DAC the better way or is there one ? USB-c vrs Optical input

[Earwax]

It been stated many times when using optical cable splitters or lengths out of the normal diminish the volume.

Many people having these experiences, many companies selling optical splitters state the same.

Not so black and white technology is far beyond what we are taught and lead to believe.

My point is to use quality cables from well rated brands that's really all I was trying to get across.

 

[voodooless]

it been stated many times when using optical cable splitters or lengths out of the normal diminish the volume.

Stated where? It makes zero sense that cable length has influence on volume.

My point is to use quality cables from well rated brands that's really all I was trying to get across.

What makes "quality cable"?

 

[staticV3]

It been stated many times when using optical cable splitters or lengths out of the normal diminish the volume.

There is no mechanism by which long Toslink cable runs or Toslink splitters can reduce playback levels.

In contrast to analog transmission, digital signal strength is entirely decoupled from the amplitude of the transmitted sound.

 

[Count Arthur]

For all you Audiophiles out there It is a well proven experience that Dairy builds earwax same as sugar. I won`t say fact as I don`t want the Dairy or Medical Mafia harassing me.

Cheese is good for your ears:

Could Eating Cheese Help Prevent Hearing Loss?

Could Eating Cheese Help Prevent Hearing Loss?

www.houseofhearing.co.uk

Slightly off topic, but it's a shame that they didn't develop toslink further, for higher bit depths and rates. It's a sure fire way to avoid any issues with ground loops and noise - and absolutely no need for gold plated connectors.

 

[JustJones]

You can get a 20 meter Toslink for £22. Might need a booster or something longer than that. How long of a cable are you talking about?

It been stated many times when using optical cable splitters or lengths out of the normal diminish the volume.

rhinocables Toslink Optical Audio Cable with Gold-plated Contacts, Digital Audio Optical Cable for Soundbar to TV, Home Theater or Game Console from www.rhinocables.co.uk

rhinocables Toslink Optical Audio Cable with Gold-plated Contacts, Digital Audio Optical Cable for Soundbar to TV, Home Theater or Game Console - Specialists in computer cables & leads. Stocking Network HDMI VGA USB Firewire Audio Scart adsl serial ps/2 sata fan

www.rhinocables.co.uk

 

[JustJones]

Cheese is good for your ears:

Could Eating Cheese Help Prevent Hearing Loss?

Could Eating Cheese Help Prevent Hearing Loss?

www.houseofhearing.co.uk

Slightly off topic, but it's a shame that they didn't develop toslink further, for higher bit depths and rates. It's a sure fire way to avoid any issues with ground loops and noise - and absolutely no need for gold plated connectors.

If this is true I should have the hearing of a preteen female.

 

[antcollinet]

Slightly off topic, but it's a shame that they didn't develop toslink further, for higher bit depths and rates. It's a sure fire way to avoid any issues with ground loops and noise - and absolutely no need for gold plated connectors.

Perhaps for lossless multi channel.

But for stereo it already goes far faster than needed for audible perfection.

 

[Blumlein 88]

What makes "quality cable"?

People having experiences???

 

[Roland68]

People having experiences???

I already wrote something about this here: Topping D50 III optical input bug with 44.1kHz files #76

Unfortunately, there are hardly any reputable manufacturers of audio fiber optic cables anymore.

The quality is divided into four basic categories:
- Quarzglasfaserkabel, nicht unter 30-40 €/$ pro Meter, Dämpfung <= ca. 2.5 -3.5 dB/km bei 850 nm.
- High-quality POF PMMA, attenuation <= 150-230 dB/km at 650nm.
- Cheap POF PMMA.
- Fiber optic cables made of cheap plastics with high attenuation, unfortunately, this is what is commonly sold.

There are two basic indicators of cheap fiber optic cables:
- Gold-plated connectors = Run, you're being ripped off.
- No specification of the attenuation factor. High-quality POF fiber optic cables have an attenuation <= 150-230 dB/km at 650nm. If it's high-quality, the manufacturer will state it.

