Are Optical outputs that bad?

[Rare Bird]

Personally I've so far not heard any difference between coax and optical in my system, so I wouldn't worry too much about that.

Very very small difference in Bass with optical

However, the bit I don't understand is why you need the variable analogue output on the CD player if you're going to be using an external DAC? Or have I missed something?

[James G]

<snip>Any good recommendations for optical as i only use a QED 'Performance' optical lead, never really bothered with optical before till i bought the 'X222ES' machine!! I've always took very expensive optical leads as a bit of a con tbh..Maybe this QEDlead is as good as it gets with opticals?</snip>

I don't know about the QED, but for what it's worth over the past 3 years I've subjectively compared several optical cables. No silly A-B crap, I mean living with them in my system and getting intimate with the signatures. Overall there was not a lot of huge differences, but a couple (like some freebies) did sound "wrong". There was even a $30 one that didn't do it for me.

Overall I came to the opinion that glass core is better than polymer. Not to say that there's not a good polymer, I just wasn't willing to pay big money to find out.

But from what I have read the critical elements of optical are the connector plugs, the polishing, the vibration dampening, and the quality of the conductor itself. While not susceptible to EMI I hear that optical is more susceptible to breaking, crushing, vibration, and plug misalignment. I learned this after choosing my favorite one and that one happened to be glass fiber, had a plug that snapped in firmly with no jiggle, and the conductor is covered with some soft rubbery materials which I would guess is meant to absorb vibration? Maybe Mark Grant could break it down for us?

But all this rambling aside I bet that QED is probably pretty darn good for the price. But remember it wouldn't really be fair to compare a $30 optical to a $200 coax, which is what I think goes on a lot of times.

I've been thinking about some of those ones that I have that seem to have an ok construction but aren't quite up to it, what would happen if I tried to micro-polish the ends. Maybe the people making them just didn't take the extra 5 minutes to make them what they could have been? And if I ruin it, oh well it was a freebie anyways.
Something like this:
http://www.ehow.com/how_5016627_poli...tic-cable.html

[Barry]

Yes they are!

Despite the over-hype'd immunity to RFI, the use of an optical link requires the addition of two electro-optical converters. Any additional series components, or process can only be a bad thing. It doesn't matter that it is still in the digital domain: these components are not perfect and can add artifacts of their own.

Best to use an electrical interface, and use a well constructed RF cable as an interconnect.

Regards

[Effem]

I have heard very small differences between a co-ax and an AES connection, but never heard any differences between an optical and co-ax to be honest.

As I understand it, Andre is driving his power amp straight out of the XE-222S? I too am baffled where the need for digital output when he doesn't have a DAC at the moment, doesn't have a line level pre-amp and not keen to buy one either, so is Andre thinking way ahead and us Luddites not?

[serendipitydawg]

I have a Beresford TC-7510 which has two coax and two optical inputs.

This makes it easy to compare coax and optical cables as my Pioneer DV 565A DVD player (which I use mainly as a CD transport) has both coax and optical outputs which can be connected simultaneously.

I also have these Beresford-supplied cables. The first is coaxial, the second is optical

http://www.beresford.me/products/TRC-2222.html
http://www.beresford.me/products/TC-36182.html

On my modest system I can discern absolutely no difference between opical and coaxial, and they both sound mighty fine.

So to answer the question "Are optical outputs that bad?" IMHO absolutely not.

[Codifus]

Yes they are!

Despite the over-hype'd immunity to RFI, the use of an optical link requires the addition of two electro-optical converters. Any additional series components, or process can only be a bad thing. It doesn't matter that it is still in the digital domain: these components are not perfect and can add artifacts of their own.

Best to use an electrical interface, and use a well constructed RF cable as an interconnect.

Regards

Exactly. It's all in the conversion.

Optical gets a bad rap because it is in the minority. If all audio components were based on light based circuits instead of electrical based ones, no need for conversion, no loss



CD

[dave2010]

I've been thinking about some of those ones that I have that seem to have an ok construction but aren't quite up to it, what would happen if I tried to micro-polish the ends. Maybe the people making them just didn't take the extra 5 minutes to make them what they could have been? And if I ruin it, oh well it was a freebie anyways.
Something like this:
http://www.ehow.com/how_5016627_poli...tic-cable.html

James

I doubt whether messing around with the ends of fibre, or trying to do your own is going to be worth it, but this page - a link from your reference - http://www.lanshack.com/fiber-optic-...rmination.aspx - does suggest that cleaning with alcohol might be helpful.

Before connection and testing, it is advisable to clean connectors with lint-free wipes moistened with isopropyl alcohol.

[James G]

James

I doubt whether messing around with the ends of fibre, or trying to do your own is going to be worth it, but this page - a link from your reference - http://www.lanshack.com/fiber-optic-...rmination.aspx - does suggest that cleaning with alcohol might be helpful.

That might be worth a try. I'm sure they get dirty. People use contact cleaner on RCAs, why not alcohol on optical right?

[BlueMax]

Guess he is using a power amp. so need some sort of volume control.
I have heard that it is best to avoid digital volume controls cos they work by reducing the bitstream.

If you are using the 'X222ES' that has a variable analogue output, why not feed that direct to the power amp?
If you don't like the sound, feed the digital out to a DAC with a built in pre-amp such as the Breresford DAC.