In Reply to: digital cable length posted by BRab on January 6, 2018 at 17:08:14:
I read years ago a post from a guy who installed high-capacity optical cabling for SONET type data links etc. that the cable length had ZERO effect, but the connectors were the whole show.
First, apply Occam's razor. If there was a significant sound difference, least assumptions suggest it resulted from some corollary effect-- like the old cable connector was damaged or dirty, or there was a spiderweb in the jack and the next cable pushed it aside...- if you see what I mean. It truly sounded better but not because of the cable or the length, because of some gunk or something in the connecting/reconnecting. My overall experience tends suggest to be very, very careful in conducting comparisons of cables (any sort) to be reasonably sure you're not hearing effects from other than the cable. In the RF Engineering Group at Northrup (Avionics, Instrument Test) I'd say 1/3 of the problems with instruments resulting in flags for OUT OF SPEC or otherwise on the fritz were remedied by unplugging, rearranging the bundle, and re-plugging the cables --and those were some super high quality cable and connectors.
In an email from Lifatech, they said that they wipe the ends of their optical cable very gently with a lint-free cloth and isopropyl. I also blow out the optical jack with a gentle spritz of canned air. Try that and run a comparison.
I found, compared carefully, the Lifatech were a fine sounding Toslink. They tout excellent connectors and beautiful real glass; their very fine glass ends look solid and perfectly smooth under a microscope. Some other cables looked like a squashed plastic glob under a microscope. I got one of their 6 ft. 'Silflex" cables so I could move things around easily. See my review.
BTW, the suitability of Toslink is highly system dependent and the bad rap it has gotten through the years is probably due to the manufacturer's use of jittery, $.79 optical interfaces in so much equipment. Connecting some gear, it can sound quite excellent.
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Follow Ups
- RE: digital cable length - mr.bear 01/7/1815:05:07 01/7/18 (11)
- There is a medical etc gel to use in optical connections - pffft? 12:14:38 01/8/18 (8)
- Stereophile, back in the early 1990s - 1973shovel 06:49:47 01/11/18 (1)
- Good times: Stereophile, back in the early 1990s - Duster 22:55:43 01/11/18 (0)
- Amazon link to "index matching gel" inside.. - pffft? 11:10:29 01/9/18 (0)
- Hmmm.... - Ivan303 17:54:33 01/8/18 (4)
- Less is more.. A small hemishere of goo on th etip of the cable. but skip as it is a temporary connection - pffft? 11:05:16 01/9/18 (1)
- That makes sense...."just a little dab'll do ya" to create the interface. [nt] - alan m. kafton 11:30:39 01/9/18 (0)
- RE: Hmmm.... - bcowen 18:04:26 01/8/18 (1)
- Even if the analog headphone jack stops working? - Ivan303 19:12:06 01/8/18 (0)
- Excellent post.... - alan m. kafton 11:49:21 01/8/18 (0)
- RE: digital cable length - BRab 16:22:00 01/7/18 (0)