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#1
Posted to rec.audio.high-end
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Toslink cables.
Hi Guys,
I've been experimenting with optical links. I found that Toslink cables can cost anything between 10 USD to, well, a lot of money. What are your thoughts on quality versus cost here? Hans. |
#2
Posted to rec.audio.high-end
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Toslink cables.
"hwh" wrote in message
... Hi Guys, I've been experimenting with optical links. I found that Toslink cables can cost anything between 10 USD to, well, a lot of money. What are your thoughts on quality versus cost here? Hans. The only cable that isn't worth buying is one that's too short. Otherwise, a cable's a cable's a cable. For normal domestic length and service, if it works, that's all you need to know. For long lengths (say over 10 metres) I'd want to make sure the fibre was glass rather than plastic, and if you're going to be connecting, disconnecting and reconnecting often, I'd want the connector to be good, preferably metal, but otherwise, the $10 will be as good as anything else. S. -- http://audiopages.googlepages.com |
#3
Posted to rec.audio.high-end
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Toslink cables.
On Tue, 30 Dec 2008 08:42:11 -0800, hwh wrote
(in article ): Hi Guys, I've been experimenting with optical links. I found that Toslink cables can cost anything between 10 USD to, well, a lot of money. What are your thoughts on quality versus cost here? Hans. There are differences. For instance, some Toslink cables have glass fiber and some have plastic. Some of glass ones are solid and some are braided The braided glass is usually more expensive. But mostly its one of those things where the cost is whatever the traffic will bear. I recently purchased a 5-meter Toslink cable on the internet to go from my Apple TV box on my video system to the DAC connected to my stereo (they're separate). It cost me less than $60 and I was surprised to find that it used 280 strand braided glass-fiber, had machined aluminum ferrules at each end covering the connectors and the cable itself was covered with a black nylon braid. A few weeks later I was in a stereo shop with a buddy and while looking around noticed a TOSLINK cable sold by AudioQuest for something like $450. Not only did the AudioQuest cable have fewer strands, but they weren't made anywhere near as well as the ones I bought http://tinyurl.com/ay3x7b Notice that the brand I bought, Amphenol Ultra Series, from Cables On Demand, sells their 1-meter, 280 strand glass-fiber cable for less than $20 and the 5-meter that I bought was only $54.95! Recently a buddy came over and we started to talk about Toslink cables. He was ready to buy some really high-priced cable that were only plastic fiber. I suggested that he try the internet first. He ordered from he http://tinyurl.com/75fyx4 When his cable came, he showed it to me. His 1-meter plastic cable had nylon braid covering the optical cable, and aluminum ferrules on the connectors, really high quality and unbelievably cheap. The cable cost him less than $7.00! Don't get euchred into buying expensive Toslink cables from AudiQuest, Cardas or even Monster Cable. Good ones are available at very good prices from the links listed above as well as others. |
#4
Posted to rec.audio.high-end
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Toslink cables.
"hwh" wrote in message
Hi Guys, I've been experimenting with optical links. I found that Toslink cables can cost anything between 10 USD to, well, a lot of money. What are your thoughts on quality versus cost here? IME the most signficiant quality differences relate to: (1) ability to work over long distances if that is what you need. 10 meters is the usual limit, but you may need longer, in which case you may pay more per foot. (2) Reliability of the connectors. People who use these in an audio production environment are often critical of this aspect of toslink cables. (3) Flexibiilty and bendability of the optical *cable*. Depending the length, an ideal cable of any reasonble length should not cost more than $30. I've paid less than $10 for most of the ones that I have in service. |
#5
Posted to rec.audio.high-end
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Toslink cables.
I'm using the cheap ones. A piece of optical fiber should not be expensive.
There are literially millions of miles of it all over the world. "hwh" wrote in message ... Hi Guys, I've been experimenting with optical links. I found that Toslink cables can cost anything between 10 USD to, well, a lot of money. What are your thoughts on quality versus cost here? Hans. |
#6
Posted to rec.audio.high-end
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Toslink cables.
Arny Krueger wrote:
"hwh" wrote in message Hi Guys, I've been experimenting with optical links. I found that Toslink cables can cost anything between 10 USD to, well, a lot of money. What are your thoughts on quality versus cost here? IME the most signficiant quality differences relate to: (1) ability to work over long distances if that is what you need. 10 meters is the usual limit, but you may need longer, in which case you may pay more per foot. (2) Reliability of the connectors. People who use these in an audio production environment are often critical of this aspect of toslink cables. (3) Flexibiilty and bendability of the optical *cable*. Depending the length, an ideal cable of any reasonble length should not cost more than $30. I've paid less than $10 for most of the ones that I have in service. Thanks for your answer. As I use the cables to connect an Airport Express and another device sitting close to the DAC without redoing the connections all the time I guess that a cheap cable will do just fine. Hans. |
#7
Posted to rec.audio.high-end
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Toslink cables.
Sonnova wrote:
Don't get euchred into buying expensive Toslink cables from AudiQuest, Cardas or even Monster Cable. Good ones are available at very good prices from the links listed above as well as others. Thank you for your answers. I might as well get cheap cable then, it looks like expensive optical cables must be one of the 'audiophile myths' then. I use a short cable from my Airport Express to the DAC to stream the CD's I coded in Apple lossless on the MacBook and some internet radio as well. This works remarkably well by the way. Hans. |
#8
Posted to rec.audio.high-end
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Toslink cables.
On Dec 30, 11:42*am, hwh wrote:
Hi Guys, I've been experimenting with optical links. I found that Toslink cables can cost anything between 10 USD to, well, a lot of money. What are your thoughts on quality versus cost here? Hans. The price of the cable is not related to its performance. Any decent cable will give you the same performance. I buy all my cables from www.monoprice.com. Good quality at great prices. Cheers |
#9
Posted to rec.audio.high-end
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Toslink cables.
On Wed, 31 Dec 2008 09:03:22 -0800, hwh wrote
(in article ): Sonnova wrote: Don't get euchred into buying expensive Toslink cables from AudiQuest, Cardas or even Monster Cable. Good ones are available at very good prices from the links listed above as well as others. Thank you for your answers. I might as well get cheap cable then, it looks like expensive optical cables must be one of the 'audiophile myths' then. I use a short cable from my Airport Express to the DAC to stream the CD's I coded in Apple lossless on the MacBook and some internet radio as well. This works remarkably well by the way. Hans. Yes, I know. I do essentially the same thing with my Apple TV. |
#10
Posted to rec.audio.high-end
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Toslink cables.
hwh wrote:
Sonnova wrote: Don't get euchred into buying expensive Toslink cables from AudiQuest, Cardas or even Monster Cable. Good ones are available at very good prices from the links listed above as well as others. Thank you for your answers. I might as well get cheap cable then, it looks like expensive optical cables must be one of the 'audiophile myths' then. I use a short cable from my Airport Express to the DAC to stream the CD's I coded in Apple lossless on the MacBook and some internet radio as well. This works remarkably well by the way. Hans. Check out www.partsexpress.com as well. I've purchased very well made Toslink and HDMI cables from them recently for very good prices. Keith Hughes |
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