Optical Audio?

Question

(it's a cd Changer , it doesn't play DVD's) My Yamaha CDC 505 has an optical out as well red and white RCA out. what improvement well using optical out have" i didn't think regular cds could support optical. someone explain please, .lol

Answer 1

To use the decoder in the CD player or in the receiver is the real question.

Check the specs for each and determine which is the better decoder. If it is the receiver then use optical, if it is the CD player use good shielded interconnects.

Answer 2

The red and white RCA cables can only support stereo while the optical connection can suport surround sound for Super Audio CDs [SACD] (if this CD player supports SACDs) and is also digital and less prone to interfearance since they transmit via light signal and not electrical signal.  

I would recommend using the optical although most people would generally not hear a difference between the two when playing in stereo.

Answer 3

Let me answer your second question first. The optical output (aka TOSLink) is used to transfer music digitally from your CD player to an external receiver or amplifier. Since regular CDs store music digitally, an advanced CD player like yours can just read out the digital music, and send it to your receiver without converting it to analog.

Now, to your first question. The process of converting music from digital to analog can be done in either your CD player (and the RCA connectors will output this resulting analog signal), or in your receiver (your CD player sends the unconverted digital music to your receiver, which then converts it to analog internally, then passes it to the amplifier circuitry, then onto your speakers or headphones).

Some people think their CD players do a better job with this conversion, some people think their receiver does it better. It's a matter of personal taste.

The only advantage I can think of is, newer receivers feature "Dolby ProLogic II", which converts 2-channel stereo audio (such as that from your CD player) to 5.1-simulated-channels surround audio. If you use this feature, the TOSLink connection would be preferrable, as it avoids a convoluted digital (on CD) to analog (RCA output) to digital (Dolby processor) to analog (amplifier) path for your music.

Answer 4

The optical cable would be used to connect your CD player to an amplifier, or to something similar. If you are not trying to connect it to an amplifier, then you should use the Red and White RCA cables instead.