Amazon Basics Digital Optical Audio Toslink Cable, 6 Foot [Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging]

The AmazonBasics TOSLINK cable is a great product. If you are unsure of what a TOSLINK is, it is also known as a fiber optic digital audio cable. The term TOSLINK stems back to Toshiba's invention of these for CD players. I use a couple of these fiber optic cables for digital audio. I have one connecting my DVD player to my home theater, and one connecting my TV to my home theater. I previously purchased a Monster cable, which I bought because of the name, plus it was a good price and was THX certified. I cannot distinguish any sound difference whatsoever between the AmazonBasics cable and the more expensive Monster cable. Visually, the cables are the same size and thickness, except that Monster adds on a large head near each end with "THX" embossed on it. This is a cosmetic, not functional, difference. While the Monster cables are not over-priced, the AmazonBasics performs exactly the same, but for about half the price. The AmazonBasics cable length is as advertised, it connects firmly into the jacks and it works as expected. The bottom line: While it is true that manufacturers can use different quality optical fiber, ranging from cheaper plastic to better quality multi-stranded plastic fibers, or sometimes glass, at the end of the day this is a digital signal. So barring a malfunctioning/damaged cable, it either moves the light or it doesn't. So, save some money and get this cable. You will be satisfied with the quality and the sound.

I know what you're thinking. What can you write about to review an optical cable? Ha! Watch me. The digital optical audio cable installed with my complete home theater HDTV digital system was a whopping 3 feet long. Thus, no room to even move the cable set box or the receiver without it popping out. I'll spare you the other details prompting me to buy a new AmazonBasics Digital Optical Audio Toslink Cable, 6 Feet , let's just say I wanted room to move the units around as needed without my arm getting stuck in the cabinet, not being able to see where the jacks are located and flying blind. I always do consumer research to include many business locations and reading the reviews while calculating the actual percentage of reviews to satisfaction levels. The best I could find was a 3 foot generic cable locally for ONLY $14.99. For get about a 6 footer without mortgaging the house. Amazon.com comes through again with a much higher quality AmazonBasics Digital Optical Audio Toslink Cable, 6 Feet , best price point and outstanding reviews. A no brainer and done deal! I ordered it on a Thursday morning and it arrived on Friday mid-day. Is that awesome or what? The box was solid, well protecting the product which was received in excellent condition. "BUT!" This was the first time I experienced the, "Tear off label, packing list and return address label underneath." At first I thought this was a great idea until I start to "Tear Here" "Tear There" etc. thus totally destroying the packing list and return label in the process. What a major PIA with nothing to show for my effort but scraps of sticky paper. BUMMER! This needs to be addressed and improved by AmazonBasics. The digital optical cable was nicely wound and secured with a twisty tie making it easy to remove and prepare to install. SURPRISE! I could not for the life of me get the cable into the jacks, trying every method known to any normal ignorant man. Went to the internet, Amazon.com and started reading any - and they were few - one star reviews. AHA! There is a little piece of clear soft plastic covering and protecting the ends of the cable which require being easily removed. Once removed, badda-bing, badda-boom, everything connected easily and worked perfectly. Hello....a little note in the box would have saved me 15 minutes of attempted and failed installation time had I KNOWN these existed and to remove them first. All-in=all an educational experience I still somewhat enjoyed with fantastic results using this AmazonBasics Digital Optical Audio Toslink Cable, 6 Feet . Once again a very positive experience with Amazon.com, having the Amazon PRIME program for two-day shipping, and the high quality well priced product. OUTSTANDING JOB! Highly recommended. I'm sorry, but I'll just have to keep doing business with Amazon.com if you continue to abuse me with this great customer service and quality products.

