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Topic: Optical audio cable length and price (Read 2414 times) previous topic - next topic
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Optical audio cable length and price

Despite studying mixing and generally being an audio nerd, I had never previously realized that my Macbook Pro has an optical audio out.  My new receiver has an optical in, so I am eager to try it.

I looked around a bit and read that if you are using inexpensive cables, you don't want to go beyond 20-25 feet.  I definitely don't want to drop a bunch of money on a digital cable.  I looked at Monoprice and found some cables (clicky: http://www.monoprice.com/products/search.a...eyword=toslink)

So, does anyone have experience with optical cables?  Is there a noticeable degradation?  I'd rather not just get a 12 foot cable. 

Thanks!
 

Optical audio cable length and price

Reply #1 –
Quote from: Moni on
Despite studying mixing and generally being an audio nerd, I had never previously realized that my Macbook Pro has an optical audio out.  My new receiver has an optical in, so I am eager to try it.

I looked around a bit and read that if you are using inexpensive cables, you don't want to go beyond 20-25 feet.  I definitely don't want to drop a bunch of money on a digital cable.  I looked at Monoprice and found some cables (clicky: http://www.monoprice.com/products/search.a...eyword=toslink)

So, does anyone have experience with optical cables?  Is there a noticeable degradation?  I'd rather not just get a 12 foot cable.


Optical cables in reasonable lengths are pretty much commodity items. If it works at all its fine and if it doesn't work you proably made a pretty gross mistake.

I use standard TOSLink optical cables that I got on clearance from the local Radio Shack store to carry digital audio data in a profesional format with 8 channels of 24 bit 48 KHz uncompressed data. This is about 4 times as demanding as typical consumer use. Plug and play.

Optical audio cable length and price

Reply #2 –
Quote from: Moni on
So, does anyone have experience with optical cables?  Is there a noticeable degradation?  I'd rather not just get a 12 foot cable.


I have a 62' run made up of a 50' and a 12' (was cheaper than a 75') that I got from monoprice.  No problems or degradation at all running either PCM or AC3/DTS. 

If it doesn't work it should be pretty obvious.  Either you will get nothing or massive dropouts.