4 Tips for Connecting an Optical Audio Cable to Your Receiver

Optical audio cables are a great option in any home theater or audio system. These cables use light to transmit the audio signals from the audio source to the receiver. Because of this, they are not affected by any electrical interference. This can be very useful if your electrical circuits aren’t properly grounded. Optical audio cables are especially recommended for old homes where there are more chances of such electrical leaks due to the accumulation of moisture. Optical audio cables also provide far superior audio quality as compared to standard coaxial cables. However, these cables are not the cheapest ones in the market, so there are a couple of things that you should keep in mind when connecting an optical audio cable to your receiver.

1. Selecting the Format

This is the most important step. If you are looking for high definition surround sound, you have three options to choose from—digital coaxial audio cables, optical audio cables, and high definition multimedia interface (HDMI) cables. Your choice of cable will be primarily determined by what your equipment supports.

HDMI cables support both high definition audio and video and are the best choice if your equipment has HDMI slots. Most new television sets support the HDMI interface. You can also buy high definition DVD players and media centers that support this format. If you are looking for crystal clear video and sound, and your equipment supports them, then HDMI cables should be your first choice.

If you’re setting up only a home audio system or if your equipment does not support HDMI, then the best options for digital surround sound are digital coaxial cables and optical audio cables. The sound quality offered by both types of cables is nearly at par, although both have their own pros and cons. Keep in mind that while almost all audio systems have connections for coaxial cables, optical audio connections are not that common.   

2. Buying the Cables

Optical audio cables come with different kinds of connectors. Although the square shaped connector is the most common one, you will also find round connectors and those of other designs, depending on the brand of your equipment. When buying an optical audio cable, it is important to buy one that will fit on the optical audio slot in your audio transmitter and receiver.

3. Remove the Plastic Cap

All optical audio cables have plastic caps covering the tips of the connectors. Even the optical audio slot on your audio equipment will probably be covered by a cap. Do remember to remove the cap before you try to connect the audio cables. This is the single biggest mistake made by people who are new to optical audio cables. They are not aware of the presence of these caps and end up unable to fit the cable or finally damaging the equipment.

4. Do not Force it

With most square-shaped optical audio connectors, the male and female parts have to be aligned just right before they will fit. If the cable is not going in, do not force it or you will end up damaging the cable or your audio equipment. Check to see that the male and female ends have lined up correctly and that the plastic caps have been removed, and you should have no problem connecting the cable.