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S/PDIF Optical Audio Cables (Toslink)

Toslink optical audio cables, including slim and right-angle styles, plus splitters and converters for TVs, soundbars, receivers and sound cards. 284 products from $3.99 to $1,111.99. ESTONE, LUOM, Jansicotek and more.

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What optical audio can and cannot carry

A Toslink cable sends S/PDIF digital audio as light, so it is immune to electrical hum and needs no ground connection. It carries two-channel PCM up to about 24-bit and 96 kHz, and compressed surround such as Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1. It cannot carry lossless surround formats such as Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio, or Dolby Atmos. For those, a TV and soundbar should use HDMI instead: ARC can pass Atmos as compressed Dolby Digital Plus, but lossless formats need eARC. Optical then becomes the fallback for older gear.

Plug fit, protective caps and how far the light travels

Full-size Toslink plugs are square-ish and fit one way only. Remove the small protective caps from both ends, since a capped plug blocks the light. Some older laptops, portable players and sound cards use a mini Toslink socket that shares a 3.5 mm headphone jack, which needs a cable or adapter with a mini plug. The fiber is plastic and dislikes tight bends, so keep curves gentle. Reliable lengths run to roughly 5 to 10 m (16 to 33 ft); very long cables depend on build quality, and a converter box that changes optical to coaxial or RCA needs its own power.

Questions about S/PDIF Optical Audio Cables (Toslink)

Can optical audio carry Dolby Atmos or lossless surround?
No. Toslink has limited bandwidth, so it handles stereo PCM and compressed 5.1 such as Dolby Digital or DTS. Dolby Atmos needs HDMI ARC or eARC between the TV and the sound system, and lossless surround needs eARC.
Why is there no sound even though the red light shows?
The light means the source output is active. Check that the TV audio output is set to optical, with PCM or Dolby Digital selected, that the receiver input matches, and that both protective caps are off.
Does a longer optical cable sound worse?
Not in the usual sense. The signal is digital, so it either arrives intact or drops out. Very long or tightly bent cables lose light and cause dropouts rather than a gradual loss of sound quality.