Optical digital cable

mrbofus
mrbofus Posts: 297
edited January 2010 in Basic Hookup/Wiring Questions
Greetings.

I currently have RCA cable from my TV to my receiver for stereo sound when desired. Is optical digital cable worth it to upgrade? Is the sound quality noticeable?
Thanks
Greg
PS TV is a sharp 40" LCD and Receiver is Onkyo 507
Sharp Aqous 40" LCD
Onkyo TX SR-507 AVR
Onkyo DX-C390 CD Changer
POLK RTI8 Mains--Cherry
the rest...in process...slowly!!
Post edited by mrbofus on
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  • nguyendot
    nguyendot Posts: 3,594
    edited December 2009
    Yes,

    it will allow you to get digital audio and surround (Dolby digital typically, 5.1) from your high def broadcasts.
    Main Surround -
    Epson 8350 Projector/ Elite Screens 120" / Pioneer Elite SC-35 / Sunfire Signature / Focal Chorus 716s / Focal Chorus CC / Polk MC80 / Polk PSW150 sub

    Bedroom - Sharp Aquos 70" 650 / Pioneer SC-1222k / Polk RT-55 / Polk CS-250

    Den - Rotel RSP-1068 / Threshold CAS-2 / Boston VR-M60 / BDP-05FD
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  • Serendipity
    Serendipity Posts: 6,975
    edited December 2009
    Yes! The only reason I wouldn't use an optical cable is if the DACs in the source are better than that downstream.
    polkaudio RT35 Bookshelves
    polkaudio 255c-RT Inwalls
    polkaudio DSWPro550WI
    polkaudio XRT12 XM Tuner
    polkaudio RM6750 5.1

    Front projection, 2 channel, car audio... life is good!
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  • mrbofus
    mrbofus Posts: 297
    edited December 2009
    any recommendations for what brand to use?
    sounds like I should switch cables.
    Thanks
    Greg
    Sharp Aqous 40" LCD
    Onkyo TX SR-507 AVR
    Onkyo DX-C390 CD Changer
    POLK RTI8 Mains--Cherry
    the rest...in process...slowly!!
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  • fbm211
    fbm211 Posts: 1,488
    edited December 2009
    Monoprice has great deals on cables.I got my HDMI and an optical cable from them.Good quality and bargain prices.
    SDA-2BTL with custom IC
    Adcom 565 monoblocks--Monarchy Audio M-10 preamp
    Theta Data Basic Transport--Stello DA100 Signature DAC--Camelot Dragon Pro2 MK III
    Harman Kardon T-55c TT
    DH Labs Q-10 Signature Speaker Cables With Furez silver plated copper bananas
    Revelation Audio Labs Prophecy Cryo-Silver Reference AES/EBU
    Revelation Audio Labs Prophecy Cryo-Silver i2s digital cable
    4 Furutech FP-314Ag with FI-11cu Plugs/FI-11AG IECs--- Power Cords
    DH LABS REVELATIONS ICs-amps
    Revelation Audio Labs Paradise cryo-silver ICs-Source to pre
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  • bigaudiofanatic
    bigaudiofanatic Posts: 4,415
    edited December 2009
    nguyendot wrote: »
    Yes,

    it will allow you to get digital audio and surround (Dolby digital typically, 5.1) from your high def broadcasts.

    Same here this is what I am doing. Using a fiber out from the tv to my receiver the over the air broadcast most come in Dolby digital.
    HT setup
    Panasonic 50" TH-50PZ80U
    Denon DBP-1610
    Monster HTS 1650
    Carver A400X :cool:
    MIT Exp 3 Speaker Wire
    Kef 104/2
    URC MX-780 Remote
    Sonos Play 1

    Living Room
    63 inch Samsung PN63C800YF
    Polk Surroundbar 3000
    Samsung BD-C7900
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  • domflane
    domflane Posts: 653
    edited December 2009
    another vote for monoprice, I just got a sub cable and HDMI's from them cheap and they're really nice.
    Home Theater
    RTiA5 - CSiA6 - FXiA6 - PSW650 - Pioneer Elite SC-55 - Carver AV-505 - Sony 46" 120Hz - Monster HP 2400 - Xbox 360 - Playstation 3
    2 Channel
    Polk RTA 15TL - Harman Kardon HK3485 - HK DVD48 - Signal Cable IC's and speaker cables
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  • dvran
    dvran Posts: 280
    edited December 2009
    +1 Monoprice.
    ~Dan

