Are all optical cables of the same compatibility?

[StageLeft]

I presume that as long as a cable is an optical cable it will work in all optical cable applications, and you don't need one of a particular type/brand for a certain audio connection...?

 

[T2T III]

Yes, they will be of *similar* capability. About the only difference between them is the strength of the connector ends and thickness of the black coating protecting the optic portion of the cable. I'd just locate a nice Acoustic Research cable from Accessories4Less and call it a done deal.

 

[Lifer]

toslink and 1/8"

 

[PowerMacG5]

As said, the main difference are the ends. Optical cable's don't have a standard end yet, so difference application's require different ends. There are other difference's, but this one will prevent a cable from working in certain situations unless you want to terminate it yourself.

 

[Ch3w33]

How can I tell which type of optical cable I need? I can't find any information in my owner's manuals about which type of connector I should use.

It's for connecting a CD player to a receiver. I have an optical cable right now that's the wrong type ... the terminations sit loosely in their ports instead of snapping into place. The signal still propogates from one device to another, but I'd feel better if I had terminations that were more stable and didn't fall out on their own. Of course, the packaging on the current optical cable doesn't say whether it's toslink or 1/8".

Thanks.