Digital Coaxial vs Optical Audio Cables vs HDMI - Which one is the best for Sound Quality?

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Digital Coaxial vs Digital Optical Audio Cable vs HDMI cables - Which one should you choose for your Hi-Fi system or Home Cinema?
For more than a decade now, both Digital Coax and Digital Optical technologies have shared the responsibility of carrying and transmitting digital audio signals in high resolution between playback sources such as CD, BluRay, DVD and other media players to amplifiers, receivers and other sound systems. However, they are fundamentally different in terms of the connector types, cables and resolution support. Let’s move to their comparison, competencies and drawbacks.
Video Timeline
0:00 - 0:33 - Introduction
0:34 - 1:04 - Role of Digital Coaxial and Digital Optical Cables
1:05 - 3:40 - Comparision between Digital Coaxial and Digital Optical Cables
3:41 - 4:27 - HDMI for Home Theatre audio playback. Is it better?
4:28 - 4:52 - Know More about audio cables & Subscribe
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Music: zeropage - Ambiphonic (The song is permitted for commercial use under license “Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0)“”)

[@kfl611]

This was very well presented.

[@camielectronica9570]

hola, para escuchar musica desde youtube en el televisor que es mejor? HDMI (ARC) o RCA? tengo un receiver YAMAHA y altavoces HI-Fi

[@kevincrutchfield8942]

I had my living room updated a few years ago and my setup consists of a Bose Lifestyle 48 with 5 cube speakers connected to a bass unit that all 5 speakers connect to. My tv is connected to a Directv receiver via HDMI and my BluRay is connected also to a HDMI. The audio return is an optical cable from the TV to the Lifestyle 48 base units optical in. My question is will I get better audio for 5.1 with the optical or if I connect the digital coaxial cable to the Bose base unit?

[@bommareddybrijendrareddy9301]

It was extremely informative and helpful for me.😊 Thanks!

[@Ooberpad]

Glad it was helpful!

[@davidchavez1330]

This is a very informative video thanks for this!

[@jamesproudlove1527]

Thank you for your post. You made very clear the pro & cons of each of the formats on offer.

[@Ooberpad]

Glad it was helpful!

[@venator7889]

Thanks sir for this video I was so confused, now I know that I have to use digital coaxial for my home theatre. I've been searching for a video like this for a very long time on KZbin.

[@Ooberpad]

Glad it helped. Do subscribe for more such informational videos. :)

[@intothedragon]

Always very useful and informative. You've got a new subscriber

[@Ooberpad]

Thanks and welcome

[@Wolfie66]

I have a tv with a toslink output. I have my blu-ray player connected to my tv. If I connect my tv to my 2 channel stereo via toslink will the sound from my blu-rays be okay?

[@Kumar-ui2fl]

Excellent Presentation. Highly Appreciate. Thanks for the side by side comparison.

[@Ooberpad]

Glad it was helpful!

[@dimuborgir1987]

so what to use with z906 speakers? to stay on 6chanel direct to pc or to use optical toslink cable?

[@krkthambu]

I subscribed.. Good presentation. Very informative. I have very clear about coaxial and Optical system of transmitting audio. I have only coaxial input and output in my home theatre system and confused with missing of optical in and out put. Now your information made me very clear shape. Thank you brother.

[@akhilalexg]

What about dolby digital plus ? Does it need a compatible sound bar ? Or just a sound bar with hdmi arc ?

[@Automotivepanda]

Nice one thanks for making that clear I had no other choice then connect my new 4k Blu-ray player from Sony to a coaxial because my player doesn't have optical and my receiver doesn't have HDMI audio so there was no other choice then coaxial. When the player arrives I hope everything works thank you for this video 👍

[@Ooberpad]

Glad we could help

[@nosurname9652]

Thanks for explanation.

[@DragonEmperor_LimLengTi]

Bro, my tv has coaxial and hdmi arc plugs, while my soundbar only has optical plugs. So that the sound produced is good, choose the Coaxial - optical converter or Hdmi arc - optical converter? Or are both the same because the output is also optical?

[@jeffrielly]

seems like coaxial is more cable management friendly, guess that's the one I'll have to use, I'll just have to get one that is very well shielded so it doesn't pick up interference

[@twinturbo5212]

Excellent video thanks, very clear and thorough comparison 👌

[@Ooberpad]

Glad it was helpful!

