Customer Reviews

Monster Cable THX-Certified Fiber Optic Digital Interconnect Cable (4 Feet)

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I've bought several of these cables and have been very happy with my purchase. I've used them for hooking up my Gaming Systems, TV, Cable Box, and Receiver/DVD Player. (Note: I had to buy a small 3 in 1 Fiber Optic Switch Box to handle all these cables -my Receiver and TV only had one digital audio connection each.)

I believe that these cables are the best name brand VALUES currently around for Fiber Optic Audio.

What do you REALLY get for a "high end" fiber optic cable that is triple the cost of this cable? I don't know. I purchased one (which was "top of the line") and obscenely expensive, and of course it sounds great, but these cables sound great too. Plus, these cables ARE Monster cables, AND they are THX certified!

What does THX certification mean? Below is a blurb taken directly from the THX website describing it:

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"THX is on the forefront of entertainment technology, offering products and services of unparalleled quality for post-production, distribution and playback of audio and visual content. THX Certification is considered a mark of excellence in the presentation technology industry, offering consumers a promise that the cinemas they visit and the products they purchase have been evaluated and tested to meet the highest standards for picture and sound performance."

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A digital signal is a digital signal. This is fiber optic cable -it uses light to transmit the digital data -it doesn't degrade like analog based on the quality of the cable. So these cables are NOT likely to give you a worse audio signal than more expensive cables, they just are going be a little less durable, and probably use slightly less high quality materials. Are they fragile? Not at all, but the top of the line cable that I purchased was so thick that I probably could have stepped on it on cement and it would have been fine. This THX cable is thinner and I could imagine it breaking more easily. If you work somewhere (like a studio) where there is a good chance of rolling things over the cables from time to time on a hard floor then you might have a good reason for a more durable cable. (Same goes for cables that are going to be manhandled regularly -i.e. a lot of plugging/unplugging and bending of the ends).

Overall, I'm very happy with these cables and can I afford to buy a bunch for all the fiber optic audio connections I am now using (i.e. Receiver, TV, Cable Box, Xbox/Playstation/Gamecube)

(P.S. for first time users, don't forget to pull off the tiny plastic coverings on each end of the fiber optic cables. These are there to protect the cable during transit/storage and will prevent the light from passing unless removed. Throw these tips away; you'll never need them again.)

What exactly is a fiber optic cable? It transports sound using a digital signal. In fiber optics, light is used to transport this digital data. The digital signal is made up of 1 and 0. 1 being light, 0 being no light.

I recommend using the Monster Standard Cables and always will. I actually did try different cables unlike most people who talk about the cables all being the same.

So how should I decide between buying a "high end" fiber optic cable and an ok one. Well, the fact that it is triple the cost of this cable kind of gets me. I purchased a top of the line, Monster Cable THX Ultra 1000, that was really expensive. The Ultra 1000 is more durable, and uses higher quality materials that transport the light more efficently. Yea it did sound slightly better. But if you plan on using it for a CD player or a cheaper surround sound system, you won't need the really expensive stuff. This does perfectly well. But even for me, I ended up returing the Ultra 1000. Why you ask? The quality didn't meet the price. Its not worth it unless you plan on building a top of the line home theater that you plan to use every day. For most people, this cable will be more than enough of an improvement that they'll notice the difference and be happy enough.

You should keep in mind that when you use surround sound, that in order to actually achieve the full 5.1 surround sound that you should use digital fiber optic cables for all the sound inputs that you can use it for. (CD players and video cassettes don't have 5.1, most only have 2.0/1.0 respectively)

Overall, I gave this Monster Standard cable a 5 because there is no 4.90.

Notes for new users of these cables:

- Make sure your DVD player or Cable/Satallite reciever has the fiber optic output, as a lot of the cheaper ones don't.

- Pull off the plastic protective coverings on each end of the fiber optic cables. These are there to protect the cable during transit/storage.

- Be careful not to bend the cables around too much or strtch them to meet the distance you want them to reach. Buy a longer one if you need to.

- If the black coating on the cable gets striped a bit, consider buying a new cable, as the damage allows light to seep out, thus, distoring the quiality.

© 2005 - David Chen - All Right's Reserved

It may be true that optical cables all provide the same quality but not everyone that buys Monster optical cables will try refuting this. I buy Monster in general because of the durability as well as the quality, but in optical's case I bought this cable knowing that it should last as long as my equipment will. And for $20, that's not a bad investment. I have to admit though that I bought an Arista Fiber Optic cable which is just as good, four times the length and cheaper, but how long it will hold up against all the foot-traffic, I don't know. For the price I think either are fair.

i'm a big "techno-goober" as one of my friends says. i love Fiber Optic Digital cables. to me it has the cleanest audio there is.
i have this cable going from my Digital Cable Box to my Surround Sound system.
in the past i had cables go out after a few weeks. so far so good. this one is tough. well built.
and with Monster Cable, you always get what you pay for. so it might be a little expensive, but in the long run, you won't have to replace this ever week.

First i am not an audiophile, but i can tell the difference. the cable works great, my only mistake was that i did not but the 6ft. The extra length would help when i pull the component out.

HOLY CRAP is it overpriced. Good god why did I buy this. Sound qaulity is the same as any other 3 foot cord you can find...Monster means nothing, just you pay more for their name, thats it. Go buy a non-branded cord off of ebay, please.

The connectors are too bulky to fit next to other connectors in the back of most receivers. Not necessarily worth the higher cost of Monster brand.

I have a very good Yamaha surround sound system that cost me $500 about two years ago. It is an amazing system and I have always been pleased with the sound coming from it. Although, I was always curious about the quality being better because I was using a standard red and white audio cable to connect the TV's audio out to the surround system's audio in. A friend told me about using a fiberoptic cable and after seeing this one for around $15, I figured "what have I got to lose?" This was the best $15 investment I have ever made. As soon as I switched cables I heard an immediate difference. This is a must have for anyone who is looking for a great addition to their current home theater system.

There's not a lot to say really for a cable but it seems to be made well and works as designed. I would buy another one of these and the price was reasonable.

I bought this to accompany my Logitech z-5500's. Good cable and does what it is suppose to, delivers good, crisp sound.