My Uncle bought a SMART TV which he loves. I mean who wouldn't love a SMART TV. Anyway, he has a huge surround sound system in his bedroom which he loves using when watching TV or movies. However, only stuff from the DirectTV box and the Blu-Ray player would come through the SS while any of the TV apps would require the volume on the TV to go up. Now, I'm literally the ONLY one in the family who knows a lot about electronics and whatnot. I've taught myself how to build and repair computers simply by hands on since I was 9 without any form of professional training so I'm the one people come to for help regarding their computers, TV, etc. He called me up and told me he bought a SMART TV but when he goes into Netflix or any other app on the TV, he has to lower the SS volume, and use the TV volume instead which he isn't fond of because there's a ton of content on Netflix and all of those other services that he can't enjoy with his SS. I could hear it in his voice that he was a little upset about this. Going on and on about how she spent this kind if money and the sound from the SMART TV apps don't go to the SS. He went on in great detail of all the things he tried, and with each thing he tried, he became more frustrated. He then proceeded to tell me I'm going to go buy a new receiver, or maybe this TV is defective. After he was done talking, and going on about it he asked me what is wrong or what do I recommend he do or what setting does it need to be on, etc. I said....Uncle Mike, Your receiver and your nice brand new SMART TV are both perfectly fine. I said what you're trying to do can indeed be done very easily, and I already heard relief in his voice. He goes, yeah? It's possible? I then said indeed of course it's possible. Wouldn't it be a little silly if your SMART TV apps wouldn't be able to go through your SS? He then said yes I agree that would be a little silly but why doesn't it work? I then told him, I said, Uncle Mike, what you'll need is a special cable called an Optical Audio Cable. A what? A audio opti cable? An Optical Audio Cable Uncle Mike. What's that do? Can you get one for me? Can you come here and help me? Sure I can help you Uncle Mike, you know I'm the one to turn to for stuff like this. Yes, yes you are, that is why I called you. I mean, I tried to do it myself, I got everything working except the built in apps coming through my SS. I then said, indeed Uncle Mike, I'll explain. Please do, he said. Let me explain this to you in terms that you will easily understand I said. ( since I know his set up ). Your receiver has 2 HDMI-In's and 1 HDMI OUT, right he says. You have a HDMI from the HDMI out to the TV, and then you have your DirectTV and Blu-ray player both connected to the receiver via HDMI filling those two " in " spots. Right he says, you remember that? Indeed Uncle Mike, I have a photographic memory when it comes to stuff like this. I said with that like that, you have your DirectTV sound from the cable box going through SS, and BR player sound going through SS. Yes but none of this makes the apps come through the SS. That's right Uncle Mike, I'm getting to that now but I'm just explaining this first so when I explain the special cable, it makes sense to you more. Now, not thinking about the DTV box and your BR player. Your TV ITSELF isn't connected to the recev..he cut me off...yes it is, yes it is, the HDMI is connected. No Uncle Mike, the HDMI cable you're seeing that's connected to the TV is the HDMI " OUT " coming from the receiver. You have your Direct TV and BR player plugged INTO the receiver but the one connected to the TV is the OUT signal from the receiver which is delivering the picture and sound from your DTV and BR player that is going INTO the receiver. OHHHHHHHHHH he then says. So, how are we suppose to get the sound from the TV itself to the receiver? BINGO Uncle Mike, we're now ready to talk about the Optical Audio Cable. The Optical Audio Cable or in this case we'll say OaC is a special cable that will plug into your TV, and the other end into the receiver. I told him, don't worry about a thing, I will order you the cable, and I will come over the day I get it, and everything will be fine. Really? You sure? This will work 100%? How do you know? Yes, it will work 100% How do I know? Really Uncle Mike? I just KNOW. This is my bread and butter. I don't know why I know the things I know, I just know them. 2 days later, I rang his door bell, and he was quite excited to see me especially after he said I had a package in my hand. Here it is I said, the missing link to your issue. I opened the packaging and I held it up and I said BEHOLD! Your BRAND NEW Digital Optical Audio Cable! He looked at the tips and said woah, I never seen these kind before, is this new? I said no sir, these have been around for a very long time but they're usually for other things. I turned his TV a little, and plugged in the cable to the correct port. I then fed the cable down around the back nice and clean and turned his receiver around. I said to him, OK Uncle Mike, I'm going to give you options here. You know how you turn the input on the receiver to cable / sat when you want to watch TV? Yeah? He said, well you're going to have to change it to a different mode when you want your apps to come through the SS. Now, he had a quite a few open to him. CD / Tape / etc. He said CD is fine since I don't have a CD disc changer or anything and I use DVD for the BR player. I plugged it into the CD port, and turned the receiver back. I then went into his sound settings and found speaker settings, and saw it was set to TV speakers. I changed it to Audio Out which he saw me do and said wow, I would of never knew I had to change a settings. If I was to get this cable alone I would of thought the cable was bad or something. I said indeed, you have to tell the TV to transfer sound from the TV to the receiver via Audio Out which means via the Optical cable. I see he said. Once this was all done, I went into Netflix on the TV, resumed the Kevin Hart comedy show he was watching probably the night before, waited for it to buffer and play. He then says, I still hear regular TV though Steve. Yes you do Mike, I then turned the input dial to CD, and BOOM, Kevin Hart then came through every SS speaker in his room, and his eyes opened wide, and a smile produced on his face, and he was extremely happy. You did it! You were right! How did you know that? How did you know that you would have to change a setting? You know the answer to all those questions Uncle Mike. You know I know electronics better than anyone else in this whole family. This is true he said. Indeed it is I said. I then explained to him then when he pressed volume up or down on the remote nothing will show on the screen volume wise anymore so don't think the remote isn't working. The TV is now set to send its sound through the OaC now instead of the speakers but just remember you'll need to change the input on the receiver. Cbl / Sat for DirectTV, DVD for BR Player, and now CD for any of the apps on the SMART TV. He thanked me about 10 times, and asked me to stay for dinner that day which I did. I spoke to him earlier today actually and I asked him how everything is holding up and he said GREAT. He said he's even more in love with the SMART TV now that all the apps go through his SS now, even Youtube he said goes through. I said indeed Uncle Mike. ANY of those apps built into the TV will now go through your SS system as long as you turn the input on the receiver to CD mode. He told me he's glad he decided to call me. In conclusion, this cable is of very high and nice quality. You can FEEL it when you're holding it in your hand. We're both very pleased with this cable, it does EXACTLY what it's suppose to do. He's very happy so now I'm happy that he's happy. Happy Holiday's