I have been pondering getting the Lifatec Mini-optical to Toslink glass cables, which are metal sheathed (I bet bending those around my system will fun), but my reasons are somewhat complex and because I like to experiment. I have a Van Den Hul Optocoupler here, which, I'm sorry to say, the use of which resulted in less harshness in the music compared to a cheap optical cable with some of the DACs I've owned, but it is not long enough for my current arrangement. I'm using a 3m long Sony I came across here currently. Furthermore, after some experimentation, I found optical itself to be less than ideal. I use it now though, because it's convenient, and I have what amounts to a digital re-clocker. Your mileage may vary. The problem is very likely that industry standardization on the horrid Toslink plug (Toshiba Link) is to blame.
By the way, the plug for the MacBook Pro is called a "mini-optical" and the squarish plug is called a Toslink plug.
By the way, the plug for the MacBook Pro is called a "mini-optical" and the squarish plug is called a Toslink plug.
