that resistance, inductance, and capacitance cause is eliminated, resulting in the best digital signal reproduction.
Even though optical digital cables are more expensive, for true audiophiles looking for a superior experience with audio, nothing beats optical digital cable technology.
Since these cables get damaged when bent, they fail to work optimally if installed incorrectly.
Choosing Between Coaxial and Optical Cables
Many audio components allow both coaxial and optical cables. Most users will not be able to tell the difference in sound. The circumstances outlined below show the pros and cons of both and should help the user choose the best cable.
- An optical cable is a better option in environments with lots of electromagnetic interference, for instance, near personal computers or power cords sending out radio frequency noise.
- Optical cables should be the preferred option for long distance transmission. While 3 or 6 feet will not make much difference, if the user needs speakers that are spread 25 to 50 feet, optical digital cables are definitely the way to go.
- In low budget circumstances, coaxial cables are usually more economical.
- Coaxial cables are the only choice when the sound system set-up requires that the cables are bent to fit certain areas. Also, the performance of optical cables may get compromised if the system is moved frequently.
A Note about HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) Ports
HDMI provides a way to carry digital audio signals.
However, it is mostly used in conjunction with video, for instance with DVDs, HDTVs, and high definition DVD players. It is possible for HDMI ports to be included in ultra high end audio components, but the vast majority of audio components such as CD players do not include this option.
Not sure where you get your info. but, Optical/ToshLink cables are NOT what audiophiles use or consider premier cables. They are also, not more expensive. You can spend $5,000 on a coaxial digital cable and $400 is about the max on an optical. Obviously, you’re not into high-end audio.. It’s uninformed writers like yourself that cause a lot of confusion among consumers looking to learn about the world of HiFi. I imagine you think surround sound is also the way to go for music.. c.
Try to be nice.
This guys comment on Co-Ax digital cables is right. Toslink, or optical digital cabling suffers from many problems on signal transfer, reflection, and error correction, that streaming electrical cables do not.
It is “high brow” people like you that have no idea about digital electronics that make it hard for casual audio listeners to “learn” about digital audio. To even think that there are small differences in audio quality by using different cables (or different types of cables) shows your complete lack of understanding of digital audio.
The cable either works or it does not. Digital is DIGITAL. It is not analog – there is not loss of signal – there is no difference between a $5 cable you buy at Radio Shack and $10,000 cable you buy at some high end place. If the $5 cable works, it is just as good as the billion dollar cable you foolishly spent your money on! At the end, the signal was DIGITIZED – A2D – and this is NOT a function of the cable. It is then transmitted, usually with a CRC, to the other end where it is run through a D2A converter. Not a single bit is lost during the cable part of this transmission, not a single high pitch or low pitch, not a single tap of the high hat or boom of the bass - nothing is lost – it is completely loss-less, or the decompression will not work. To think that the cable gives a different sound just shows how pathetic your attempt at being Mr High Brow is.
Originally posted by RP: “Not sure where you get your info. but, Optical/ToshLink cables are NOT what audiophiles use or consider premier cables. They are also, not more expensive. You can spend $5,000 on a coaxial digital cable and $400 is about the max on an optical. Obviously, you’re not into high-end audio.. It’s uninformed writers like yourself that cause a lot of confusion among consumers looking to learn about the world of HiFi. I imagine you think surround sound is also the way to go for music.. c.”
Stop drinking the Kool Aid, you may want to increase your Prozac.
Originally posted by RP: “Not sure where you get your info. but, Optical/ToshLink cables are NOT what audiophiles use or consider premier cables. They are also, not more expensive. You can spend $5,000 on a coaxial digital cable and $400 is about the max on an optical. Obviously, you’re not into high-end audio.. It’s uninformed writers like yourself that cause a lot of confusion among consumers looking to learn about the world of HiFi. I imagine you think surround sound is also the way to go for music.. c.”
Your comment is by far one of the top 25 sorriest on the internet. Way to show how little you know and try to pass it off as knowledge.
My landlord does the soundboard for concerts and has a high-end setup in his home. His comment when asked were pretty much identical to the article. Thanks for the laugh RP.
