optical spif audio versus reaguler audio

[WINTERLORD]

was just wondering if optical/light/ spif/digital audio i think it is optical for sure, is connecting speakers through the sound card via optical audio any better then connecting them with a standerd 3.5plug jack? just wondered as i bought some speakers that ima have to return as the sub dont work but also seen other speaker setups that cost roughly 175-200 and they have an optical audio connection and i wondered if optical would be alot better or not.

 

[the nerd 389]

The difference is quite minimal in the vast majority of situations. You are correct that SPDIF commonly uses a fiber optic cable. Some implementations also allow for an RCA connection.

Basically, SPDIF is a digital connection which means that your computer's onboard sound or sound card don't have anything to do with sound quality when using it. As a result, if the onboard sound is poor quality, you can send the bit-perfect signal to a pair of speakers with a (hopefully) better DAC. Unfortunately, most speakers that have an SPDIF input have terrible DACs (for the money, at least).

Because it's digital, it's also relatively immune to interference from other electronic devices. It's not often that this makes a perceivable difference, though.

In general, SPDIF is a decent option if you need to run the cable several hundred feet. If it's just for a basic desktop setup, there's very little benefit.

The one area that SPDIF excels in is that it can carry a large number of audio channels with a single line. If you're running something like an 11.2 speaker setup, you could connect it to the computer with a single SPDIF cable.

Some of the advantages of SPDIF that are commonly cited fall firmly in the realm of audiophile myths. One example is that the optical SPDIF connection will prevent/fix ground loops. This is technically correct, but you normally have to run at least a hundred feet of cable for ground loops to have any effect in a copper system.

Do note that if you purchased a nice sound card or DAC, you're not using it if you connect the speakers with SPDIF.