AudioQuest Cinnamon Optical Cable at Vinyl Sound Toronto Canada

The AudioQuest Cinnamon is a high-performance TOSLINK optical digital audio cable from AudioQuest (Irvine, California, USA), available at Vinyl Sound in Toronto, Canada. Designed for S/PDIF optical connections between televisions, CD players, DACs, AV receivers, soundbars, and game consoles, the Cinnamon uses lower-dispersion higher-purity optical fiber, precision polished fiber ends, and delivers low-jitter digital signal transmission. Each of these three design elements directly addresses the primary failure modes of standard TOSLINK optical cables, making the Cinnamon a meaningful upgrade for any system relying on an optical digital audio connection.

Lower-Dispersion Higher-Purity Fiber

The quality of the optical fiber used in a TOSLINK cable directly determines how accurately the light pulses encoding the digital audio signal are transmitted from source to destination. Standard optical cables use lower-grade plastic fiber that introduces modal dispersion, a phenomenon where different components of each light pulse travel at slightly different velocities through the fiber and arrive at the receiving end spread out in time rather than as a sharp, discrete pulse. This temporal smearing of the light pulses increases the difficulty of accurately recovering the digital clock signal at the DAC or AV receiver, raising the jitter floor and degrading audio performance. The AudioQuest Cinnamon uses lower-dispersion higher-purity fiber that transmits each light pulse with greater fidelity, producing sharper pulse edges at the receiving end and reducing the jitter contribution of the cable itself.

Precision Polished Fiber Ends and Low-Jitter Performance

The termination quality of a TOSLINK cable is as critical as the fiber itself. Each end of the optical fiber must be polished to a precise, flat, smooth surface so that the light entering and exiting the cable couples efficiently with the source LED and the receiving photodetector. Poorly polished or rough fiber ends cause light scattering at the termination point, reducing signal strength and introducing additional pulse-edge distortion that compounds the jitter already present from fiber dispersion. The AudioQuest Cinnamon's precision polished fiber ends ensure maximum light throughput and minimum termination-induced distortion, contributing directly to the cable's low-jitter performance. Together, the higher-purity fiber and precision polished ends make the Cinnamon a technically coherent upgrade over standard plastic TOSLINK cables at every stage of the signal path.

Key Features

• Lower-Dispersion Higher-Purity Optical Fiber: Reduces modal dispersion compared to standard plastic TOSLINK fiber, producing sharper light pulse edges and lower jitter at the receiving device.
• Precision Polished Fiber Ends: Smooth, flat termination surfaces maximize light coupling efficiency and minimize scattering at the source and receiver connection points, reducing termination-induced jitter.
• Low-Jitter Digital Transmission: Combined fiber quality and termination precision minimize the cable's contribution to digital timing errors, supporting more accurate clock recovery at the DAC or AV receiver.
• Standard TOSLINK Compatibility: Compatible with any component using the standard TOSLINK S/PDIF optical digital audio interface, including televisions, CD players, game consoles, AV receivers, DACs, and soundbars.

Technical Specifications

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the AudioQuest Cinnamon optical cable?

The AudioQuest Cinnamon is a TOSLINK S/PDIF optical digital audio cable built with lower-dispersion higher-purity fiber and precision polished fiber ends for low-jitter digital signal transmission. It is designed to connect any two audio or home theatre components with standard TOSLINK optical outputs and inputs, including televisions, CD players, DACs, AV receivers, soundbars, and game consoles. The Cinnamon is available at Vinyl Sound in Toronto, Canada.

How does the AudioQuest Cinnamon optical cable compare to the AudioQuest Pearl or Carbon optical cables?

The AudioQuest Cinnamon sits above the Pearl and below the Carbon in the AudioQuest optical cable lineup. The Pearl uses a standard-grade optical fiber with basic terminations, while the Cinnamon advances to lower-dispersion higher-purity fiber with precision polished ends for meaningfully lower jitter. The Carbon steps further with an even higher-grade fiber and more refined termination quality. Compared to standard TOSLINK cables from brands such as Mediabridge or AmazonBasics, the Cinnamon's lower-dispersion fiber and precision polished ends address the two primary sources of jitter in an optical cable that generic designs leave unmanaged.

Does optical cable quality affect sound quality?

Yes, optical cable quality affects the jitter performance of the digital audio signal, which in turn influences the sound quality reproduced by the DAC or AV receiver. Standard plastic TOSLINK fiber introduces modal dispersion that smears light pulse edges and raises the jitter floor at the receiving device. Poorly polished fiber ends add further pulse-edge distortion through light scattering at the termination points. Both forms of jitter increase the difficulty of accurate clock recovery at the DAC, and elevated jitter is audible as a subtle hardness, grain, or loss of low-level detail in the reproduced audio. The AudioQuest Cinnamon's lower-dispersion fiber and precision polished ends reduce both mechanisms.

What is modal dispersion and why does it matter in a TOSLINK cable?

Modal dispersion is a phenomenon in optical fiber where different propagation paths, or modes, of the light signal travel at slightly different velocities through the fiber and arrive at the far end spread out in time. In a TOSLINK digital audio cable, each light pulse represents a digital bit boundary, and modal dispersion causes those pulse edges to arrive smeared rather than sharp. The receiving photodetector must then interpret where each pulse edge begins and ends, and the greater the smearing, the more timing uncertainty is introduced into the recovered digital signal. Lower-dispersion fiber, as used in the AudioQuest Cinnamon, reduces the velocity spread between propagation modes and delivers sharper pulse edges for more accurate clock recovery.

What is the difference between optical TOSLINK and digital coaxial S/PDIF connections?

TOSLINK and coaxial S/PDIF both carry the same digital audio data formats, including PCM stereo up to 192kHz and Dolby Digital and DTS surround formats, but use different physical media. TOSLINK transmits the signal as pulses of light through optical fiber, while coaxial S/PDIF transmits an electrical signal through a 75-ohm copper cable with RCA connectors. Coaxial S/PDIF generally achieves lower jitter because electrical signals maintain sharper pulse edges than light pulses through plastic fiber, but optical connections provide galvanic isolation between components, which can reduce hum and ground-loop noise in some systems. The AudioQuest Cinnamon optical cable is the appropriate choice when TOSLINK is the available or preferred connection on the source or receiving component.

Where can I buy the AudioQuest Cinnamon optical cable in Toronto or Canada?

The AudioQuest Cinnamon optical cable is available at Vinyl Sound, an authorized AudioQuest dealer in Toronto, Canada. Vinyl Sound carries the full AudioQuest optical and digital cable lineup in-store and online, with complete manufacturer warranty support for Canadian customers.

Is the AudioQuest Cinnamon optical cable compatible with game consoles and televisions?

Yes, the AudioQuest Cinnamon is compatible with any device using a standard TOSLINK optical output or input, including the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch dock, and virtually all current and recent televisions, soundbars, AV receivers, and CD players. It carries Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1, and PCM stereo, which covers the optical audio output formats used by all current consumer electronics. For devices that support only HDMI ARC or eARC for audio return, an AudioQuest HDMI cable with ARC or eARC support is the appropriate connection instead.