Does it mean Coaxial was better than Optical

[radovantz]

Since the new HD sound format introduced with HDMI connection, does it mean that Coaxial was better than Optical? Why the optical system that uses fibre optic cable and well known as capable of delivering high volume of signals at last unable to transmit HD sound?

At last, all electric again

 

[Andrew Everard]

No, as with many things to do with the design of the HDMI Interconnection, convenience seems to have been as important as quality.

Agreed S/PDIF connections, be they optical or electrical, don't have enough bandwidth to carry hi-res audio, but I'm sure an alternative format could have been found to do the job in the absence of the HDMI standard.

For example, past receivers have used Firewire/IEEE1394, or the DenonLink system based on Ethernet.

 

[radovantz]

Thank you Mr Andrew, so there is possibility that red-light optical system will be no longer used in future..?

My thought about optical system was really amazing, it transfers data through light..

 

[Andrew Everard]

It's always possible, but there's sufficient equipment using the optical connection at the moment for it to be required for a good while to come.

And there have been higher-bandwidth optical audio systems in the pro field, such as ADAT Lightpipe, which can carry up to eight channels of 24-bit 48kHz audio.

To my ears, electrical digital connections have always seemed better than TOSLink optical - maybe it's something to do with the extra conversion stages involved in optical.

 

[radovantz]

I think that might be the reason why HDMI cable was invented in electrical form rather than optical, as you said, extra conversion stages, i think that is not very good. They have made it right..

 

[Anonymous]

Andrew just a question regarding optical, ive just purchased an optical cable to go from my Sky HD Box to my Yamaha RX-V363 amp, it cost me £40. Is what your saying is that coaxial is the way to go, i know this has been asked many times before but the volume levels on HD Channels are shocking compared to SD Channels. Should i go coaxial. What are your thoughts please.

 

[radovantz]

dazb:Andrew just a question regarding optical, ive just purchased an optical cable to go from my Sky HD Box to my Yamaha RX-V363 amp, it cost me £40. Is what your saying is that coaxial is the way to go, i know this has been asked many times before but the volume levels on HD Channels are shocking compared to SD Channels. Should i go coaxial. What are your thoughts please.
What do you mean by "shocking"? I dont think by changing to coaxial would change that because the difference is too little.

 

[Anonymous]

Like i said, i have to turn my amp down to 30 if im watching a live football game on Sky Sports HD1, if i switch it over to normal skysports 1 its a lot higher so then i have to turn that down, all im saying is why can the HD channels not be the same as SD Channels, sky are supposed to be addressing the problem.

 

[Andrew Everard]

dazb:Andrew just a question regarding optical, ive just purchased an optical cable to go from my Sky HD Box to my Yamaha RX-V363 amp, it cost me £40. Is what your saying is that coaxial is the way to go, i know this has been asked many times before but the volume levels on HD Channels are shocking compared to SD Channels. Should i go coaxial. What are your thoughts please.

If you have one of the more recent Sky boxes offering both electrical and optical digital outputs, you can use either - the sound quality is pretty much the same.

But this won't affect the volume inconsistencies.

 

[radovantz]

I think that was the sky machine.. I still have an old television with NICAM stereo hooked with an outdoor UHF antena, it sounds weaker in stereo but normal in mono.

 

[radovantz]

Last weekend, I changed my digital cable from optical to coaxial.

Coaxial brings much better sound quality than optical. Optical cable fails to deliver many sound effects that coaxial does.

 

[Andrew Everard]

Ooo-er - the 'digits is digits' hounds will be on you any minute...

 

[Anonymous]

dazb:Like i said, i have to turn my amp down to 30 if im watching a live football game on Sky Sports HD1, if i switch it over to normal skysports 1 its a lot higher so then i have to turn that down, all im saying is why can the HD channels not be the same as SD Channels, sky are supposed to be addressing the problem.

Going coax wont help....