    Projector: Epson 705HD on 106" DaLite
    TV: Samsung 50" Plasma PN50B550
    Receiver: Onkyo 607
    Fronts: Polk 1000i
    Center: Polk Csi40
    Rears: Polk Fxi30
    Sub: Velodyne Minivee 10
    PS3 and Xbox
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  • kevhed72
    kevhed72 Posts: 5,059
    edited December 2009
    Monoprice = good.
    High - end VIDEO cables ie spending $$$ for them is questionable due many people see no difference in picture quality.
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  • Willow
    Willow Posts: 11,055
    edited December 2009
    I have Signal Cable Toslink and I find it to be a very well built cable.
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  • concealer404
    concealer404 Posts: 7,440
    edited December 2009
    I actually run (don't shoot me) a Monster toslink cable. Got it for like $7 a couple years ago. I have no complaints with it.
    I don't read the newsssspaperssss because dey aaaallllllllll...... have ugly print.

    Living Room: B&K Reference 5 S2 / Parasound HCA-1000A / Emotiva XDA-2 / Pioneer BDP-51FD / Paradigm 11se MKiii

    Desk: Schiit Magni 2 Uber / Schiit Modi 2 Uber / ISK HD9999

    Office: Schiit Magni 2 Uber / Schiit Modi 2 Uber / Dynaco SCA-80Q / Paradigm Legend V.3

    HT: Denon AVR-X3400H / Sony UBP-X700 / RT16 / CS350LS / RT7 / SVS PB1000
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  • TimeTech
    TimeTech Posts: 8
    edited January 2010
    Signal Cable Toslink + 1

    Great cable !!!
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  • Knucklehead
    Knucklehead Posts: 3,602
    edited January 2010
    fbm211 wrote: »
    Monoprice has great deals on cables.I got my HDMI and an optical cable from them.Good quality and bargain prices.

    +1, I bought mine at Monoprice, works great!
    Polk Audio Surround Bar 360
    Mirage PS-12
    LG BDP-550
    Motorola HD FIOS DVR
    Panasonic 42" Plasma
    XBOX 360[/SIZE]

    Office stuff

    Allied 395 receiver
    Pioneer CDP PD-M430
    RT8t's & Wharfedale Diamond II's[/SIZE]

    Life is one grand, sweet song, so start the music. ~Ronald Reagan
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  • Knucklehead
    Knucklehead Posts: 3,602
    edited January 2010
    kevhed72 wrote: »
    Monoprice = good.
    High - end VIDEO cables ie spending $$$ for them is questionable due many people see no difference in picture quality.

    Oh no he di-int'!!!!:p
    Polk Audio Surround Bar 360
    Mirage PS-12
    LG BDP-550
    Motorola HD FIOS DVR
    Panasonic 42" Plasma
    XBOX 360[/SIZE]

    Office stuff

    Allied 395 receiver
    Pioneer CDP PD-M430
    RT8t's & Wharfedale Diamond II's[/SIZE]

    Life is one grand, sweet song, so start the music. ~Ronald Reagan
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  • mrbofus
    mrbofus Posts: 297
    edited January 2010
    Ok so I got an Optical digital cable. Hooked into TV and AVR no sound. What am I missing.
    I was (am) using RCA from the TV to the AVR for TV stereo sound.
    Confused ???????
    Greg
    Sharp Aqous 40" LCD
    Onkyo TX SR-507 AVR
    Onkyo DX-C390 CD Changer
    POLK RTI8 Mains--Cherry
    the rest...in process...slowly!!
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  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,990
    edited January 2010
    Hook it to your cable box, to your receiver marked "sat". Then turn your input on receiver to "sat".

    If you don't have a cable box,make sure your hooked up to the tv input and turn the receiver to that input.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
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  • zingo
    zingo Posts: 11,258
    edited January 2010
    You also may have to enable a digital input or option on either device. Good luck.
    Jake
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  • wutadumsn23
    wutadumsn23 Posts: 3,702
    edited January 2010
    zingo wrote: »
    You also may have to enable a digital input or option on either device. Good luck.

    +1, you will have to change the settings on your AVR for that input to digital optical in order to make the swap.

    -Jeff
    HT Rig
    Receiver- Onkyo TX-SR806
    Mains- Polk Audio Monitor 70
    Center- Polk Audio CS2
    Surrounds- Polk Audio TSi 500's :D
    Sub- Polk Audio PSW125
    Retired- Polk Audio Monitor 40's
    T.V.- 60" Sony SXRD KDS-60A2000 LCoS
    Blu-Ray- 80 GB PS3


    2 CH rig (in progress)
    Polk Audio Monitor 10A's :cool:

    It's not that I'm insensitive, I just don't care.. :D
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