Optical Cables: Lifatec

General Headphone Discussion
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This probably belongs someplace else. but I can’t find it, so here goes.

This $119 item gets as much big-time productivity enhancement as anything I know. It’s a 3 foot Glass Optical Cable with 470 strands of real glass fiber–as opposed to the usual fiber and glass combinations. As I recall, it’s imported from Germany, where it was originally used in surgical/medical applications (and maybe still is). Anyway, it makes the garden variety optical cable–a la approx. $25 bucks from Crutchfield, Amazon, Audio Advisor, etc.–sound veiled. The increase in clarity, detail and overall sound quality is huge. I use it in several different audio systems around the house and in each case the improvement is like orders of magnitude better. And that’s using several different DAC’s (two RME ADI-2’s, two SMSL SU-8’s, two Bifrost Multibit’s, one Bifrost Uber, and one Modi Multibit) in headphone systems, main speaker systems and a near-field speaker system. I got the recommendation for a “real glass” digital cable 3-4 years ago from a tech support guy at AudioEngine, when I was building the near-field system with 3 of their speakers and 2 from Focal. It made a big difference and I’ve been using the same brand cable in other systems ever since, including to replace existing coax cables from Cardas.

Here are the specifics. Company name is Lifatec USA. www.lifatec.com. 315-689-1497. Cable name is TOSLINK-TOSLINK SILFLEX GLASS DIGITAL AUDIO CABLE w/OPTISILK SHEATHING. This is a great little company in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York. And this particular cable has a “30 day, 100% satisfaction guarantee, no-risk return policy.”

You might want to give this Lifatec a try, especially if you’re currently using a mediocre coax or optical cable…Lee

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Lifatec cables run rings around the competition, at a fraction of their cost.

Way back, I measured their standard cables … and they exhibited error-free behavior at VASTLY higher rates than anything even high-resolution audio requires.

They are the ONLY optical cables I will recommend.

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My ears agree with what you said about the quality of Lifatec’s cables. A few years ago, in fact, I told them their product was way underpriced–that it was so good they should consider raising prices.

The 470 strands of glass in this digital cable does more than just get the best from our sizable investments in DAC’s. The improvement also flows through to our downstream equipment and the big bucks we’ve spent on amps and headphones.

Then there’s the biggest deal of all…a substantial improvement in the quality of sound that comes out of our gear, and all the enjoyment we get from listening to music.

Sometimes I almost feel guilty about the many benefits I’ve received from your reviews and comments, Ian, as well as the insights posted by others here at The HEADPHONE Community. I know this Lifatec cable is one of very best values in audio and hope it serves many of our fellow members as much as it has me.

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That’s just crazy talk… :laughing:

Seriously, thank you for posting this thread. I’ve come across references to this particular cable, but always taken with a grain of salt. It’s nice to have confirmation from my own community.

Thanks again.

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