Toslink vs. Coaxial

Hasaw: You will probably get some widely varying opinions on this subject, but I have done a lot of A-B tests with both co-ax and TOSLINK cables, and can hear almost no difference between them. At the present time, I have a Pioneer Elite DV-37 DVD player connected to my Bryston SP-1 pre/pro using both TOSLINK and digital co-ax, and can thus switch back and forth between the two cables. In comparing one cable to the other, my friends also note virtually no consistently audible differences, except for slight differences in volume level (not sure why). I am using good quality cables in both cases: a Cardas digital co-ax cable, and Kimber's TOSLINK cable. Unless you are doing very critical, audiophile-type listening to music, I believe that either co-ax or TOSLINK will work fine for you, particularly in a home theater system.

Since you're new, you may want to try and use the search feature as you should be able to find many different comments on your question in other threads.

Well, all the manufacturers recommend coaxial over Toslink. So, why not use the coaxial?

Hasaw, This topic has been covered many times before, and the consensus is that coax is considered by 98% of the people to be better than Toslink, although I am sure that in sdcampbells particular circumstances that he is correct. You have some nice gear and I think if you were listening to good cables that you would hear a diference between Toslink and coax, but be careful, in 5.1 channel mode the difference is not as obvious as in stereo.

In my experience, coax is sonically better. If you use toslink, try Kimber Kable's. It is what I use in my car audio system.

Happy listening!