S/PDIF Cable Physical Medium
S/PDIF Cable Medium identifies whether the digital audio connection uses an electrical cable or an optical fibre.
Coaxial S/PDIF carries an electrical signal, while optical S/PDIF carries light. The two require matching interfaces or an active converter between them. A passive plug adapter cannot turn an electrical signal into an optical one.
S/PDIF Cable Physical Medium — S/PDIF Cable
Choose the medium supported by the source and receiving component. Optical transmission does not provide a conductive signal-ground path through the fibre, while an electrical connection does. That difference can matter in a system, but it does not guarantee an audible improvement in every setup.
Check supported formats, cable length and connector type for the complete link. The medium alone does not establish the maximum sample rate or prove that a cable will work at every advertised device setting. Keep S/PDIF separate from other optical or coaxial protocols that may use similar connectors but carry different signals.