Digital Coax Vs. Optical
Digital coax and optical audio (Toslink) cables transfer digital audio from any source to a receiver or amplifier. Each supports multi-channel audio over a single cable. The question of which is better typically depends upon the particular application or setup scenario.
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Digital Coax
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Digital coax cables are essentially the same as standard RCA cables. Better shielding and materials are applied to digital coax to maintain signal strength.
Optical Audio
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Optical cables are fiber optic cables. Digital audio is converted into beams of light, which is then decoded by a receiver.
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Sound Quality
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Although the two cable types offer different transmission methods, the sound quality is the same. The decision over one or the other is solely dependent upon the characteristics of the cables themselves.
Digital Coax Advantage
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Digital coax cables are generally studier than optical audio. Its advantage over optical audio is the ability to be bent around tighter corners and angles without any loss of signal.
Optical Advantage
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Though digital coax cables are hardier, they can also lose signal over length and are more susceptible to interference. Optical coax is able to maintain signal strength over long cables and, because it uses light pulses to transfer signal, interference is a non-issue.
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References
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