Optical audio cables have made a phenomenal breakthrough in the world of entertainment. With unparalleled sound quality and impeccable reliability, these cables are garnering a lot of attention. Most top-end home theatres, Blu-Ray Players, and gaming rigs utilize new-age optical audio cables for high-quality audio. So, if you’re a sound or music aficionado who appreciates crystal-clear entertainment, optical audio cables are worth the investment. Let’s learn more about them:
What Is An Optical Audio Cable?
An optical audio cable is a type of new-age digital cable used in audio devices. It uses glass or plastic material instead of metal. Moreover, the cables use light pulses to transmit data at high speed. The fast transmission speed and high signal integrity make them perfect for high-resolution audio. However, optical audio cables are popularly known as TOSLINK. That is the name of the connectors used in optical audio cables to work with the supporting device.
Benefits of Optical Audio Cable
Primarily, optical cables offer high-speed transmission. Therefore, you can enjoy the highest quality of audio without any latency, lag, or disruption. As there isn’t any metal in use, and optical cables are properly insulated, electromagnetic waves, or radio frequency doesn’t interfere with them. Thus, you don’t have to worry about distortion or disruption in performance. Other benefits include:
- Support for the latest hi-fi sound features like Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital, DTS, and more.
- It follows the same plug-and-play method prominently found in audio cables. There’s no need for a separate setup or modification.
- It offers professional-grade performance and can be used in studio recordings and sound setups.
- Most modern devices come with optical audio cable compatibility.
If you want the best possible audio output and input, then optical cables are the perfect investment.
Drawbacks of Optical Audio Cable
Despite the revolutionary performance of optical cables, there are still a few drawbacks to them. For instance, optical cables tend to be a bit more fragile, and might not survive rough and tough use. Therefore, they require proper care and installation. Optical cables are also a bit more costly, compared to the standard auxiliary cables. Other drawbacks are:
- Not all devices are compatible with optical audio cables. Most old-school entertainment systems and legacy devices won’t support it.
- If you’re not a sound or music aficionado, the difference in sound quality might not be apparent to you. Therefore, you might not find them worth the investment.
- Due to TOSLINK and SPDIF connectors, not all devices can use the optical audio cables. Even with adapters and converters, it isn’t easily achievable.
- Type-C Cables also provide similar-grade performance at an affordable range.
However, these drawbacks might not be relevant in the coming years due to technological advancements.
Can Optical Audio Become The Future of Entertainment?
It is highly likely that optical audio cables will replace the staple aux cables from the entertainment systems. Most premium-level headphones, earphones, home theatres, gaming rigs, and consoles utilize optical cables. They might even be used in other forms of connectivity, as seen in the 5G Wi-Fi technology. Their emergence can certainly make them the future of entertainment, especially in the audio segment.
However, it can still take a few years due to the integrity and durability of the optical cable. For better immersion and enjoyment, people tend to prefer gold or silver-plated aux cables. Affordability is another issue that the optical cables might have to work on.
In the long run, with the impeccable crystal sound clarity, and support to the high-res and hi-fi audio performance, optical audio cables are dominating the industry.
