The transmission of signals using a beam of light was a topic for science fiction writers just a few short decades ago. The ability to harness the incredible speeds and data density capabilities of the optical medium was considered a "holy grail" for communications pioneers, who first began exploring this power of light in 1966. However, it took the digital revolution to bring fiber optic transmission to the mainstream. The bandwidth is the next important element to consider. The usual bandwidth for optical lines is in the range of 9 to 11 Hz, although you can go higher or lower depending on your requirements. The amount of bandwidth you require is determined by the sort of audio system you have. What is the price range of a decent optical cable? It’s no doubt obvious from this experience with a glass based fibre optic cable that the implementation is of a considerably higher standard than plastic based cables, although there will be exceptions to the rule. I’m sure my favourite plastic fibre based cable will be better than a poorly constructed glass version. So it’s not just about the technology it’s about the attention to the implementation. 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). Your optical audio cable needs to have a bandwidth that ranges from 9 MHz to 11 MHz for the greatest possible performance. The larger the bandwidth of this connection is, the more effective it will function.

Therefore, the kind of optical cable you choose to invest in will significantly impact the pricing you provide. Plastic fiber cables of standard length, 5 meters, are much more affordable than quartz fiber cables of the same length. Joseph D. Cornwall (31 December 2004). "Understanding Digital Interconnects". Audioholics.com . Retrieved 12 July 2007. Optical connections and HDMI cables can carry precise, multi-channel sound, with considerable benefits over more typical analog audio interfaces. On the other hand, you can stream Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD Master Audio through HDMI. However, it is not possible to use optical cables for this purpose. Analog signals are used lessThe consumer version of the TOSLINK standard has stayed stable for decades. A TOSLINK optical audio cable from the 1990s will work just like one you buy today.

The EMK Digital Optical Audio Cable Toslink Cable comes in at the second spot on this list since it is the least expensive alternative, making it an excellent choice for shoppers on a limited budget. Even though it has a more affordable price tag, you still receive cable lengths between 3 feet and 49 feet, which most people consider above average. Optical cables are not susceptible to electrical problems such as ground loops and RF interference. [8] Design [ edit ] A TOSLINK fiber optic audio cable being illuminated by a laser on the left end

There is no difference in performance between the 5 mm and 8 mm cables. That’s because the width is just the exterior diameter of the cable, which does not influence the connections in any way. The table below shows the properties of a selection of dielectrics. Though not used as a dielectric in Atlas' cables, PVC is included for comparison purposes. Atlas' ‘state of the art’ optical cable, engineered around a core of 280 strands of ultra-pure borosilicate glass and precision metal Toslink connectors. Designed to minimise ‘jitter’ (digital noise) the Mavros Optical is intended for ‘high-end’ audio systems where absolute sound quality is the primary consideration, for example between a hi-res media player and a DAC or digital-enabled amplifier.

I have always been more of a fan of Coaxial or AES/EBU over optical, although dependant on the implementation of the equipment one can never be 100% sure which digital interface will sound better. Quality TOSLINK assemblies should be made from multiple fibers of a very small diameter. Assemblies using fiber diameters greater than 200 micrometers, or single fiber assemblies as seen on many plastic fiber interconnects, will suffer from much greater signal attenuation and reflection than will multi-fiber assemblies. This occurs from bending the conductor. A facet of optical transmission generally unmentioned in product literature is the degradation of performance due to even mild bending of the interconnect assembly! Before moving on to the last factor, make sure the optical ports are in the right position. The ends of optical cables feature connections on both sides. Typically, the larger and more robust the connections are, the tougher the cable. This makes it more difficult to bend the connection joints. So, if your display or AV device has an optical audio connection on the rear, you'll need to see whether there's enough room for the audio cable's connector to fit. Type of installationFiber optic cables often vary in size, even though their fundamental purpose remains to transmit light data. For example, regular Toslink and micro Toslink are the two varieties of fiber optic cables, with the latter being much more condensed, space-saving, and producing better audio quality than the former. Final Words

Most recently I used my old Musical Fidelity V-Link to compare my .99999 silver Illuminations D-60 coax to the Optilink 4 Fused Silica Glass Toslink and although the Illuminations D-60 sounds absolutely great on its own when compared to the Fused Silica Glass Toslink it immediately becomes apparent that a lot of low level detail is being completely glossed over by the Illuminations D-60 and a portions of the harmonic structure of the Music is not being fully fleshed out. In 1980, Philips and Sony jointly proposed the compact disc standard. Part of the standard, now referred to as the "red book" standard, included the ability to transport data in the digital domain between components. In fact, the acronym S/PDIF stands for Sony/Philips Digital Interface. By 1983, when the very first compact disc players started selling in the United States, Toshiba had entered the foray with an optical transmission protocol based on the use of the collimated light. Although TOSLINK supports several different media formats and physical standards, digital audio connections using the rectangular EIAJ/ JEITA RC-5720 (also CP-1201 and JIS C5974-1993 F05) connector are by far the most common. [5] The optical signal is a red light with a peak wavelength of 650 nm. [3] Depending on the type of modulated signal being carried, other optical wavelengths may be present. [5] History [ edit ] TOSLINK connector (JIS F05) ADAT Lightpipe or simply ADAT Optical uses an optical transmission system similar to TOSLINK, and is used in the professional music/audio industry. While the ADAT Lightpipe format uses the same JIS F05 connectors as TOSLINK, the ADAT Lightpipe data format is not compatible with S/PDIF. [ citation needed] Properties and issues [ edit ]There is an abundance of advantages that come along with using optical audio connections. Since optical signals are used to transport sound waves, the strength or quality of the sound wave is not easily lost, even though it is sent over a long distance. This is because optical signals travel at very high speeds. The AudioQuest Cinnamon Toslink Fiber Optic Digital Audio Cable is on the fifth place in this guide because it is the best choice available for applications requiring high levels of durability. This optical cable has a length of 1.5 m. The length is much longer than any other available alternative. This makes it an excellent choice for applications that need much use. 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.