Toslink cable upgrade question

[TAVD]

I recently added some new gear to my home studio and the changes really highlighted some other week areas of my setup. It never ends, I know, but now I'm doing some cable upgrades.

I've read on the hi-fi forums some very positive remarks regarding glass toslink cables. Right now I'm hearing quite a big difference between the digital signals going in and out of my HD recorder. I was hoping that replacing the Hosa toslink with Wireworld or Glass toslink cables would help in this regard.

Does anyone have any experience with these cables? Any insight? Is this another one of those myths to make me spend my money?

[Frost]

I notice a clear difference. I own several of the sonic link glass optical cables. I paid around $70 each. The ones they sell on ebay look like an oem version and cost $29, so you can try it without too much risk. That being said, a digital to digital transfer that isnt immediately hitting a DAC should not make any difference. I still use nice cables there becaus they arent that expensive, but...

I have also recently seen the apogee glas toslink cables which look nice and are around $50. I have not tried them but apogee cables hold high regard for me.

Frost

[Ruudman]

I also own Glass cables, and I noticed a difference compared to Hosa.
But I have an option for using TDIF instead, and I made the switch a month ago. I feel like I do not need to worry now.
For cables anyway; as for money:



ruudman

[threm]

The guy selling glass toslinks on ebay can be found here:
http://stores.ebay.com/24-7-MINIDISC...enameZl2QQtZkm

[Ruudman]

Originally posted by threm
The guy selling glass toslinks on ebay can be found here:
http://stores.ebay.com/24-7-MINIDISC...enameZl2QQtZkm

I think that's the OEM version Frost mentioned.

ruudman

[Robman2]

Hosa here,

Plastic TOS cables no matter which brand (voodoo big scary brand included) will transmit light the same. The more robust builds such as our OPM, survive the chiar rolling etc better then the standard thin versions.

Glass fiber, is a superior medium, by how much I'm not sure but we use glass between our OGL Lightpipe extender photo-couple format convertors.

In ADAT protacol, the distance a plastic fiber will manage signal is about 30 feet, in stereo may work as far as 50 feet.

FWIW

R

[TAVD]

That's for the input. After taking a closer look, I realize the cables I'm replacing are not Hosa, but some off brand. The termination on one looks a little suspect too. I'm going to continue to use some Hosa cables for a less critical 20 foot run, where durability is required. I'm going to try the Apogee cables for the more critical connections. I'm hearing both distortion and smear currently. Can't say for sure if it's in the cable or in the light to digital conversion. As someone else said, I shouldn't hear any difference provided the signal stays in the digital domain, but it's there and it's not subtle. I'd prefer tdif but my hd recorder only does adat i/o. I'll post my impressions of the Apogee when they arrive.

[Robman2]

Yeah,

Roadie rule number one, check the cable...

R