SPDIF Cable

The SPDIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interconnect Format) or S/PDIF cable is a cable commonly used in home theaters to transfer digital audio from a playback device like a

DVD player or blu-ray player to an output device like a receiver.  Other common devices that use the S/PDIF format and require a SPDIF cable to transmit digital audio are PC sound cards, TV tuner cards, and car audio equipment.  In this article and website, we are going to give information on the two types of S/PDIF cables, reviews on the most popular cables, and where you can buy the highest quality cables for the lowest prices (hint: not Best Buy).

One type of SPDIF cable has RCA connectors on each end and should be capable of transmitting a digital signal.  Although RCA is considered analog, most high quality RCA cables are capable of transmitting a digital signal fairly short distances (possibly up to 10 meters).  There are high quality and well-shielded cables with RCA connectors that are specifically meant for digital audio transmission.  If you don’t want to buy a cable that is specifically made for the SPDIF digital signal, then the yellow 75-ohm RCA cable can be an adequate substitute.

Besides SPDIF cables that use RCA connectors, there are fiber optic SPDIF cables known as TOSLINK cables that send the audio signal optically. These fiber optic SPDIF cables have unique connectors so you will need to check the input connections on your devices to make sure the TOSLINK connection is supported.  The optical fiber SPDIF cable is preferred to the RCA SPDIF cable because the optical fiber cable will have less audio loss, less noise, and a greater overall sound quality compared to its RCA counterpart.  It is also possible to convert TOSLINK to RCA and vice-versa using a simple converter purchased online.

SPDIF cables are fairly easy to install. All you will have to do is locate the SPDIF output on the device that you want sound from; usually, it is either the TOSLINK jack or the yellow RCA jack. If your device has both, go with the TOSLINK for better audio quality. Once you know what kind of cable you will need, my advice would be to go to an online store like Monoprice, Newegg, or Amazon and find the required length and type of cable you will need.  These stores will sell the same quality of cable that comes from Best Buy or other electronics retailers but at much lower prices.  For example, the same quality SPDIF cable might cost forty dollars plus at Best Buy might only cost you ten dollars at an online store.

Now that you have the cable, it is just a matter of connecting the two devices together. If you are connecting a CD player, DVD player, TV digital box, or something similar to a receiver, you will likely have to set the receiver to the appropriate audio output setting.  Your best bet is to check your receiver’s documentation on how to set this up as each receiver will be different. SPDIF cables can be purchased through and of the online retailers.

Since the beginning of home audio the various stereo setups have changed dramatically. Originally the stereo would carry a signal to the speakers through single a copper wire.

Recently with the growing popularity of the digital audio many stereo setups are now utilizing different ways of connecting the stereo to the speaker. While many of the new wires are essentially the same as the old ones, a copper connection, many of the new cables utilize fiber optic connectors.

The digital signals allow for more than one audio channel to be carried over a single wire. For instance with the old setup only one speaker broadcast could be carried over a wire. With new digital setups up to 8+ channels of audio can be carried through a single wire. This greatly reduces the mess of wires when setting up your stereo and it is convenient to be able to use only one wire to connect many audio channels between devices. S/PDIF is one of the most popular forms of this type of audio connector. The cables are generally short and have keyed connectors. The key part allows for the device to only be plugged in one direction and greatly simplifies installation.

S/PDIF also faces many limitations such as the high possibility to hear jitter. Also the optical cables are prone to break. If they are bended too tightly or possibly stepped on, the delicate fiber optic strand in the center of the wire can often be broken.

Stereos are not the only devices that use S/PDIF cables. Pretty much any device that handles audio signals will be compatible with the cable. For instance if you were looking to hook your computer up to a stereo, if your computer has a S/PDIF port you use the one cable to connect your computer audio to your stereo. If you have a surround sound setup you can actually use your computer to output great surround sound audio. It is also often found on televisions. You can use the audio output from your TV to feed into your stereo and get great stereo sound from your television.

Although many audio cable connection standards have come and gone it seems as though S/PDIF will be around for a while . Its only likely replacement, HDMI cables ,also carry audio signals but also carry video signals. So there will always be a unique place for S/PDIF cables and home audio setups, because they are less complex and generally less expensive than HDMI cables.