AudioQuest designed the Forest OptiLink cable for those seeking high performance on a budget. Even though it's AQ's most affordable Toslink cable, it's been engineered to provide a distortion-free connection between digital audio source components — CD players, Blu-ray or DVD players — and A/V receivers, DACs, and even some sound bars. The core of the Forest is a single finely polished, low-distortion polymer fiber conductor that minimizes signal loss and jitter (time-based distortion). The cable has full-size Toslink connectors at each end, reinforced by a brass ferrule, which helps ensure ideal light transmission for the highest quality sound.
Optical cables carry signals as pulses of light rather than a stream of electrons, so they are virtually impervious to magnetic or electrical interference. Unlike cables made of wire which require some type of metal connector to transfer the signal between components, in an optical cable, the very tip of the connector is the fiber itself, and it requires special polishing to reduce light refractions. Whether you're feeding stereo music to a DAC or Dolby® Digital surround sound to your receiver, the optical cable is a crucial link in the signal chain and shouldn't be overlooked.
