Finding the Right Optical Audio Cable
Optical audio cables are a good option for any home audio system. The cables use light to transmit audio signals from the source to the receiver and as result, are not affected by any electrical interference. Optical cables can connect audio components like a sound bar to a receiver.
What Is the Difference between Optical and Coaxial Audio Cables?
While both optical and coaxial cables transmit high definition audio signals from one source to another component, they do so differently. Optical cables convert the signals to a light beam for the transmission whilst coaxial cables retain the signals in an electrical digital state. As a result, optical cables are not susceptible to radio frequency or electromagnetic interference which lowers sound clarity in standard coaxial cables.
What Do You Look for When Looking for an Optical Audio Cable for Your Home Audio?
The optical audio cable will most likely depend on the type of connection on your particular Sony home audio devices. With the right choice, you can avoid compromising the quality of the playback of your home theatre system. When choosing an optical audio cable, you should consider the following.
- Bandwidth: The higher the bandwidth, the better the cable will work. For home theatre users, a low bandwidth cable can cause a noticeable drop in the quality of the audio output. However, this may not be the same for smaller devices such as a CD player.
- Length: Signal quality diminishes over distance and anything over 5 meters can cause audio clarity to go down. For anything longer than 10 meters, you might need to get a signal booster. Also, picking cables that use melted quartz optic medium over cables with plastic fibers can allow you to cover a larger distance.
- Width: While cable width does not bring performance differences, wider cables are more durable due to the presence of a protective PVC outer layer.
How Do You Connect an Optical Cable to a TV?
Optical audio cables come with different kinds of connectors. When establishing an audio connection, there are a number of things you sound and can support 5.1 surround sound. However, if you are looking to enjoy Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD Master Audio, you should consider getting an HDMI (version 1.3 and above).
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