Coaxial or Optical

Jon Hotts
Jon Hotts Posts: 3
edited April 2004 in Basic Hookup/Wiring Questions
I am hooking up a HDTV satellite system to my home theater system and there is an Optical Out and a Coaxial Out. Which is better to recieve better sound quality,"Coaxial" or "Optical"?
Post edited by Jon Hotts on
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  • Frank Z
    Frank Z Posts: 5,860
    edited April 2004
    Toslink (optical). Just make sure you don't bend it too much and break the fiber. Large radius bends are prefered.
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  • PolkThug
    PolkThug Posts: 7,532
    edited April 2004
    Originally posted by Jon Hotts
    Which is better to recieve better sound quality,"Coaxial" or "Optical"?

    Sound quality will be identical. It's 1's and 0's either way.

    Regards,
    PolkThug
    Never Forget
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  • Early B.
    Early B. Posts: 7,900
    edited April 2004
    You'll get too many varying opinions on this issue. Just pick one. The more important issue is getting a good quality cable, regardless of the type.
    HT/2-channel Rig: Sony 50” LCD TV; Toshiba HD-A2 DVD player; Emotiva LMC-1 pre/pro; Rogue Audio M-120 monoblocks (modded); Placette RVC; Emotiva LPA-1 amp; Bada HD-22 tube CDP (modded); VMPS Tower II SE (fronts); DIY Clearwave Dynamic 4CC (center); Wharfedale Opus Tri-Surrounds (rear); and VMPS 215 sub

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  • AsSiMiLaTeD
    AsSiMiLaTeD Posts: 11,728
    edited April 2004
    Originally posted by Early B.
    You'll get too many varying opinions on this issue. Just pick one. The more important issue is getting a good quality cable, regardless of the type.
    Yep, you're right because I was going to say coax...totally a matter of personal preference...
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited April 2004
    I don't think they sound the same, and use coaxial exclusively.

    Early is correct, it's an opinion based answer, either way in regards to sound quality.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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  • AsSiMiLaTeD
    AsSiMiLaTeD Posts: 11,728
    edited April 2004
    Originally posted by dorokusai
    I don't think they sound the same, and use coaxial exclusively.

    Early is correct, it's an opinion based answer, either way in regards to sound quality.
    Ditto...I did a blind test and liked the coax better myself...definitely not the same...

    something about music being turned to light just doesn't work well with me...
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  • Ron-P
    Ron-P Posts: 8,519
    edited April 2004
    I ran both and could not tell a difference. I use coax because it's much less expensive and much more durable.
    If...
    Ron dislikes a film = go out and buy it.
    Ron loves a film = don't even rent.
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  • ezc
    ezc Posts: 426
    edited April 2004
    I use both. I use coax for music dvd (eagles hfo & others) & optical for movies. Tried both switching between inputs on the same dvds. The Optical sounds slightly harsher & more upfront, I like that way for movies, the coax sounds more realxed (neutral) my preference for music. I have tried different brands & the same out come.
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  • movieguy
    movieguy Posts: 64
    edited April 2004
    your own ears are the best judge , both are digital output and are supposed to be identical in sound quality . the coax cable is definatley cheaper. my own expereince trying both,was movies sounded better with the optical and music with the coax. borrow some cables from a friend if you can and try them both. whichever route you choose by a highquality cable.
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  • PolkThug
    PolkThug Posts: 7,532
    edited April 2004
    If you hear differences between the two, it would probably be from the way your specific equipment is handling it, not the conduit of the data. Transmitting digital data with a blinking light or via wire will net the same data. If data is missing, it is very obvious with loud pops or chirps.

    I'll try to do some A/B testing this week.
    Never Forget
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited April 2004
    Originally posted by PolkThug
    If you hear differences between the two, it would probably be from the way your specific equipment is handling it, not the conduit of the data. Transmitting digital data with a blinking light or via wire will net the same data. If data is missing, it is very obvious with loud pops or chirps.

    I'll try to do some A/B testing this week.

    That is a valid point, it is routed differently in my equipment, but the result is a result, nonetheless. Sure the theory of it all is always simple, application is what throws that silly wrench in this stuff. Damn that wrench! :) I did it, didn't like it, don't use it.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,200
    edited April 2004
    oldest digital question since it all began......

    It doesn't matter which one you use as long as it's of high quality.
    I have tried many different bands and quality levels.

    Dan
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • hamzahsh
    hamzahsh Posts: 439
    edited April 2004
    Both are excellent and no difference in sound quality but I had a bad experience with optical cable because my $90 AR Master Series Fiber Optic cable broke about 2 years ago and then I hated it so much that I performed a surgery on it and ripped it totally apart and trashed it in the garbage.

    It's been 4 months now I've been using Monster Interlink Coaxial Cable which is very thick and solid and not fragile at all to break. I love COAX!
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  • HBombToo
    HBombToo Posts: 5,256
    edited April 2004
    The typical TOSLink is more prone to jitter than that of coax but low quality interconnects could cause jitter also. AT&T glass is better at preventing jitter and you will find this on much higher end gear.

    IMHO set up both and see which one you like and you tell us:D

    HBomb
    ***WAREMTAE***
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  • enxxmp
    enxxmp Posts: 1
    edited April 2004
    the two variables you should also be concerned with is the lenght of the cable and the quality especially the shielding. If you use coax you should make shure it is quad shielded. Also coax will attenuate the signal more than fiber over a given legth which will put the signal closer to the noise floor. If your distance is short and you use a good quality cable you should be fine with coax.
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