Optical audio cord, is it better?? Help me. - Blu-ray Forum

redtornado · 10-18-2009, 09:19 PM

I may know more than the average joe about home theaters, but audio has always been a problem for me. I have a Vizio soundbar/no subwoofer. I had it connected from the tv audio outputs with the basic red/white cords. I was in my basement and found an old optical cord Id had from a couple of years ago when I was running my dolby digital surround system. I wanted to put this on my soundbar and swap out the component cords.

My question is... Will I get a noticable sound difference or not? Is it worth digging behind my tv or should I just leave well enough alone. What if I hook the digital cord to my ps3, can I then run the sound directly to my soundbar?

Jcole20323 · 10-18-2009, 09:25 PM

Yes the optical is better than the composite cables and yes you can hook it into your ps3 straight into your soundbar. In my experience the sound is more crisp with the optical and I dont have to turn my receiver up as loud.

Kryptonic · 10-18-2009, 09:33 PM

Yes. Optical is digital. The RCA cables you're using now are analog and only pass standard two channel audio. Use the optical ASAP.

SlmShdy1 · 10-18-2009, 10:58 PM

If the soundbar only accepts stereo sound, it's not really going to make a difference.

Zman2k2 · 10-19-2009, 01:22 AM

Can the soundbar even accept optical audio input?

redtornado · 10-19-2009, 02:59 AM

Yeah it has a optical input. Im hooking it up right now. My only problem has been if I pause the tv, the sound dims when I start it back up. After a few seconds the sound returns to normal.

Yautja · 10-19-2009, 03:16 AM

Yes, go the optical cable when it comes to sound !

Suntory_Times · 10-19-2009, 03:48 AM

There's no simple answer to this. It depends on how the audio signal is sent through optical, and if the sounf bar is using its own dac, which has the better dac, the quality of your analogue chords etc...

I say try both (watch a film you like a lot two days in a row, each time at the same volume level but with the different inputs, and decide which one you think sounds best).

10-18-2009, 09:19 PM	#1
redtornado Special Member Member since:Oct 2007 Location:Fox Valley, Wisconsin Home Theater Gallery:12 4K collection:1 Blu-ray collection:323 Digital collection:159 Blu-ray reviews: 20 Trading Score:553	Optical audio cord, is it better?? Help me. I may know more than the average joe about home theaters, but audio has always been a problem for me. I have a Vizio soundbar/no subwoofer. I had it connected from the tv audio outputs with the basic red/white cords. I was in my basement and found an old optical cord Id had from a couple of years ago when I was running my dolby digital surround system. I wanted to put this on my soundbar and swap out the component cords. My question is... Will I get a noticable sound difference or not? Is it worth digging behind my tv or should I just leave well enough alone. What if I hook the digital cord to my ps3, can I then run the sound directly to my soundbar?

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10-18-2009, 09:25 PM	#2
Jcole20323 Active Member Member since:Nov 2008 Location:Portland, Oregon Home Theater Gallery:17 4K collection:29 Blu-ray collection:63 Digital collection:1 iTunes collection:1	Yes the optical is better than the composite cables and yes you can hook it into your ps3 straight into your soundbar. In my experience the sound is more crisp with the optical and I dont have to turn my receiver up as loud.

10-18-2009, 09:33 PM	#3
Kryptonic Suspended Member since:Jul 2009 Trading Score:45	Yes. Optical is digital. The RCA cables you're using now are analog and only pass standard two channel audio. Use the optical ASAP.

10-18-2009, 10:58 PM	#4
SlmShdy1 Blu-ray Guru Top contributor Member since:Nov 2007 Location:Honolulu, HI PlayStation® PSN: SlmShdy1 Home Theater Gallery:39 Blu-ray collection:292	If the soundbar only accepts stereo sound, it's not really going to make a difference.

10-19-2009, 01:22 AM	#5
Zman2k2 Blu-ray Guru Top contributor Member since:Jan 2008 Location:Calgary, Canada Home Theater Gallery:5 Blu-ray collection:136 Trading Score:54	Can the soundbar even accept optical audio input?

10-19-2009, 02:59 AM	#6
redtornado Special Member Member since:Oct 2007 Location:Fox Valley, Wisconsin Home Theater Gallery:12 4K collection:1 Blu-ray collection:323 Digital collection:159 Blu-ray reviews: 20 Trading Score:553	Yeah it has a optical input. Im hooking it up right now. My only problem has been if I pause the tv, the sound dims when I start it back up. After a few seconds the sound returns to normal.

10-19-2009, 03:16 AM	#7
Yautja Power Member Top ranked HT gallery Member since:Jan 2008 Location:AUSTRALIA Home Theater Gallery:29 Trading Score:6	Yes, go the optical cable when it comes to sound !

10-19-2009, 03:48 AM	#8
Suntory_Times Blu-ray Champion Member since:Mar 2008 Location:The Grid Blu-ray reviews:16 Trading Score:23	There's no simple answer to this. It depends on how the audio signal is sent through optical, and if the sounf bar is using its own dac, which has the better dac, the quality of your analogue chords etc... I say try both (watch a film you like a lot two days in a row, each time at the same volume level but with the different inputs, and decide which one you think sounds best).

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