Coaxial/SPDIF & Toslink Fibre Optic Connections Explained

SPDIF is a standard for transmitting high-quality digital stereo audio without going through an analogue conversion process. It is used for connecting Hi-Fi Equipment, DVD players, Digital Decoders, A/V Amps, CD players, Mini-Disc Players, etc.,

Then there is the standard called DTS which is for transmitting Dolby Digital 5.1

Both these standard interfaces can be offered in two different ways for stereo digital audio & 5.1 audio – coaxial or optical.

Toslink Rectangular connector	Mini-optical 3.5mm jack connector	Coaxial Phono/RCA Connector

Lektropacks provides a wide range of products to help with your digital audio connectivity. Whether it's compatibility between Tosslink & Coaxial, Audio Delay problems or splitting the signal - you can probably find a solution under General Audio.

Is there any difference between coaxial and toslink (fibre optic)?

The fibre optic carries a light derived signal whereas coaxial uses a standard voltage signal. Opinions differ – so really it is very much down to personal choice. Coaxial is more robust than Fibre Coptic (Toslink); as fibre optic strands within the cable can break when bent severely, plus the connectors are more fragile.

Preferred choices are Toslink for shorter distances and Coaxial for longer distances as coaxial does not require a signal in-line booster.

Also see - Digital Audio & Analogue Audio, Surround Sound/Dolby Digital.