April 18, 2014

  • MIT AVt1 Optical Toslink, Part 2

    25 years ago, my high school classmates realized that their time at Lowell was coming to an end. I don't know whether that constituted pressure or not, but that spring, many of those classmates lost their virginity.

    Okay, so digital connections are not in the same league as losing one's virginity. But by this time, I had become aware of splitting digital transports and DACs. I had also become aware of two types of digital connection: S/PDIF coaxial and optical EIAJ Tos-link. While there was something kind of cool about an "optical" connection, we had read that Tos-link optical was an inferior method of digital transmission. I did think, though, that 2 years later, we'd be using more and more optical connections. I dunno; they just seemed better than copper wires.
    IMG_0668
    No, I didn't think I'd ever review a Tos-link optical cable, but here I am. Let's take a closer look at the MIT AVt1 Optical Toslink. Audiophiles adamantly insist in getting electrical cables going in the correct direction. I have no idea about signal flow in Tos-link cables, but the MIT AVt1 is NOT marked for directionality.
    IMG_0671
    I'm pretty sure that, of my classmates who became sexually active, most used condoms. To protect the fragile ends, the MIT AVt1 comes with tiny clear plastic caps.

    I don't know about ACS' sexual history, but like many others, she lost her viriginity either late in high school, or shortly thereafter. At first, she was fine with using condoms. To make condoms fun, ACS and her college housemates kept a bowl, with a wide variety, a cornucopia, of condoms.
    IMG_0673
    But by Spring '95, ACS wanted to be through with condoms. Having experienced bareback sex, she did not want to go back to condoms. Also, she just thought that penises look better, when unadorned. Hey, in order to make the AVt1 work, you have to remove its protective cap. Doing so reveals...oh never mind.