I can recommend everyone to buy their cables from a fiber optic cable shop that sells by the meter.
- High-quality POF costs approximately €/$2-4 per running meter
- Quartz fiber optic cables cost approximately €/$20-30 per running meter
Most shops offer a polishing service for both ends, as well as assembly with Toslink connectors.
The price for a high-quality pre-assembled POF fiber optic cable is approximately €/$9-10 for one meter, approximately €14.00 for 5 meters, and approximately €17.50 for 10 meters. Attenuation <=150 dB/km at 650 nm

 

[akafreak]

To OP : Can you connect your SMSL SU1 using USB to your TV? You can connect it to the USB ports at the back which are used to connect external Hard Disks. TV should display your SMSL SU1 as an audio output device if it supports audio over USB......Samsung ones do so Sony might as well. And then compare the sound. TV output should sound different (vs same DAC connected to PC using USB) and boosted in low & mid frequencies. The difference isn't subtle so your ears should be enough to judge.

You are the only other person I have come across talking about this online so I am curious if my findings were correct or not.

To summarize for others, I suspect my TV (Samsung QN90B) was doing some default audio processing in digital domain for playback over internal TV speakers and outputting the same processed audio over Digital connections (Optical & USB). Not over HDMI eARC passthrough.....but over Optical & USB. I was never able to confirm this but it seemed like it.

Again, its not the cables. And anyone who spends an unreasonable amount on cables or silver solder should open up their Speakers or DAC/Amp and see the cables and solder quality inside for themselves.

 

[Blumlein 88]

I already wrote something about this here: Topping D50 III optical input bug with 44.1kHz files #76

Unfortunately, there are hardly any reputable manufacturers of audio fiber optic cables anymore.

The quality is divided into four basic categories:
- Quarzglasfaserkabel, nicht unter 30-40 €/$ pro Meter, Dämpfung <= ca. 2.5 -3.5 dB/km bei 850 nm.
- High-quality POF PMMA, attenuation <= 150-230 dB/km at 650nm.
- Cheap POF PMMA.
- Fiber optic cables made of cheap plastics with high attenuation, unfortunately, this is what is commonly sold.

There are two basic indicators of cheap fiber optic cables:
- Gold-plated connectors = Run, you're being ripped off.
- No specification of the attenuation factor. High-quality POF fiber optic cables have an attenuation <= 150-230 dB/km at 650nm. If it's high-quality, the manufacturer will state it.

I can recommend everyone to buy their cables from a fiber optic cable shop that sells by the meter.
- High-quality POF costs approximately €/$2-4 per running meter
- Quartz fiber optic cables cost approximately €/$20-30 per running meter
Most shops offer a polishing service for both ends, as well as assembly with Toslink connectors.
The price for a high-quality pre-assembled POF fiber optic cable is approximately €/$9-10 for one meter, approximately €14.00 for 5 meters, and approximately €17.50 for 10 meters. Attenuation <=150 dB/km at 650 nm

I think you didn't read my post in context of what was being said. A poster claimed cable quality over Toslink or thru optical splitters causes volume differences. It does not work that way which I am pretty sure you know. My reply to voodooless was facetious about his question to that poster. Of course there are differences in optical fiber from construction, termination, fiber material and quality. You don't determine that by listening to volume differences over the cable.

The OP of the thread reported using gold plated Toslink with aluminum housings. I have some like that from Monoprice because it was offered in a length I needed. Inside is the same fiber as their cheap plain Toslink only they have put it in a braided jacket with fancy ends. I seem to recall they do polish their ends. In any case, that is not causing volume differences or quality differences in sound.

 

[Roland68]

I think you didn't read my post in context of what was being said. A poster claimed cable quality over Toslink or thru optical splitters causes volume differences. It does not work that way which I am pretty sure you know. My reply to voodooless was facetious about his question to that poster. Of course there are differences in optical fiber from construction, termination, fiber material and quality. You don't determine that by listening to volume differences over the cable.

The OP of the thread reported using gold plated Toslink with aluminum housings. I have some like that from Monoprice because it was offered in a length I needed. Inside is the same fiber as their cheap plain Toslink only they have put it in a braided jacket with fancy ends. I seem to recall they do polish their ends. In any case, that is not causing volume differences or quality differences in sound.

