Back to Toslink...

steveinaz

After 9 months of switching back and forth from Toslink to AES/EBU, I've decided to stick with toslink. Midrange seems a little better, and treble is a touch smoother. Overall presentation seems more neutral and tonally balanced, especially between midrange/treble frequencies. The neutrality/smoothness is even more apparent at high listening levels. It's subtle, but audible.

I bought a SonicWave quartz-glass toslink cable, .5mtr, with a 12Mhz bandwidth capability--so the bandwidth issue is moot point (if it ever was a valid argument for coax). I like the idea of complete electrical isolation, zero cable-induced jitter, and not having to worry about impedance mis-match, cable reflections, etc.

Give toslink a try, you might be surprised...

janmike

I started out with Toslink and then my CDP had a better DAC so I went analog. Now the processor has a superior DAC so I'm back to digital. I recent purchased a Silver Resolution Digital Coax from SC and like the additional detail. I was expecting a bright sound but found with my gear all I rec'd was additional detail, which is a good thing. I will flip back and forth from this cable to Toslink over the next few months to determine which I like best. I purchased the Toslink from SC as well as I need 1.5M digitals. My previous Toslink from RS was only 2ft. long.

**Minimum digital cable = 1.5M**

steveinaz

There's a ton of bad info on the net about toslink. After reading through a number of forums it's clear that many are speaking of older toslink with plastic fiber and 5-6Mhz bandwidth. Today's glass fiber is capable of 10-12Mhz bandwidth and connectors have been vastly improved for a positive/concentric fit. But I've even had good success with $39 Monster plastic fiber cables (Lightspeed 100 I think?).

95% of the negative feedback is "internet parrots" who are simply repeating something they've heard/read rather than doing long term comparisons like I have done. I've been a-b'ing coax, aes/ebu and Toslink for nearly 9 months and in my system, FWIW, I've noted the following:

Toslink: extremely neutral
AES/EBU: warmer presentation, tilted treble slightly, slightly set-back midrange
Coaxial: Right smack in the middle of Toslink and AES/EBU. Not quite as warm as AES/EBU, but not as neutral as Toslink.

Of course YMMV...

reeltrouble1

steveinaz wrote:

There's a ton of bad info on the net ...

You know it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nothing like having an open mind and trying things out on your own.

RT1

madmax

Whatever sounds the best! I have often wondered how adding two extra stages (changing to light then back to signal) could not cause more noise and problems than a straight RF link but I guess it depends on the quality of the circuitry.
madmax

steveinaz

Time & time again, when I think I'm detecting a little edginess, I select the Toslink input, and it just delivers the ultimate in neutrality. It snaps everything into balance, with no particular frequency range trying to push its way ahead of the rest. Like a very well designed speaker crossover where everything just gels. The background is absolutely dead quiet, maybe because there is no "electrical" connection? I don't know, but that rationale makes sense to me.

It sounds very much like running your source directly into your amplifier. I'm diggin it. This is one those deals where I really didn't want the toslink to win, but I can't deny what I'm hearing, toslink myths be damned, it just sounds better.

HiPerf360

I have alway prefered optical connections as well, but i go back and forth over using te pre/pro DAC or the CDP DAC as they both have a unique sound.

AlanD

madmax wrote:

Whatever sounds the best! I have often wondered how adding two extra stages (changing to light then back to signal) could not cause more noise and problems than a straight RF link but I guess it depends on the quality of the circuitry.

By definition, it has to add more noise/problems at the conversion stage. The difference is what happens to the signal over the cable. Everyone's got their equipment in a different environment.

In general, it doesn't make sense that jitter is affected by the cable that much. And yet, in blind testing, you can hear that there are differences...

Frank Z

Beauty is in the ear of the beholder.

My ears, my music, my gear add up to coax sounding better. Who knows, changing one piece of gear could change everything (it usually does) and I might go back to toslink. Experiment and see what sounds the best...that's what this addiction...er...hobby, is all about.

heiney9

steveinaz wrote:

There's a ton of bad info on the net about toslink. After reading through a number of forums it's clear that many are speaking of older toslink with plastic fiber and 5-6Mhz bandwidth. Today's glass fiber is capable of 10-12Mhz bandwidth and connectors have been vastly improved for a positive/concentric fit. But I've even had good success with $39 Monster plastic fiber cables (Lightspeed 100 I think?).

95% of the negative feedback is "internet parrots" who are simply repeating something they've heard/read rather than doing long term comparisons like I have done. I've been a-b'ing coax, aes/ebu and Toslink for nearly 9 months and in my system, FWIW, I've noted the following:

Toslink: extremely neutral
AES/EBU: warmer presentation, tilted treble slightly, slightly set-back midrange
Coaxial: Right smack in the middle of Toslink and AES/EBU. Not quite as warm as AES/EBU, but not as neutral as Toslink.

Of course YMMV...

Good info Steve! I use the same Toslink in the computer rig (by necessity) as that's the only type of digital out on the sound card. I use a 75 ohm coax on the main rig and really haven't done any experimenting to speak of. I have always been a bit leary of Toslink but after your results I may switch the main rig to Toslink for awhile to see how it works out.

H9