Equator Optical

Designed for use with the Toslink optical digital sockets fitted to set-top boxes and streaming audio devices.

Toslink (optical) connections have become increasingly popular for audio use with the rise of ‘dual purpose’ personal audio players and networked devices which are frequently connected to home hi-fi systems.

Optical has a different set of strengths and limitations compared to S/PDIF, meaning it remains a valuable option in the ‘digital toolbox,' with some manufacturers stating it as their preferred connection option.

Basic ‘bundled’ Toslink cables typically suffer from a number of issues which degrade the performance of the system. These issues include poor quality core conductor materials, poor matching of conductor to connectors and poor fit of connectors to equipment sockets. These flaws typically combine in very poor ‘jitter’ performance which gives a grainy, tonally bleached sound characteristic of poor quality digital audio.

Atlas Toslink cables are designed to specifically address these issues. Construction of the cable begins with a high quality light conducting optical fibre. A thermal barrier protects the delicate fibre from heat warping and a mechanical outer barrier is applied to protect the assembly from damage. The ends are then precision polished in order to reduce harmful reflections.