AudioQuest Pearl Fiber Optic Digital Cable

Pearl Is the Entry Point to AudioQuest's Optical Range

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 Pearl is the first rung of its optical cable line, built around a specially optimized low-dispersion fiber conductor, with a standard full-size Toslink plug on each end.

Low-Dispersion Fiber Conductor

AudioQuest says dispersed light still gets through a fiber, but only after taking a longer path and arriving late, like a pool ball bouncing off the side rails, and that delay prevents the receiving device from decoding the signal properly. Pearl's specially optimized low-dispersion fiber is built to enhance fidelity by reducing that delayed light.

Finely Polished, Low-Jitter Interface

Every AudioQuest optical tier, Pearl included, carries a finely polished optical interface and is built for low jitter at the connection.

The Connectors, Explained

Pearl has a standard full-size Toslink plug on each end: a square plug that fits the OPTICAL OUT port on your source and the OPTICAL IN port on your receiver or DAC.

Who Is This Fiber Optic Cable Best For?

• You are upgrading from the cable that came in the box — Pearl is AudioQuest's entry point, built around its low-dispersion fiber conductor at the lowest price in the range
• Your source has a full-size Toslink optical port — Pearl is built for that connector
• You want the low-jitter, finely polished interface every AudioQuest optical tier carries — that construction standard starts here, at Pearl
• Your only digital connection is coaxial, HDMI or USB rather than optical — a coaxial digital cable or another digital cable, rather than an optical one, is what you need instead

How Does It Connect to Your System?

Plug the square Toslink end into the OPTICAL OUT port on your source and the matching square plug into the OPTICAL IN port on your receiver or DAC.

Then power up the system as usual.

Measure the Path, Then Add a Little Slack

Measure the route the cable will really take from your source to your receiver, DAC or soundbar, around furniture and behind the rack. Then add a little slack. As audio legend George Cardas puts it, "A cable that's just long enough usually turns out to be just not long enough."

When Is It Time to Upgrade?

An optical cable often stays in a system for years, so it is easy to overlook. Look again when something else changes: a new DAC, streamer, receiver or soundbar.

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. 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.

Does Pearl come with a 3.5mm mini adapter?

No. Pearl has a standard Toslink plug on each end, so it needs a full-size Toslink port. If your source has a 3.5mm optical jack, you will need a mini adapter, and AudioQuest Forest ships with one in the box.

Is there a step up?

AudioQuest Forest is the next rung. It moves to a high-purity fiber conductor and adds solid .5% silver conductors, and it ships with a Mini-Adapter in the box.

Why do the cables in some images show a woven cable cover while others show a smooth vinyl cover?

The answer is that shorter lengths of the cables are most commonly used in home audio systems where the cables may be visible, so they get the fancier woven cover. Longer fiber optic cables (5.0M+) are often used in home theater or commercial installations where the smooth cover makes it easier to pull the cables through ceilings and walls. What’s the difference in performance? None that we can tell.

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