Then you didn't read my previous post in this thread?

Myths can only be dispelled with facts, including facts about the material and the fact that there's nothing mystical or magical about it.

Nonsense like gold-plated Toslink connectors can cause additional reflections that further degrade the signal. In the very best case, the manufacturer actually knows about fiber optic cables and only uses the gold plating on external surfaces to dazzle their customers. But I wouldn't rely on that.
The ideal Toslink connector is made of matte, low-reflection black/gray plastic.

@Earwax
I can only advise you to spend 5 minutes of your time reading the documentation for the SPDIF signal (coax and Toslink are the same signal, just a different medium) and the volume information it contains. This is encoded in ones and zeros and cannot be changed by a fiber optic cable.
Buy a multimeter and measure the analog output volume of your DAC using different fiber optic cables, for example, at 1 kHz.
Then you'll quickly realize how much time you've wasted. Myths are sometimes very easy to destroy.

 

[Earwax]

Last time. The gold plated connector was not for improved signal it was for the build quality.

Having 2 different materials made it easier for myself to plug and unplug as when both ends are plastic they grab and stick it`s already a pain sometimes getting them in with the correct side up.

The build quality was the only thing on my mind, when they arrived in the mail I was grateful when swapping the cables around so much easier to see and feel how they are seating.

The cable I bought is not priced stupidly very comparable to the market we are offered.

I`m not sure about the core I thought I read at time of purchase it was High quality from Japan, but it`s not there now could be I was mistaken and that was from another cable.

 

[Earwax]

Here is the one with Japan core but no details other than that claim. I returned I did like the build quality it was clumsy.

https://www.amazon.ca/Digital-WARRKY-Connection-Flawless-Compatible/dp/B091GNS8ML/ref=asc_df_B091GNS8ML?mcid=2f786ab7f0a6396b82b61ab391b1488a&tag=googleshopc0c-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=706724917587&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8133728662891652469&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9001495&hvtargid=pla-1303586159745&gad_source=1&th=1

 

[Earwax]

Here is a no brainer rich guy purchase .

QED Reference Optical Quartz Cable - Q Acoustics Canada

QED’s Superior Toslink Optical Digital Audio Interconnect Cable Made With Real Glass Reference Optical Quartz is the first of its kind, consisting of 210 separate boro-silicate glass fibres. The cable allows you to experience stunning sound when connecting DACs, TV’s, CD players and Blu-Ray...

qacousticscanada.ca

 

[Roland68]

Last time. The gold plated connector was not for improved signal it was for the build quality.

Having 2 different materials made it easier for myself to plug and unplug as when both ends are plastic they grab and stick it`s already a pain sometimes getting them in with the correct side up.

The build quality was the only thing on my mind, when they arrived in the mail I was grateful when swapping the cables around so much easier to see and feel how they are seating.

The cable I bought is not priced stupidly very comparable to the market we are offered.

I`m not sure about the core I thought I read at time of purchase it was High quality from Japan, but it`s not there now could be I was mistaken and that was from another cable.

The gold-plated Toslink connector is nonsense and serves solely to deceive customers, nothing more. These gold-plated ends on the optical fiber can cause reflections, and that's the last thing you need for signal transmission.
The justification for manufacturing quality is also nonsense. The Toslink sockets are designed for use with plastic connectors and will withstand many thousands of mating cycles. A metal connector is too hard, won't give, and will wear out the socket.

There's a good reason why connectors in fiber optic applications are made of plastic, regardless of whether they are for lighting, signal, or power transmission, whether IT, industrial, medical technology, control technology, or audio.

High-quality POF fiber optic cable material costs approximately €/$2-6 per running meter, while genuine quartz glass fiber optic cable costs approximately €/$20 per running meter. These are end-user prices; the purchase price for the cable manufacturers is many times lower. Add to that a few cents for the Toslink connectors.

Everyone can now think of the rest for themselves.
Above all, it is important here in the forum to clarify such abuses and deceptions.