Quality mini TOS to TOS recommendations

[NickK]

Hi There,

I'm looking for a good quality optical cable to hook my Macbook up to a new TOSlink equipped DAC (the Diyeden Great March II) - can anyone recommend a 3.5mm to full size optical lead withoy using adaptors ?

Thanks !!

Nick

 

[vYu223]

bump, ditto. I'm looking for one too! But I can't find any.

 

[MontanaJustin]

I've yet to see any on sale, either at a store or on the web, either. The one I have came with my Sharp Mini-Disc player/recorder...

 

[Killercrush]

http://www.sysconcept.ca/product_inf...products_id=69

 

[Jeff E]

This has been recommended in another thread. I have had no experience with it or the vendor.

 

[videocrew]

http://www.vandenhul.com/cable/optocplr.htm

That can be ordered in mini->toslink form. Should be very high quality as far as Van den Hul's reputation goes.

 

[vo328]

I've used this from Monoprice with great results. Also heard positive comments from others.

 

[NickK]

Thanks Folks !!

been busy with that "work" stuff for the past few days (necessary to indulge this hobby). Greatly appreciate your respsonses

Nick

 

[Happy Camper]

http://www.audioquest.com/

Go into ICs-digital

And then get back to work

 

[Sherwood]

For what it's worth, NickK, a mini adapter is a non-mechanical adapter so it has no effect on the signal chain. It doesn't conduct electricity or your optical signal. All it does is create a path for the optical signal to reach the end of a standard optical cable. Basically a specially shaped piece of plastic. I think you're far better off getting an adapter from the macbook, and getting a quality toslink cable you can use for other applications down the road.

 

[vYu223]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sherwood /img/forum/go_quote.gif For what it's worth, NickK, a mini adapter is a non-mechanical adapter so it has no effect on the signal chain. It doesn't conduct electricity or your optical signal. All it does is create a path for the optical signal to reach the end of a standard optical cable. Basically a specially shaped piece of plastic. I think you're far better off getting an adapter from the macbook, and getting a quality toslink cable you can use for other applications down the road.

Really? So it doesn't affect quality or introduce [more] jitter? So there's no optical materials or metal in the adaptor?

EDIT: I'm not sure if you're correct. Here's a link to some pics of the headroom tos-mini adaptor: http://www.headphone.com/productPhot...icn=0050430002

Check out the third one.

 

[Sherwood]

I'm sorry, I phrased that poorly. It doesn't conduct electricity, but it does conduct optical information. It is, however, a very well milled piece of fiber optics, and as transparent as signal path can be. Numerous very cable-centric reviewers have been unable to discern any difference btwn optical adapters and optical-terminated cable. Optical adapters are as transparent as adapters can possibly be.

As far as jitter is concerned, an adapter wouldn't affect that greatly. Your DAC runs off a clock that standardizes data, and that clock is where jitter is eliminated or introduced. Send it to a good DAC, and your adapter doesn't matter.

 

[vYu223]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sherwood /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm sorry, I phrased that poorly. It doesn't conduct electricity, but it does conduct optical information. It is, however, a very well milled piece of fiber optics, and as transparent as signal path can be. Numerous very cable-centric reviewers have been unable to discern any difference btwn optical adapters and optical-terminated cable. Optical adapters are as transparent as adapters can possibly be. As far as jitter is concerned, an adapter wouldn't affect that greatly. Your DAC runs off a clock that standardizes data, and that clock is where jitter is eliminated or introduced. Send it to a good DAC, and your adapter doesn't matter.

Ohhh, I see... I'm going to follow your advice and get a regular tos-tos link cable from bluejeans then.

Which should I get; the one from monoprice, or the one from bluejeans?

 

[Sherwood]

We run into some trouble here. I'm of the belief that digital cables either work or don't. They either convey an accurate signal to the dac, or they distort information and break easily. I have a number of monoprice cables and a few audioquest cables, and I'll be damned if I can tell the difference. Between monoprice and bluejeans, I'd go monoprice for digital and bluejeans for analog. I've got two or three optical monoprice cables and they arrive well-packaged, extremely quickly and for a great price. Plus, since they're so cheap I set about to break one once, and it took me the better part of the afternoon bending it every which way before I could stress it enough to affect the signal. Shopping at monoprice is like being seven and walking into the dollar store -- you buy stuff you don't even need because it's so cheap and you might need it someday.

Cheers.

 

[vYu223]

Wow, thanks a lot! I'm going to go with the one from monoprice then. I wonder if they have a tos->mini adaptor...

EDIT: They do.

EDIT 2: Awsome; I'm going to get this and this then:

http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...mat=4#feedback

http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...ormat=2&style=