AudioQuest Cinnamon Toslink Fiber Optic Digital Cable + Mini Adaptor

Cinnamon Raises the Silver Content and the Fiber Grade

A fiber optic cable carries sound as pulses of light, not electricity, so it can't pick up the electrical or radio-frequency noise a copper cable can. What still matters is fiber quality and how cleanly the ends are polished.

AudioQuest's Cinnamon moves to what the company calls its lowest-dispersion, highest-purity fiber conductor, and raises the silver content on the conductors to 1.25%, more than double Forest's .5%. Every Cinnamon Toslink cable ships with a Mini Adaptor in the box.

Lowest-Dispersion, Highest-Purity Fiber Conductor

AudioQuest names Cinnamon's fiber its lowest-dispersion, highest-purity grade below the narrow-aperture Carbon and Vodka tiers, built around the same physics as the rest of the range: less dispersed light arriving late means less distortion in the decoded signal.

Solid 1.25% Silver Conductors

Cinnamon's conductors carry 1.25% silver, more than double Forest's .5%, which AudioQuest says helps eliminate strand-interaction distortion and reduce jitter. That silver content is the one stated difference between the Forest and Cinnamon tiers.

The Connectors, Explained

Cinnamon ends in a full-size Toslink plug on each end, and every Cinnamon cable includes a 3.5mm Mini Adaptor in the box, so the same cable also serves a mini-optical jack without buying a second cable.

What Reviewers Are Saying

Part-Time Audiophile's coverage of AudioQuest's optical range calls it "all certified and finished to perfection," naming Cinnamon as the honest mid-point of that ladder rather than the flagship.

Who Is This Fiber Optic Cable Best For?

• You already own a Forest and want more silver in the signal path — Cinnamon more than doubles the silver content on the conductors, from .5% to 1.25%
• You want AudioQuest's lowest-dispersion, highest-purity fiber below its narrow-aperture tiers — that is exactly the grade Cinnamon is built around
• You want one cable that covers both a full-size and a mini-optical jack — the included Mini Adaptor does that without a second purchase
• You are feeding a source with real resolution to protect, not just a background system — Cinnamon sits in the middle of AudioQuest's range for exactly that reason
• Your budget stops at Forest's price and that tier already covers your source — AudioQuest Forest is the lower-priced cable one rung down

How Does It Connect to Your System?

Plug the square Toslink connector into the OPTICAL OUT or DIGITAL OUT port on your source, and the matching square plug into the OPTICAL IN port on your receiver, DAC or soundbar. The connector is keyed to fit only one way.

Then power up the system as usual. Other and longer lengths available. Call for prices.

Pairs Well With

An optical cable is one link between a source and a receiver, DAC or soundbar. It usually joins these categories.

• Digital-to-Analog Converters — the most common destination for an optical signal
• CD Players and Transports — a common optical source for a receiver or DAC
• Home Theater Receivers — the usual optical input for a TV or soundbar feed
• Music Streamers — a source component that often carries an optical output

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does fiber quality matter in an optical cable?

AudioQuest explains it this way: dispersed light does get through a Toslink cable, but only after taking a longer path, arriving late, like a pool ball bouncing off the rails. That delayed light prevents the receiving device from decoding the signal properly. Less dispersion in the fiber means less distortion in the final analog sound.

Is this a glass or plastic fiber?

It's plastic optical fiber, not glass. Every maker in this category describes it the same way: unlike glass, it will not microscopically fracture when the cable is bent or flexed, which is what lets these cables route through tight spots without breaking.

Does an optical cable carry any electrical signal at all?

Light travels down the fiber core with no electrical current on the cable itself, which is exactly why it can't pick up hum, ground loops or radio-frequency noise the way a copper interconnect can. The signal is decoded back to an electrical one only inside your components.

Is there a step up?

AudioQuest Carbon is the next rung. It replaces the single large fiber with 19 narrow-aperture synthetic fibers and adds a non-metallic, galvanically isolated connector.

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