[Ruahrc]

I'm getting the Advanced AV connector pack for my xbox so I can use the component video input on my tv. I also have a reciever and a 5.1 setup- so I was going to use the optical audio out on the connector as well. The question is- should I buy an optical cable with a glass fiber core for the better quality or should I just stick with the cheaper cables since it's just an xbox and I won't notice the difference anyhow? The only advantage aside from the sound quality is that I can use the glass core optical cable later down the road when I have better things for it to connect to- and would not have wasted money on a plastic cable that i would end up replacing anyhow.

For gaming I'm sure the plastic would do fine but I also will probably use the xbox as a cd player too since I don't have a standalone cd player.

And if I am to go with just plain plastic fiber core optical cables- should I go for the cheapest one I can find since it's all plastic anyways? (I have been eyeing the Acoustic Research optical cables avaliable at bestbuy if I am to go plastic, they are cheaper than that monster crap and easily avaliable.)

Ruahrc

 

[Wodgy]

I'd go for glass, since good glass cables aren't that expensive. If you go for plastic, keep it short, since plastic consumer cables tend to lose signal strength at a rate of around 17 dB per meter.

 

[mrkun]

I know DarkAngel and a few others really liked these: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=3042316569

 

[Jam_Master_J]

I'm new here so take it easy on me

But my logic says that 1s and 0s from a plastic cable is just as good as glass. Unless the cable is so poor quality that the signal is not being recieved clearly.

Now I'm just a newbie to some of this stuff but I think the money would be better spent on analog interconnects in your system.

 

[Wodgy]

Quote:

Originally posted by Jam_Master_J But my logic says that 1s and 0s from a plastic cable is just as good as glass. Unless the cable is so poor quality that the signal is not being recieved clearly.

That's what I thought too (for a long time), until I did some research into optical cables. It turns out that the 1's and 0's issue isn't quite so simple, and the differences are both measurable and audible. You're quite right that with a very short cable (say, one foot long), it's unlikely that you'll be able to distinguish between plastic and glass. But as cable length increases, the signal becomes weaker more quickly through plastic cables, making it more difficult for the receiver to detect 1s and 0s. With long optical cable runs, plastic has more errors and jitter than glass. Will this make a difference with a 6 foot cable? Well, you're looking at about a 34 dB optical power drop from transmitter to receiver (i.e. not trivial) with plastic.

 

[Ruahrc]

Well for $30 I might as well just go for the glass... I remember seeing that cable a while back when I asked about optical connections in the past. People have liked them.

Do you know if they're avaliable anywhere else besides eBay? Or is the guy who is selling them a reliable guy?

Ruahrc

PS This cable run is going to be extremely short too- the total length shouldnt be more than a couple feet.

 

[mrkun]

Quote:

Originally posted by Ruahrc Do you know if they're avaliable anywhere else besides eBay? Or is the guy who is selling them a reliable guy?

He has 679 positive feedback out of 679 total feedback - you be the judge.

 

[aeberbach]

The component video cable for xbox makes a real difference. Since you might one day use the optical cable somewhere else why not get glass? I seriously doubt you will tell the difference while you're gaming though.

 

[Wodgy]

Quote:

Originally posted by Ruahrc Do you know if they're avaliable anywhere else besides eBay?

The exact same cables are available for slightly cheaper at MCM Electronics. My theory about why not many people are aware of this deal is because if you go to the MCM Electronics website and search for "TOSLINK" the glass cables don't show up. You have to search for "optical cable" or "glass cable" (can't remember which).

 

[Ruahrc]

Yeah the component video is great. My friend had a TV with component inputs and we were all amazed at the quality of the games we played on the xbox. Then we went to my other friend's house who is using composite video- we had trouble playing halo for a little bit because we couldn't tell if the fuzzy smudge in the distance was a player or a bush =)

Wodgy- Do you know for sure if those cables from MCM are the exact same ones that the ebay auction is selling? The picture displayed on the MCM website is different than the ones shown on ebay. I'm not refuting your claim, just making sure before I actually place an order. (The optical cable Im looking at is MCM part 24-6490. I searched for "Glass cables") That site has some great prices!

Ruahrc

 

[Wodgy]

Quote:

Originally posted by Ruahrc Wodgy- Do you know for sure if those cables from MCM are the exact same ones that the ebay auction is selling? The picture displayed on the MCM website is different than the ones shown on ebay. I'm not refuting your claim, just making sure before I actually place an order. (The optical cable Im looking at is MCM part 24-6490. I searched for "Glass cables") That site has some great prices!

There was a debate about this in another thread a while ago. The picture on the MCM website is just a generic picture of cables -- it doesn't depict the actual cables you'll get. I believe the consensus from the previous thread was that the cables sold on eBay and the ones sold at MCM were the same (they even were labelled identically) but that when you order from eBay you get the cables in retail packaging, whereas from MCM you get them in bulk packaging (i.e. a clear plastic bag).

MCM does indeed have some great prices. I've found that their prices on certain types of computer gear (long USB cables, etc.) are tough to beat.