Don't forget jitter. Wider bandwidth is better. Safety margin on top.

I have been using coax for digital connections. I was informed that glass Toslink could provide a better connection than coax, and that the limitation of most Toslink connections was the plastic used. I elected to try this. The difference is audible and not subtle. The coax simply couldn't compete (I tried three different ones, at varying price levels). There's a lot more information being passed through the glass Toslink. The glass Toslink I used is available for $29.99/ one meter on Ebay.

http://www.smr-home-theatre.org/Schneider/Schneider.html

Jeff

"More information?" What additional data is being passed through the glass Toslink that isn't being passed by the coax cable? I'm especially curious with Dolby Digital and DTS streams, which are packeted data. Any further information or examples would really be helpful.

Thanx,
Sanjay

You know, Sanjay, it's all that Easter Egg secret data that the producers put into digital audio content targeting only those people who are using the right cable. I read about it somewhere on the Internet (www.audiotic_concepts.com, I think). It makes normal CD's sound as good as DVD-A or SACD.

I'm surprised an audio expert like yourself isn't aware of this.



Bob "My drugs are peaking" L.

[This message has been edited by boblinds (edited August 04, 2003).]

Suffice it to say, a glass Toslink at that price is a steal to say the least.
A 'good buy' requires very little justification, but to say how it's better than plastic does open up a totally new discussion!

I notice a more focused soundstage and greater "pace" and "rhythm" when using glass optical cables instead of plastic. I also hear the missing sounds when I use glass, and much more than when I use regular coax. The background is more "black" with glass. Even my wife noticed the night and day differences which blew her away.

Bob, OK, that makes sense. I guess my skepticism comes from a bad personal experience I had with glass cable (shattered into little shards when I tried to bend it). BTW, I'm with the others: I use whatever digital connection is available on the back of my pre-pro, coax or Toslink.

Best,
Sanjay

Ummm ... SoundHound? Do you claim to hear this difference even when listening to Dolby Digital sources?

Jeff

Jeff:

Yes, especially Dolby Digital sources - it's a night and day difference. Is sounds as if a "vail had been lifted" from the soundstage, especially from my Onkyo transistor amplifiers.