Pangea Audio Premier SE Fiber Optic Digital Cable

Premier SE Moves to a Multi-Core Fiber

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.

Pangea Audio's Premier SE is the top of the company's optical line, moving from Premier Optical's single fiber core to a multi-core plastic optical fiber design that designer Jay Victor says fixes single-fiber's real limitations.

Multi-Core Plastic Optical Fiber

Jay Victor says that in listening to both single-fiber and multi-core fiber cables, he has always found the multi-core cables sound significantly better. He attributes this to less transmission loss, and believes there is also a minimization of timing errors and a faster, more accurate detection of light pulses, which can ultimately reduce jitter.

A Lower Attenuation Spec Than Premier Optical

Pangea states an attenuation spec of less than 0.136 dB per meter for Premier SE, lower than Premier Optical's already-strong .16 dB per meter, a real, stated improvement rather than just marketing language. Premier SE keeps the same polished, not hot-plate, termination Victor calls far superior in optical transparency.

The Connectors, Explained

Premier SE ends in a square Toslink plug on each end, finished with Pangea's polished, not hot-plate, termination, the same fine-abrasive finishing process Pangea uses across its whole Premier optical line.

Who Is This Fiber Optic Cable Best For?

• You already own a Premier Optical and want Pangea's top optical build — Premier SE moves from a single fiber core to a multi-core design built for lower loss and less jitter
• You want the lowest attenuation spec in the Pangea optical line — Premier SE's 0.136 dB per meter beats Premier Optical's own already-low .16 dB per meter
• You value a polished, not hot-plate, fiber termination — that construction carries through from Premier Optical to Premier SE
• You are feeding a reference-level source or DAC — Premier SE is the top of the Pangea optical range for exactly that role
• Your budget stops at Premier Optical's price and that cable already covers your source — Pangea Premier Optical 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.

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

Who designs Pangea's optical cables?

Jay Victor, credited by name on Pangea's own product pages for both Premier Optical and Premier SE. His stated reasoning for the multi-core design is less transmission loss and a faster, more accurate detection of light pulses than a single-fiber cable manages.

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.

Is there a step up?

Not in the Pangea Audio optical line we carry. Premier SE is the top of that range.

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