Forgive me, I am about to sin ...

[chebby]

... In the form of an Audioquest Toslink - 3.5mm, 0.75metre optical cable for £25.

There are reasons and they don't pertain to audio quality.

This will be my first 'boutique' cable for many years unless you count my Van Damme 'jumpers'...

The only other optical cables I have are one that came free with a DAC about seven years ago (now on my TV) and a Belkin one I bought in haste for about three quid recently that is just a tiny bit too short and - in combination with a mini-toslink adaptor - makes for a really 'clunky' looking connection.

I have taken my s/h Airport Express 'n' version back and decided to get a new AEX instead. It's connection 'toplogy' and shape - and the way it plugs into the mains - is going to be much better, for me, than the old style 'plugtop' version.

 

[drummerman]

I wonder if we get the usual 'I am over it now' from you in due course.

You have already sinned by choosing an unfashionable looking speaker.

I think you are on the threshold of the dark side, in a kind of twilight zone but soon to be absorbed by the evil forces that are valve amplifiers and believe you can ease the path by getting a 'boutique' cable.

It's only a question of time.

When, after that, you start looking at vinyl again you know you're truly buggered.

 

[chebby]

When, after that, you start looking at vinyl again you know you're truly buggered.

Only for aesthetic/nostalgic reasons and - very important - only if I ever become rich enough to have the time to really enjoy it and really do it properly. (Some old turntables look amazing and vinyl LPs are a very 'visual' medium.)

 

[ID.]

Let us know how it sounds. I'm not immune to the charms of a sexier, err I mean better fitting, cable.

 

[chebby]

Let us know how it sounds.

Apart from working (or not working) I don't expect to experience any 'added' quality. I'm not replacing anything with it, so there are no comparisons to be made.

My reasons are mainly to do with getting the (exactly) correct lead rather than for any other claims they may be making.

 

[steve_1979]

Burn the sinner! *aggressive*

 

[Thompsonuxb]

Chebby (I corrected the spell checker before it for me into trouble again)

Chebby do a comparison, for argument sake, please.....

 

[MajorFubar]

They do look very pretty.

 

[Thompsonuxb]

Chebby (I corrected the spell checker before it for me into trouble again)

Chebby do a comparison, for argument sake, please.....

With what?

The 'old' cables.....

Out of curiosity, it would be fun to know if you can spot a difference with this £25 cable over what you used before.

 

[chebby]

Chebby (I corrected the spell checker before it for me into trouble again)

Chebby do a comparison, for argument sake, please.....

With what?

Look up 3.5mm (or Mini-Toslink) to Toslink 0.75m cables on Amazon and tell me what you find for less than the £25 Audioquest that doesn't require adaptors, and is the correct length. I want one, contiguous lead of 0.75m.

 

[chebby]

The 'old' cables.....

There is no 'old' cable.

 

[Thompsonuxb]

Sorry, misread your post, thought you bought a replacement.

As you were.....my mistake.

 

[MajorFubar]

I think UXB thought you had just bought the jumpers, not the toslink cable.

 

[chebby]

I think UXB thought you had just bought the jumpers, not the toslink cable.

I can only compare those with a couple of really flimsy little plated bridges that I have now stored away in a small Tupperware container (on a bed of cotton wool) for fear of them accidently being crushed by the pressure from a Jiffy bag!

Whereas the 4mm2 VD Blue series jumpers could probably tow a small car if they were clamped tight enough at both ends.

 

[Al ears]

I wonder if we get the usual 'I am over it now' from you in due course.

You have already sinned by choosing an unfashionable looking speaker.

I think you are on the threshold of the dark side, in a kind of twilight zone but soon to be absorbed by the evil forces that are valve amplifiers and believe you can ease the path by getting a 'boutique' cable.

It's only a question of time.

When, after that, you start looking at vinyl again you know you're truly buggered.

Your last sentence is very, very true. ;-)

 

[Vladimir]

If you are an atheist/agnostic or any other rational driven individual, going religious/irrational means you appease to the god(s), which is the opposite of sin. Or it could be just a vanity thing. It's fun.

 

[FennerMachine]

£25 for the exact item needed is not a lot for most hobbies.
I would rather spend that amount then £5 on a bodge.

 

[chebby]

£25 for the exact item needed is not a lot for most hobbies. I would rather spend that amount then £5 on a bodge.

You understand.

 

[ID.]

I felt somewhat guilty about switching the original cable for a shorter, silver cable for my HD650s. It was mainly because I didn't want 2 metres or so of cable tangling things up when I listen at my work desk less than a metre from my DAC/amp.

 

[chebby]

I'm hoping for good construction and reasonable flexibility. (As much as fibre will allow.) The looks don't matter because it'll be mostly out of sight.

They claim to use 'low dispersion' glass and precision polished fibre ends but I think that must be true of any decent fibre cable for it to work, so it should, at least, do the job.

Nothing wrong with having the 'obvious' stated clearly up front.

 

[chebby]

It's here now ...

... but I didn't expect woven braiding. (Thought it was smooth, easy-clean PVC.) Hmm. Never mind.

All connected up and working fine now (AirPlay) with latest version of Airport Express N that also arrived today and is a delight to use and set up compared to the old (A1264) 'plug-top' clunker

 

[Al ears]

It's here now ...

... but I didn't expect woven braiding. (Thought it was smooth, easy-clean PVC.) Hmm. Never mind.

All connected up and working fine now (AirPlay) with latest version of Airport Express N that also arrived today and is a delight to use and set up compared to the old (A1264) 'plug-top' clunker

Very nice, however it appears to be missing about 60cm in the middle.

 

[drummerman]

It's here now ...

... but I didn't expect woven braiding. (Thought it was smooth, easy-clean PVC.) Hmm. Never mind.

It's like a knitted jumper to keep the cable warm for that ... erm ... warm, analogue sound.

 

[Al ears]

It's here now ...

... but I didn't expect woven braiding. (Thought it was smooth, easy-clean PVC.) Hmm. Never mind.

It's like a knitted jumper to keep the cable warm for that ... erm ... warm, analogue sound.

Perhaps that's why nearly all of Audioquests cables have a knitted jumper

 

[MajorFubar]

Does look cool and well made, I'll give you that.