TOS-link or Digital Coax?

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  • Rock Dog
    Moderator Emeritus
    • Jan 2003
    • 417

    TOS-link or Digital Coax?

    Of course most people think that by nature an optical cable for your 5.1 or 2 channel audio is automatically best because it's "DIGITAL." But in this end of the market (the end this forum is built and based on.) I've seen more arguments against this thinking.

    What do you use? And why?

    Is TOS-link better than Digital Coax or vice versa?




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  • Andrew Pratt
    Moderator Emeritus
    • Aug 2000
    • 16507

    #2
    yes :LOL:




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    • Andrew Pratt
      Moderator Emeritus
      • Aug 2000
      • 16507

      #3
      The long answer is the engineers will tell you there shouldn't be any difference either way while the audiophiles claim to hear a benefit with coax cables. Optical cables benefit from breaking any grounding problems that sometimes occur but there's an extra step involved in converting the signal and maybe more fragile the a coax cable.

      My advice is if you can use a digital coax cable use that but if your limited to optical don't sweat it there's likely little to no difference anyway.




      Comment

      • Gordon Moore
        Moderator Emeritus
        • Feb 2002
        • 3188

        #4
        One of the pros for digital coax is durability.

        I thought there could be timing issues with long runs of optical cable but I may be confusing that with something else I read. I'm sure Jon will throw his 2 pennies in here and give the engineers perspective.
        Sell crazy someplace else, we're all stocked up here.

        Comment

        • David Meek
          Moderator Emeritus
          • Aug 2000
          • 8938

          #5
          Oooh, cracking the lid open on Pandora's Box, eh? :twisted:

          Okay, off into the deep end of the subjective pool here. I like the sound of digital coax over optical. The optical connections I have been exposed to have a "harsh" feel to their sound whereas the coaxial has a "softer" and less intrusive feel to it. That does not mean that there is less detail, however. As always with questions like this, YMMV.





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          • Burke Strickland
            Moderator
            • Sep 2001
            • 3161

            #6
            When I've tried both coax and TosLink with the components I have which have both connections available, I have heard NO difference between them. Admittedly, I did not conduct a scientifically rigorous double blind test. Had I "heard" a difference, I probably would have been more inclined to subject the issue to that kind of examination.

            Some of my source components only offer one or the other and so that's what I use instead of dropping back to analog, since I prefer the DACs in my pre/pro over those in any of my other components. However, when I do have a choice, I typically use coax because the cables are usually cheaper and they are MUCH less suceptible to breakage. (I lost the use of one fairly expensive TosLink cable by accidentally flexing it just a little too much.)

            If we were discussing car audio, I'd say "your mileage may vary". But since we're not, I'll just say that "upon listening, you may perceive things differently". :>)

            Burke

            What you DON'T say may be held against you...

            Comment

            • Kevin P
              Member
              • Aug 2000
              • 10809

              #7
              This is one of those things that in a perfect world shouldn't make any difference, but some folks do notice a difference and will often prefer the coax. However, since this isn't a perfect world, in most equipment the Toslink interfaces are cheaply implemented. True fiber optic technology uses lasers and glass fiber cables; Toslink uses cheap plastic "cable" and off-the-shelf LEDs as emitters and photodiodes or phototransistors as receivers. Coax is electrical so it requires fewer conversions, probably just a buffer on the input and the output at most. Cheap components in the chain can lead to jitter and other timing issues in both coax and optical configurations; though the electrical-to-optical and optical-to-electrical conversions in Toslink tend to compound the problem.

              As for me, I've never compared coax to optical directly, but I tend to lean toward using coax when possible due to the cable being cheaper and more durable.

              KJP




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              Comment

              • Lex
                Moderator Emeritus
                • Apr 2001
                • 27461

                #8
                Good responses guys. Well, mostly. I will have to disagree with Andrew's statement, that there's likely no difference. Oh contrare. David and Kevin pretty well hit the nail on the head. Indeed, there is an extra step to the conversion for optical, and certainly, our "toslink" digital, is not the best available. Coax is usually smoother, more refined sounding.

                But do not forget the impact of the DACs as well. Without great DACs, you may not hear the differences as so much loss of detail and resolution has occured regardless of which cable your using.

                I've recommended digital coax, and used it myself, much longer than I've been in the cable business. That's for sure.

                Use Toslink only with nothing else is available, and always on less critical connections if possible. That's my advice.

                Lex




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                Doug
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                • Brandon B
                  Super Senior Member
                  • Jun 2001
                  • 2193

                  #9
                  I've got 700 feet of Belden 1694, a box of Canare connectors and Canare tools. Guess which I use.

                  BB

                  Comment

                  • dsmith
                    Senior Member
                    • Jan 2003
                    • 114

                    #10
                    This link should be of interest (the second QA). Apparently Toslink will not pass 24/192 Hz signal; it is limited to 24/96. The problem is not the cable it is the connector.

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                    • Chip
                      Senior Member
                      • Aug 2001
                      • 232

                      #11
                      I use coax on every digital connection i have unless, like in the case of my Panny HD sat box, it only has optical in. I hear the harshness sometimes associated with toslink. I've tried it with my Sony 555ES CD through B&K gear. I use a nice custom BlackCat digital coac Lex made me. Besides, coax is just plain more durable.




                      Chip Engle


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                      • sfdoddsy
                        Senior Member
                        • Sep 2000
                        • 496

                        #12
                        I also don't think there is an audible difference, but I will use coax where possible because of the fragility of the TOSlink connection.

                        Steve




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