[@dukirps]

Does anyone know if i can get 5.1 channels if I use an optical and a 3.5mm to rca to receiver? My tv doesn’t hack hdmi arc

[@jantagarageforyou]

A nice and informative Bro...Nice channel and thanks a lot ! 😊

[@Ooberpad]

Glad you liked it

[@gonzaloviramonte]

Dear, thanks for your time. In my case I would like to send sound from a DVD or Blueray ( i have to buy it) , using it as a CD player, because: I have a bose solo 15 soundbar with 1 RCA input that I use for the vinyl tray and 1 optical input + 1 coaxial input free. And I wanted to add a dvd o br as a cd player. Will the sound be reproduced smoothly via the optical output?

[@Ooberpad]

Hi, please visit our website's Live Chat option and share your questions with our experts to quickly resolve your query. Visit www.ooberpad.com

[@Mr_DuckOO7]

Bro my tv is non arc tv and now I have connected normal hdmi to sound bar....it is not working as expected...will this be resolved if I connect optical cable?will I get better output?

[@Ooberpad]

If you play content via Smart TV then you'll need HDMI ARC or any other connectivity like optical, aux, etc. Optical should also give you good sound output if you have it in your TV and soundbar.

[@ResidentReveler]

I have a DAC that only has optical and coaxial input. Is it possible to convert the stereo (3.5mm) from PC to coaxial through a converter so that I can connect it to the DAC ?

[@Ooberpad]

Hi, kindly connect with us via live chat option on our website for a quick resolution to your query. Visit www.ooberpad.com

[@ananthubinu324]

Can I connect my tv spdif out to my soundbar's coaxial input, is there any problem for that connection?

[@Ooberpad]

S/PDIF supports 2-channels of uncompressed PCM audio OR Dolby Digital audio. S/PDIF does NOT support Dolby Digital Plus or Dolby TrueHD. So if both your TV & Soundbar supports Dolby Digital Plus or Dolby True HD but connected via S/PDIF would mean that you'll lose on audio quality.

[@gvv1mhh]

Great video. thanks

[@Ooberpad]

Glad you liked it!

[@Codysurfsup]

So then my question is, if it can transmit high res audio but not lossless, what is the line?

[@bikdav]

This is very helpful. I have ONE problem with HDMI. When I run an HDMI cable from my PC laptop to my AV receiver for sound, there seems to be a slight delay before the sound starts. After that, things are fine. How do I fix that - if it can be fixed?

[@Ooberpad]

Hi David, do the sound stays in sync with the video throughout the playback duration after the delayed audio start?

[@bikdav]

@@Ooberpad There are absolutely no synchronization problems at all. It's just the initial start that is at issue.

[@Ooberpad]

Hi, do check with the support team from the AV Receiver brand and see if they can fix it if its still under warranty. Also try to troubleshoot the issue by directly connecting the laptop to the TV and see if the issue persists. Also try to connect other devices like media player/Smart TV sticks to the AVR to see if the issue appears.

[@cryptocrofreak6764]

tnx bro

[@amanikandan8879]

Very useful.....👍🏻

[@Ooberpad]

Glad you think so! :)

[@dalepadman7540]

If I wish to use my blu-ray to play CDs only, can I use the coaxial digital-out to connect directly to speakers by bypassing the amplifier?

[@Ooberpad]

Which speakers are the ones your're trying to connect?

[@dalepadman7540]

@@Ooberpad I haven't got any speakers yet. I only have the blu ray player. Need some advice on how to get started.

[@Ooberpad]

@@dalepadman7540 Please connect with our helpful home cinema specialists for any help regarding your query via our website www.ooberpad.com. Click on the chat window for a quick chat.

[@dalepadman7540]

Appreciate it, thanks.

[@Beefnhammer]

Wouldn't coaxial be immune to signal noise because it carries a digital signal? I could be wrong but I always thought that signal noise was only an issue in analog formats.

[@kaislate]

It is much better resistance to interference than analog for sure. The quality of the cable is more about how it hold up to bending, plugging and unplugging, etc... You won't be able to tell a difference among the crappiest rca cable used for digital coax or a $1000 audioquest digital coax cable. Thicker and shielded cables may be beneficial if you have nearby power runs side by side or if you have a 25 meter run. S/PDIF was never meant to carry more than stereo 2-channel. It was adapted to support 5.1 at one point, but implementation was spotty and barely standardized. Optical has the capability of a ridiculous amount of channels at 48KHz or 8 channels at 96KHz. S/PDIF over optical is still limited by the spec of S/PDIF but the actual cable technology and even the same cables themselves have much greater capability. There is no reason why optical couldnt be exclusively for speakers. Optical is incredibly more beneficial especially in complicated setups. There are crazy corrupt reasons though why HDMI even exists. The history is fascinating. But with the abomination of HDMI 2.1 spec nowadays maybe we will see a demand for a better solution that isn't so corrupt.