JR – if your landlord really does run the soundboard my guess he is using AES/EBU digital cables, not Coax or toslinks. But to add, a lot of the equipment used at live concerts would be completely unacceptable for in-home satisfactory performance. Most professional equipment is made for durability, high power (usually class D) and reliability – more than for great sound reproduction.
You would be correct Chris,
.
PS: I have better things to do than to make up stories to put on forums
actually, none of you freaks know what you’re talking about. Maybe you should listen to the water running before you leave a comment
Looking for an affordable way to extend a digital audio coax 50-75 feet. Can I use an RCA-coax connector on both ends, with a standard (TV) coax cable in-between? The only connectors I found for this say they are MONO. Does MONO matter if all of the sound is just using one cable anyway? Versus RCA where it is split.
you can just use standard coax cable for the entire distance and use rca type connectors on the ends . i have been making my own digital cables this way for some time with good results
a cheap way to do this is to solder the center copper wire to the connector ,and make sure the aluminum foil and wire shielding make good contact with the outer side of the connector . but the best result would be to use a two wire cable and solder both .
I have a dumb question. What exactly is an optical digital audio cable used for? Please answer in layman’s terms. I have a Bose media center connected to my TV – someone last year thought it would be a good idea to add one of these, I can’t remember why but it sounded good at the time – needless to sy I purchased one and do not know how to connect it or really the reason for it – my friend has since returned to Pluto (that is a joke) – can someone please help me out. I have a Dynex brand 6.0 ft cable. Thanks
Simply put, optical digital audio cables transfer digital audio signals between the source (your media center) and the output device (your sound system). It has better audio quality than normal analogue cables (the red and white cables) and carries surround sound. Make sure your sound system has an optical digital aka S/PDIF input.
slt a tous, je cherche un cable (digital out coaxial) vers (s/pdif rca) , je trouve nul part ni magasin ni sur internet …es ce que ca existe ???
Nowadays DAC boxes are commonly purchased separately because, simply put, the analog sound they put out is superior to your existing source’s DAC be it from your cd player, squeezebox, or ipods. In order to use these external DAC boxes you will need to use a digital cable, normally either optical/toslink cable or coaxial rca cable. You will note, however, in the DAC’s specs that the resolution for conversion is different for these cables. For coax the DAC will work at 24/192 full-on conversion while if you use optical it will only work up to 24/96 conversion fed with the same 24/192 digital signal input. Seems to me rca coax cable is superior to optical if this is the case.
which cable is it that as a rca plug on one end an a spdif plug on the other end.
I’ve tried the most & least expensive digital audio coaxial audio cables on the market, noticed NO difference in sound quality between the high priced & low priced cables. I also tried using a cheap standard analog RCA Video cable connected between my Blu-Ray player and my JVC receiver Coaxial audio ports. The results, zero difference in sound between digital coaxial audio cable and the cheap RCA analog cable.
Thank you for this information. I have a big box of cables, but no orange colored digital coaxial audio cable. I wanted to avoid purchasing another cable that eventually goes unused.
If you guys have no positive comments or nice things to say how about just STFU!!!
If you only have the digital audio output on your tv, is there a cable adapter to convert from the digital output to an analog cable to connect a wireless headset device?
I am not one of those fools who would spend 100′s or even 1000′s of dollars on 1 meter cable. If someone thinks that they can actually discern the (sound) difference between a $20 cable and a $1000 cable, you are kidding yourself. You are making other peoples’ wallets fatter while your wallet shrinks. Now, to get to my question: Do audio cables require a ”burn-in” period? How on earth is a cable going to become better with age? I saw a comment where some guy stated that his high-end cables required 250 hours of break-in. Is there any credibility to this thought? It sounds like a crock to me.
I was hoping to find a legitimate answer to my question concerning Optical Digital cabling. However, based on the comments left on this so called forum, I am advertising this link as useless and non-credible. Enjoy your pissing contest.
Ah, come on Don… the OP was pretty much on the money for what most people need to know, and Vegas Jack shot down the expensive BS so we can all save our hard earned cash.