Toslink cables (including glass)

Anyone got some thoughts about potential audible differences between toslink cables?

From a brief read around, I've seen comments which infer that glass "may" have the edge over plastic cables.
Here's a link to a cable using glass fibre:
http://markgrantcables.co.uk/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=40_17&products_id=41

Any thoughts? This will be used between a PS3 and an AV processor. The PS3 is being used for Blu-ray, DVD, games and TV.

 

Personally, I don't think there are sonic differences between plastic TOSLINK cables - I've tried a few, including some 'up market' (i.e. high priced ) ones. IME TOSLINK is second best to a good co-ax connection - the co-ax sounding slightly higher rez.

Glass optical is a different matter though - they can be very fine.

With my recently departed DAX Decade I could use both plastic and glass optical cables and switch between them with remote control. The glass was hugely superior, imo. A whole level of extra detail and dynamics became available.

 

Thanks for that, which glass cable did you use?

 

One sold by Audio Synthesis - it used a bayonet type fixing rather than the standard plastic hexagonal plug. AS kit has bayonet sockets for it.

On the package label its says Description: ST/PC-ST/PC 62.5/125 DUPLEX Patchcord and provides various insertion loss data. I doubt if that helps though!

Here's a photo ...

 

Hmm, I don't think the cable in question would fit the mounts on my AV processor and PS3. Time to do some hunting around. I had a quick look on the AS website, and they don't seem to list any toslink cable.

 

Mr Sukebe - I use a glass TOSLINK cable between my SB3 and my DAC.

It works.

JANDL is referring to a different glass optical standard that is not TOSLINK compatible.

 

I'd kind of guessed that there were two standards from what I've read so far.
Any recommendations on glass toslink cables?

The only ones I've really found so far are a Mark Grant and a Nordost set of cables, with the usual expected price differences.

 

I have tonight tested the Mark Grant glass toslink against http://www.cabling4less.co.uk/index.php?pageLayoutId=7

I am keeping the Cables 4 Less jobbie. £7 + P&P also has the 3.5mm option for Macs and sounds just as good.

Steve

 

there's no difference between glass and plastic at the lengths we use, not unless they have totally different plugs and actual interfaces behind them as the AS does.

 

I've got to ask, which glass and plastic cables did you compare?

 

Aural Symphonics made a glass fiber optic digital cable that Wadia always used that was amazing. It wasn't cheap, and I've only heard it on Wadia gear, but it was a lot better than some $$$$ coax cables I've owned.