[@Reallyreally-mg2ll]

@@kaislate I know this a year old reply, but can you explain more about how HDMI came to be about?

[@chaxx6466]

I dont have an hdmi arc port on my tv so how can I connect my soundbar to my tv

[@Ooberpad]

Hey Erin, you can connect via AUX cable between your TV’s audio output and the AUX input on the back of the sound bar.

[@nirbhaybhatt2106]

Yamaha amp m fire stick 4k ARC SE projector ko kaise de . Please help me

[@Ooberpad]

Hi, please connect with us via our website's chat section. Our Home Cinema Specialists will help you resolve your queries. Visit www.ooberpad.com

[@MelaNiEZR0018]

India style

[@MandeepSingh-hn4jd]

India edition.

[@rajendrabiswas]

How to Connect headphones to optical or earc hdmi

[@Ooberpad]

Are you trying to connect headphones to TV or some other equipment? If trying to connect to a TV you'll have a 3.5 mm out to connect analog outputs though a bluetooth transmitter and bluetooth headphones would be a great option in such case. Though you might come across some latency issues depending on the device you choose.

[@jamalkhan_]

Which version of hdmi cable will work with my soundbar?

[@Ooberpad]

Hi, Please visit our website's chat section and share your the Soundbar model. Our team will help you buy the right cable for your needs. Visit our website using this link: www.ooberpad.com

[@zeroqp]

speaking of sound quality...

[@elendil399]

Optical carries 8 channels at 44.1/48 kHz while SPDIF(coaxial) carries only 2 channels stereo.

[@caliginousmoira8565]

really... mine had 5.1....

[@elendil399]

@@caliginousmoira8565 optical signal transport in total 8 ch, of course this is conditioned by the source signal (minimum 24-bit sound card/processor), i.e. 7 satellites + 1 subwoofer.

[@gokulnath1784]

For best audio quality from tv to soundbar, hdmi or optical cable which one is better?

[@Ooberpad]

HDMI is definitely better

[@jamalkhan_]

Which hdmi cable should i buy?

[@dzianisnarg4653]

Спасибо. Информативно.

[@Ooberpad]

Рад что вам понравилось!

[@Stanislav7180]

tolink is best for 5.1 or 3.5mm JACK ???

[@Ooberpad]

Of these two options you shared TOSlink is the best option. Though if you have HDMI connection option that's good enough for a good 5.1 surround sound

[@romance3624]

I PREFER THE DIGITAL COAXIAL, THE SIGNAL IS 5,1 AND THE SOUND IS GREAT ,

[@szalayrichardnak]

Csak a lényeg nem derült ki! :)

[@gopalcinnu6820]

Best cable 5.1 sorunnding optical or coaxial

[@Ooberpad]

Hi, as we've already covered in the video. HDMI is the best option for high quality sound. Though without a HDMI connection you'll be limited to using either Optical or Coaxial both of which should be okay as well.

[@merlinaltmann1276]

Fm tuner digtal what

[@jorgedominguez1957]

Digital coaxial is best, and I'm saying this because I just bought my first HDMI Cable because I wanted to watch on my TV what I was watching on my Cell Phone, so I follow the steps connected them where they needed to be connect, went to the Smart TV and went to the inputs are, and made sure that I put in at the right spot, well guess what? It did not work, and did the same thing and another Smart TV I have and guess what it did not work either, believe me I tried and I tried and I tried then I gave up HDMI Cable it's a piece of crap, period

[@Ooberpad]

Displaying content from a Smartphone to your SmartTV is possible if your Smartphone is MHL capable or your Smartphone has wireless casting capability (which most of today's smartphones have it) and your SmartTV is also capable of receiving wireless display. iPhones/iPads have a special cable to be able to stream your phone content to your TV if you prefer a wired connection. If HDMI didn't work for you it probably means your device isn't compatible or you chose the wrong method to connect or display content.

[@amansagar7084]

Which one is better?

[@Ooberpad]

HDMI is the go to choice in Home Cinema for connecting your TV with Soundbar and other peripherals.

[@amansagar7084]

What Coaxial cable I don't HV HDMI arc

[@Ooberpad]

@@amansagar7084 What are you trying to connect? please visit our website's chat section and chat with our team for any help regarding home cinema buying guide and technical assistance for choosing the right gear for your home cinema. Visit www.ooberpad.com

[@xxff6452]

too much bass in this video, I decreased 20db or so from 50hz to 200hz in Equalizer, yet still feel this video has many bass.

[@janpietro5794]

PIPOLLLLLL