Do Toslink
TOSLINK
TOSLINK is a standardized optical fiber connector system. Also known generically as an "optical audio cable" or just "optical cable", its most common use is in consumer audio equipment, where it carries a digital audio stream from components such as CD and DVD players, DAT r…
What are the most common problems with TOSLINK audio cables?
Although it might look as sturdy as others, a Toslink cable is actually comprised of delicate wires and fibers. One of the most common problems with an optical audio cable is breakage. The breakage occurs inside the protective sheath and is not easily visible to the naked eye.
How do I know if my TOSLINK cable is good?
The final check is to obtain a known good Toslink cable (test it with someone else's system) and see if it helps. Basically these guys seem to be saying that their cable providers STBs sound great on stereo but have dropouts and the like if they try to listen to 5.1.
Why won’t my TOSLINK TV connect?
They are much more sensitive than coaxial cables and you will need to apply less pressure. If the connector isn’t inserted correctly, the components will not connect; if the connection is over-tightened, it’s liable to break. You also you need to be certain that you have the Toslink cable plugged into the correct connection.
Can you plug a TOSLINK cable into a CD player?
The only way for that cable to go bad would be physical damage of some sort. Can you plug the toslink cable into your CD player, instead? I can see the red LED laser type light on the optical audio before it hits the surround bar... Click to expand... Then the cable is good. Then the cable is good. Click to expand... Maybe.
See more
Do optical sound cables go bad?
Unless you've done something specific to damage the cable, the answer is not likely. Most damage to cables happens due to repeated plugging and unplugging or poor manufacturing. Using quality cables and disturbing them as little as possible can go a long way to getting as much life out of your cables as possible.
Can an optical cable fail?
The optical cable may be faulty. Your TV isn't updated with the latest software version. The connected third-party sound bar, or home theater system may not be compatible with your TV.
Does fiber optic cable degrade over time?
Fiber-optic cables deployed over the last 30 years are considered long-life components due to the generally high level of reliability of glass and the robustness of manufacturing processes. However, like any component, their performance may degrade over time depending on various factors and environmental conditions.
How can I tell if my optical cable is bad?
Loose connections. One of the quickest ways to tell if you've got a bad connection is a missing red indicator light. Fiber optic cables are equipped with these indicator lights so you can easily tell whether or not things are connected properly or not.
How do I know if my optical fiber cable is broken?
Connect a visual fault locator to the appropriate cables and look for deformities such as cracks or breaks. An infrared beam going through the fiber will glow bright red at the point of the defect or break.
How long do optical cables last?
Provided that cables are installed correctly and kept protected from the elements, they should easily last for multiple decades. However, in practice, fiber optic networks are not always located in an ideal environment. A fiber optic cable's actual lifespan should be at least ten years, but they will often last longer.
How often do fiber optic cables fail?
In general, these models give a probability of failure for any given fiber km over a chosen lifetime, of somewhere between 20 and 40 years. For correctly installed tier 1 fiber, the failure probability over such a timeframe is of the order of 1 in 100,000.
What is the useful life of fiber-optic cable?
The literature indicates that fiber optic cable has a service life longer than the 15 years currently indicated in the Personal Property Manual. Exhibits 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, and 13 are submitted in support of a revised service life of 20 years for fiber optic cable placed in service in 2008 and thereafter.
Madaboutaudio Friend
Well according to Baldr (Mike Moffat), he prefers Glass over Plastic, so do many others on other forums. Lifatec brand seems to be well liked by many. Just wondering if SBAF has any good recommendations or experience to share on toslink cables?
Thad E Ginathom Friend
True, I'm a Bluejeans fanboy, but I do tend to believe their technical info, even if they are, like everybody, trying to sell their stuff.
Madaboutaudio Friend
Although the author claims no difference between the cables, the glass cable has the lowest stereo crosstalk in results. It's not a lot of difference but it's not "exactly the same" as the author implies.
