9/8/2023 0 Comments Optical to rca cable![]() ![]() Instead of a light-based audio connection, it uses a traditional RCA-style cable and connections to link your devices. The digital coaxial connection has the same function as the optical connection, it's simply delivered in a different format. Many times there will even be a border drawn around the two ports, heavily implying they are related. On many receivers and soundbars, you'll often find a "Digital Coaxial" connection right next to the 'Digital Audio" optical connection we've discussed extensively here. Are Digital Coaxial Connections Similar to Digital Optical Connections? You can purchase dedicated cables with MINI-TOSLINK or put an adapter on a normal TOSLINK cable. And the popular but now discontinued Chromecast Audio had a multi-purpose audio port on it that supported both traditional 3.5mm audio cables as well as MINI-TOSLINK. You won't find many modern devices with the MINI-TOSLINK connection, but some older laptops and computers sometimes had it-most notably MacBooks and iMacs. It uses the same fiber optic design and underlying standards, but the bulky standard TOSLINK connection is shrunk to a more slender 3.5mm headphone jack profile. As the name implies, it's a miniaturized version of the TOSLINK connection. There has been one minor variation of TOSLINK, however, MINI-TOSLINK. A TOSLINK optical audio cable from the 1990s will work just like one you buy today. The consumer version of the TOSLINK standard has stayed stable for decades. ![]() Are There Different Types of Optical Audio Connections and Cables? Variations like in labeling are just that, "Digital Audio," "Optical Audio," and "Digital Audio (Optical)" all refer to the same standard. TOSLINK is just the shortened trade name for Toshiba Link, both named for the company that introduced optical audio as a consumer standard. ![]() Are TOSLINK, Optical Audio, and Digital Audio All The Same? In addition to our overview above, people often have specific questions about optical audio cables and connections. In that case, you should consider giving up on HDMI ARC, which can be hit or miss for many people, and again fall back on the TOSLINK connection to link your TV and soundbar.įrequently Asked Questions about Optical Audio Second, you might have devices that support HDMI ARC (on paper at least) but you run into issues where certain types of audio or audio from certain sources won't work properly. If either your sound bar or TV lacks HDMI ARC support, you're out of luck and should fall back on optical digital audio. HDMI ARC allows your TV to send audio to an attached sound system that also supports the specification. ![]() Connecting a Soundbar to Your TVĪlthough connecting a soundbar to your TV is often a subset of our previous point, regarding keeping older gear in service, there are actually two different reasons why you might want to use the optical digital audio connection on your TV with your soundbar.įirst, you may have an older soundbar, TV, or both that don't support HDMI ARC (Audio Return Channel). Remember, TOSLINK has been on the market since 1983: there is good chance that a premium audio/video receiver manufactured anytime in the few decades has a TOSLINK port. Just when you think you're out of luck, just when you think there is no way to accomplish the audio-system-wrangling required to achieve your goal, the TOSLINK cable can often save the day. Our goal is to highlight how the TOSLINK standard is the unsung hero, the hail-Mary-pass if you will, of the digital audio world. If all your devices are functioning just the way you want in an all HDMI environment, then by all means carry on. Our goal isn't to convince you to switch from HDMI cables to TOSLINK. For the majority of consumer setups, there will be absolutely no discernible difference between audio quality when using an HDMI cable or a TOSLINK cable. The TOSLINK system is still capable of carrying up to 7.1 channels of very high-resolution audio. If HDMI has mostly replaced TOSLINK, then why should you even care? While it's absolutely true that the TOSLINK cable has been largely rendered obsolete, for video systems at least, by HDMI, that doesn't mean the TOSLINK cable should be relegated to Museum of Obsolete Ports and Standards to live out its life in a display case next to SCSI cables and parallel port expansion cards. The Many Uses of Optical Audio (Even Today) ![]()
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