Optical cable for audio
#1
Optical cable for audio
Is there any difference in transmitted sound quality between different brands of optical audio cables? If so, which brands provide quality sound for a decent price...I am a budget minded consumer.
#2
Group Moderator
I have never noticed any difference between cheap and high quality optical cables. It's digital so the signal either gets through or it doesn't. High quality cables might make a difference if you have a really long cable run but for "normal" lengths I've never had problems with cheap optical cables.
#3
Group Moderator
I've had problems in the past, on occasion, with the wires supplied with a piece. Never had any trouble with optical cables, though. Hence, I think there's not a lot of difference.
#6
The signal carrier is a tiny piece of plastic or glass made to strict tolerances. It is roughly the thickness of a human hair. Glass provides for longer runs, but generally the 5-meter (loose) limit is not an issue because most components are within inches of each other. Outside of the core is a coating, a cladding, a buffer, and other layers that protect the core. So while the center conductor is virtually the same on all cables, it is the rest of it that gives the cable its strength. A thicker cable is usually a better cable.
Fifteen years ago fiber was a fragile medium that had to be handled with kid gloves. It has come a long way since then and, with the exception of capping unused ends immediately to prevent dust from blocking the signal, the cables can be treated like their copper counterparts.
For those who may wonder how glass can bend without breaking, do a little demonstration: roll a paper cigarette inside its pack's cellophane wrapper. You can bend it back on itself without it breaking.
Fifteen years ago fiber was a fragile medium that had to be handled with kid gloves. It has come a long way since then and, with the exception of capping unused ends immediately to prevent dust from blocking the signal, the cables can be treated like their copper counterparts.
For those who may wonder how glass can bend without breaking, do a little demonstration: roll a paper cigarette inside its pack's cellophane wrapper. You can bend it back on itself without it breaking.