Thad E Ginathom Friend
Although the author claims no difference between the cables, the glass cable has the lowest stereo crosstalk in results. It's not a lot of difference but it's not " exactly the same " as the author implies.
hifi01170 Acquaintance
tried both: glass vs plastic with my theta DS pro basic 3a DAC and couldn't detect any difference between both...
Azteca Friend
I'm with Thad and Mad. You don't need to worry about too much unless you're making very long runs of Toslink, which is unlikely. I have the Blue Jeans optical cable and it has served me very well and reliably. Far more than a long Monoprice cable I had in the past. I see no need for a different cable.
Smitty Too good for bad vodka - Friend
From a physics standpoint, glass is less lossy, and you can probably get a larger difference in the index of refraction between the core and cladding, which should preserve the signal better, but this is all hypothetical. Glass is also probably more fragile, so more care needs to be take with handling it.
Why is optical cable important?
It’s important that you insert these properly and that you don’t tighten them too much. They are much more sensitive than coaxial cables and you will need to apply less pressure. If the connector isn’t inserted correctly, the components will not connect; if the connection is over-tightened, it’s liable to break.
What is a Toslink cable?
Although it might look as sturdy as others, a Toslink cable is actually comprised of delicate wires and fibers. Continue reading below Our Video of the Day. 1. Breakage. Pick up some optical audio cables on Amazon. One of the most common problems with an optical audio cable is breakage.
What is optical cable?
Optical Cable. Owning an optical audio cable, often referred to as Toslink cable since they were originally developed by Toshiba, can be a very good way of connecting components in your system, but it’s not always a perfect solution.
Why is there a red light on my audio cable?
An optical audio cable should have a red light at each of the connectors when it’s in place and working correctly. If you don’t see the light at either of the ends, the cable isn’t connected properly, is broken, or you might just have a faulty cable.
What does the light on a receiver mean?
The light is an indicator of a problem, rather than being the problem itself, unless the connector on the component is broken. 5. Audio Source. Another common problem is that the audio source on the receiver might not be properly established.
Can you connect a Toslink cable to a wrong connection?
You also you need to be certain that you have the Toslink cable plugged into the correct connection. If there’s no sound, for instance, it may be plugged into the wrong connection. This could be something as simple as connecting to an 'out' connection instead of an 'in' connection.
Can a cable break?
If your cable stops working, there’s a very good chance that this will be the cause. Unfortunately, the cable can be broken easily.
What is fiber optic cable?
Fibre Optic cables used to send data, images and telephone conversations. Andrew Brookes / Getty. Cry not for the humble optical cable. While it may someday disappear from inside of your home, it lives on, even thrives, outside.
Is optical cable copper or glass?
A cable not of copper, but glass! Except, it was almost never glass, and was usually expensive. And while the optical cable was the digital audio transfer method of choice for decades, it has started to disappear. More and more products are dropping the optical connection. This once cool cable is dying a very slow death.
Do soundbars have optical connections?
Soundbars. Most soundbars still persist with an optical connection, and they are one of the only thing that keeps the format holding on. Of course, on the audio side devices like the Chromecast Audio also use an optical connection and this is as much due to space constraints as anything else.
Is optical cable more expensive than copper?
You've seen standard S/PDIF connections a bunch too; they're often called "coax digital.". Optical had certain benefits over copper cables, but they were also more fragile, and for a long time, more expensive. Though glass cables were available, for even more money, most optical cables were made from cheap plastic.
Can you use optical to connect to HDMI?
So yes, in theory optical can do a lot of things, but because everyone jumped onto HDMI, optical was left to languish. Perhaps ironically, many custom installers use optical to transmit HDMI data. HDMI-over-fiber is usually more expensive than wireless, but significantly less prone to interference and issues.
Can optical cables transmit audio?
In theory, optical cables can transmit tremendous amounts of data. But the optical audio connection is far more limited. So limited, it can't even transmit the high-resolution audio formats that came out with Blu-ray more than a decade ago, such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS Master Audio.
