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Toslink Survey / Please Participate

Digital interconnection, IMHO, has always held many myths.

When I first began delving into outboard D/As, jitterbugs, and transport combinations, very few component manufacturers (for some stupid reason) were actually providing coax RCAs (75ohm SPDIF). Interconnection, in many cases, was acheived through the use of Toslink.

Now most of here already know that I am quite an extreme advocator of balanced interconnection including, digital signal. I personally use AES/EBU on XLRs for my 2 channel system.

Out of necessity, I have had to hook up my home theater DVD player to HT receiver using the Toslink (Denon DVD 5000/Denon 3300). And after listening for an extended period of time, I have to ask, (because I obviously must be forgetting),....... Why was Toslink so bad? Why do many people say it sounds like crap?

The system sounds fine. Very natural and "undigital". I won't mention the Toslink cable manufacturer, but it is glass, and the cable costs $39.95. No "Break-in". No "cryo" no crap, just hook it up and go.

When you think about it, many issues associated with interconnection are negated. Balanced????? No Need. RFI, EMI ????? Trivial. Impedance mismatch????? None. Adverse environmental conditions????? Irrelevant. Overall, a very easy, inexpensive, and sonically acceptable interconnection. I don't know about 2 channel usage, but if this any indication, I'm sure it would yield acceptable results?

Can anyone comment? Is anyone still using it for 2 channel? Even if just out of necessity, or otherwise. Does anyone find Toslink unacceptable?

128x128buscis2
timo
610 posts
 
The only Toslink I have ever used is the Kimber. All I can say is that it worked o.k.
elevick
2,439 posts
 
Consider the care in which manufacturers take with toslink vs rca. Most toslinks are cheap plastic and usually only 1 or 2. Manufacturers seem to take more care and pride in putting in an RCA/Coax digital for every input-usually gold plated. This tells me that internally things are probably not equal either.
Toslinks are definitely more "delicate" where good coax is sturdier, better shielded and better connections.
Finally, I've been told that good coax digital cables were designed for different impedence and voltage levels than regular interconnects.
Try them all out and see for your self?
My toys: Anthem avm-2 & denon 2200 hooked up with 6 nordost blue heavens for sacd/dvd-a and using an older tara labs digital/coax cable for normal 5.1. However, I do use a toslink to hook up my dishnetwork 501 receiver to this!
sdcampbell
2,136 posts
 
I used a Toslink connection for several years with my DVD/CD player, and was quite satisfied with the performance. Eventually, however, "audiophilia nervosa" set in, and when I bought my Bryston SP-1 pre/pro, I felt compelled to switch to a digital coax cable (a very good brand). My pre/pro allows me to connect both types of cable, so I can switch back and forth doing an A/B test. I can't honestly say that I can reliably tell any difference between the Toslink cable and the digital coax when listening to DVD sound tracks, but there is a small but audible improvement when listening to CD's.
prpixel
826 posts
 
Toslink had higher jitter in the past. This has improved with new generations of equipment.
buscis2's avatar
buscis2 OP
468 posts
 
I agree with all you guys. If I had my choice, I would have NOTHING but 75 ohm RCAs. (If I could have EVERYTHING, I would prefer those TRUE balanced.) Unfortunately, many major manufacturers utilize Toslink. For instance: This particular Denon receiver has 2 Toslink inputs, 1 RCA. Obviously, I would of preferred 3 RCAs. But, Oh Well.

Ultimately, I have been experimenting with "throughputting" the DMX music signal originating from a Motorola cable box, (provided by Adelphia cable) through the wonderful Burr-Brown dacs contained within the Denon DVD5000. Then running analog out to the receiver, where I then bypass the DSPs by running the receiver in the "direct stereo" mode. I am using Toslink between the cable box and the digital input on the DVD player.

Quite frankly, it sounds great. I really cannot find anything derogatory to mention. It provides an excellent source of background music. I would probably guess that the signal is somewhat compressed, but you would never know after running it through the 24/96 Burr-Browns.
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