A Toslink™ cable is a fibre optic cable designed specifically for the transmission of digital signals in consumer electronics. Toslink cables convert electrical audio signals into light and use fibre optics to transfer that light-signal from one component to the other. They are, therefore, also often referred to as optical cables.

Toshiba logo

The name comes from the originators of the connection, Toshiba - hence TOS(hiba)LINK – who developed it to link their CD players’ digital output to their own-brand receivers. It quickly became adopted by other manufacturers to give consumers more choice and flexibility in connecting their digital audio devices.

Are Toslink and S/PDIF the same thing?

S/PDIF is simply a transmission protocol that can be sent down any compatible cable.

Toslink cables transfer audio data using the S/PDIF standard, and in that sense can be described as S/PDIF cables, but so can coaxial cables. In other words, all optical cables are S/PDIF cables, but not all S/PDIF cables are optical.

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