Toslink & HDMI Cables

I finally did it. Well, Tim and I did it. We ran strings through my wall and my attic! One comes out behind my computer; the other behind my amplifier in my living room.

In order to achieve my goal (connecting my computer to my living room surround sound system) I need two cables: a DVI to HDMI cable (50 feet long) and a toslink or digital coaxial audio cable. I chose the toslink cable even though a coaxial signal is more robust and better for long runs. Why? Because I have toslink inputs and outputs on my sound card and receiver. If I went with the digital coaxial cable I’d have to buy additional equipment (toslink to coaxial adapter). So I decided to go with a 50 foot toslink cable from MonoPrice.com and a 50 foot DVI to HDMI cable from Blue Jeans Cable.

I didn’t talk much to anyone at MonoPrice, but I did use their online chat support, and the technician responded very quickly. He seemed knowledgeable and gave me good advice. MonoPrice’s cables seem to be good cables, but are solely mass-produced cables from China. Their prices (on certain items) are nearly unbeatable and they provide the option for customers to post product reviews on their site. So, when you’re researching a product you can see what others think of it before you buy it. That sort of information is invaluable.

I bought the toslink cable from MonoPrice because the price was cheaper than others (only $12 for a 50 foot toslink cable with a heavy duty jacket for protection) and because of the 25 customer reviews. All customers vouched that the cable reproduced sound accurately regardless of its long length. Every single user rated it 5 out of 5 stars for a perfect rating. I’ll post a review of the cable after I install it.

Blue Jeans Cable was the company I wanted to buy all my cables from. This company really knows its stuff. All employees know cables inside and out. This company sells the only HDMI cable manufactured in the U.S.A. (Belden). They produce their toslink cable in-shop to their specifications. Their Series-1 cable is quite expensive in comparison to generic cables (at this time, their 50 foot HDMI Belden Series-1 cable is $135) but it’s significantly better than other cables. It’s the only cable manufactured in the U.S.A., even though it’s still terminated in China. It’s contructed in a superior fashion for better performance over distance (Blue Jeans Cable has tested it without signal loss up to 125 feet).

I wanted to buy the Series-1 cable but I’m cheap so I went with their economy brand – Tartan. I bought a 50 foot 24AWG cable for $32. That’s right – $32. I haven’t received the cable yet but I’ll post a review of it here when I get it. The guys at Blue Jeans Cable responded to all my emails quickly and they answered all my questions thoroughly. Like I said, I wanted to buy all my cables from them, but their 50 foot toslink cable cost around $50 (at the time of this writing). They do offer Chinese-produced cables (their Tartan brand) and you can check out all those cables at Tartan Cable. I would have bought a Tartan toslink cable, but their longest toslink cable was 25 feet.

I’m very impressed with Blue Jeans Cable. They specialize in all sorts of cables (not just HDMI and toslink cables) and they’re extremely knowledgeable. They have articles on their site that are extremely enlightening. A few I really enjoyed:

• How Long Can HDMI Cable be Run?
• Where Does HDMI Cable Come From?
• Do You “Get What You Pay For” in Cable?

Reading these articles really helped me see what’s going on in the cable industry. For instance, are Monster cables really worth the price? Check out Blue Jeans Cable’s articles and you’ll get a very clear answer.

Check back soon for reviews of my new cables.