An optical cable doesn’t allow noise to pass from source to DAC circuitry like a coaxial can, and so makes sense to use this socket when connecting straight into the DAC of a soundbar or AV receiver. Optical digital connectionĪn optical digital connection uses the medium of light to transmit data through a cable’s optical fibres (which can be made from plastic, glass or silica).

So, in a modern home cinema setting, its uses are quite limited. Unfortunately, using a coaxial connection enables noise to travel along the cable from the source to your amplifier.Īlso, coaxial doesn't have the bandwidth required to support high-quality surround sound formats such as Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. Noise is bad news when it comes to sound quality, but it exists in all AV components to one degree or another. The main downside to a coaxial digital connection is the potential transfer of electrical noise between your kit.

Best AV receivers 2021: brilliant home cinema amplifiers.

That's because it has greater bandwidth available, meaning it can support higher quality audio up to 24-bit/192kHz. An entry-level cable like the QED Performance Coaxial will do a fine job for most.Ĭoaxial might not be as widespread as its rival optical connection these days, but you'll still find it at the back of certain AV receivers, integrated amplifiers and TVs.Īnd, in our experience, compared to optical, a coaxial connection does tend to sound better. They look similar and can work, but an analogue interconnect has different impedance values from a digital one (50 ohm versus 75 ohm), so won’t work as well.

But don’t be tempted to try and use a standard RCA phono cable in place of a dedicated coaxial digital cable.

Coaxial to digital optical converter