Non Standard Toslink socket.

[Audioman]

Teac T1 transport and D-T1 dac. Bought a cheapish optical cable to compare difference with Co-axial. Plug fits transport OK but sockets on Dac though correct size have a smaller centre hole such that the pin in the cable connector will not insert. Anyone know about this variation and what it is called as well as source of an adaptor. No luck so far with internet searches.

[Clive197]

Sounds like its a Mini-Toslink connector. Not sure if you can get adaptors for them.

[Audioman]

This is what I thought but the body of the plug fits as per normal toslink while the centre pin is too large. Fits in but you can't push it home.

[Stubies]

interesting.

which type is it? left or right?
(i guess you have tried/considered both of these:)
http://columbiaisa.50webs.com/toslink_mini_standard.jpg

Perhaps the female-plug is goofed - have you tried to look inside with a light?
or maybe the cheap cable is the wrong size?
if you run out of options, maybe consider forcing it or using a small drill bit (no drill, just fingers) to try to clean it out...?

or you could post some pictures if it might give more clues?

[Rare Bird]

I don't want to say this but have you took the protective ball off the end of the connector?

:sofa:

[NRG]

The mini toslink looks like a standard 3.5mm headphone socket as pictured above. The other connector is the JIS F05 style connector and AFAIK is the only one in widespread commercial use today and looking at pictures of the rear panel on the D-T1 this seems to be what it uses. Are you sure it does not just need a firm push to click home?

[Stubies]

ooooo, good one!

I don't want to say this but have you took the protective ball off the end of the connector?

:sofa:

[Audioman]

Of course. It goes in the back of the transport easily. Using a light the hole looks a little smaller on the DAC. The DAC sockets look like standard and have tried pushing hard - any more something will break. Could be it's a combination of slightly oversize v slightly undersize. Will have to take out of rack for closer look as general opinion appears to be no other type in common use.

[Audioman]

Sorted. Looks like I have been a bit of a numpty. With clear access to rear panel cable fits fine a case of not being able to getting plug aligned properly even with the unit partly pulled out due to mass of cables. Now running - think this £6 (under £10 with postage) cable off Amazon might give Mark Grant co-axial a run for it's money and probably a lot of audiophool stuff too.

[Rare Bird]

I thought it weird cos i used to have a VRDS10 & that was a standard Optical input..

[StanleyB]

think this £6 (under £10 with postage) cable off Amazon might give Mark Grant co-axial a run for it's money and probably a lot of audiophool stuff too.
The average cheap as chips TOSLINK cable will have little or no problems with 16Bit/44.1KHz data. Where the more complicated TOSLINK construction scores is with higher resolution and higher data transmission. So your TEAC would quite happily work with a 50p cable as well.

[Rare Bird]

Stan
I have a cheapo Toslink & a very expensive one, i hear absolutly no difference what so ever between the two, same goes for USB cables {Just my own personal findings}

[StanleyB]

I can't hear a difference in the sound quality either but I can hear a higher rate of decoding errors at higher sampling rates with a lesser TOSLINK lead.

[Audioman]

This is the cable in question.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003BM23FY/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Would be a £20 cable at full retail. Gold plating nice but can't see that makes a difference with fibre optics. Nicely constructed cable - so neared the audiophool models than a 50p cheapie.

Certainly is improvement over the Mark Grant GH1000 on at least some recordings. Lighter cleaner sound benefits the somewhat hard sound on the Stevie Nicks album I tried. A case of less warmth more detail? Some material is likely to prefer the coaxial but my initial impression is fibre is more accurate to the source. We are talking relatively small differences here. Wonder what other members preference is between Coax and Tos. Generally the accepted wisdom is in favour of coax but I am not so sure about that at the present.

Paul.

[Clive197]

Paul

I think your correct when you say the general consensus is that coax is better. The reason is probably down to the digital conversion from electric to light and back again at source and amp.
My own preference is coax, which I use on my CD and streamer using optical as digital output from the Oppo (i use analogue for SACD) and of course the sky box as there is no alternative on that box.

[StanleyB]

and of course the sky box as there is no alternative on that box.
In a recent picture taken by an AoS member the SKY box was shown to have both an optical and coax socket. It's just that most people don't notice the coax socket for some reason.

[Clive197]

In a recent picture taken by an AoS member the SKY box was shown to have both an optical and coax socket. It's just that most people don't notice the coax socket for some reason.

SORRY, my fault I meant I don't have another coax input on my preamp and therefor have to use optical.