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| Monster AI LSS KIT-2M iCable Fiber Optic Kit for AirPort Express to AV Receiver | 
 enlarge | Brand: Monster
Category: CE
This item is no longer available
Avg. Customer Rating:  7 reviews
Sales Rank: 19175
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 10.6 x 5.2 x 2.2
MPN: AI LSS KIT-2M
Model: AI LSS KIT-2M
UPC: 050644396113
EAN: 0050644396113
ASIN: B0009S5NQO
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| Customer Reviews:
| Showing reviews 1-5 of 7 | | NEXT » |
Inexpensive audiophile-quality solution June 12, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
There's very little premium to pay here: this fiber-optic cable only costs a smidgen more than a good brandname analog miniplug-to-double-RCAs cable. And it sounds considerably better.
Is this thing right for you? Depends. (1) Does your pre-amp or receiver have TOSlink inputs? (2) Do you have an Apple Airport Express? (3) Do you have music files to stream that are not your standard-issue MP3s, but that were ripped at 265kbps or higher, preferably even with lossless encoding software? If you answered yes to all three of these questions, and you have high-quality audio equipment, this cable won't disappoint. As another reviewer said, you might get the best results feeding the cable into a standalone DAC (digital-to-analog converter).
Overkill? Nah.
Let's back up. When you import CDs into iTunes or another music library program, you can CHOOSE THE QUALITY of the copy. An external DAC is not going to make an appreciable difference with low-quality MP3s that have been ripped at 128 kbps or worse (such as most of the ones offered at the iTunes store), but at higher bitrates, these computer files can actually sound very good -- IF you can get around the cheap electronics typically used for playback.
I've begun using lossless encoding (if you have iTunes, go to Preferences --> Advanced --> Importing, then choose Apple Lossless Encoding from the 'Import Using...' dropdown menu).
Maybe the sound quality isn't the final word in terms of musical resolution, but I find that it more than lives up to minimum audiophile standards (mine, at least). I use a relatively old (ten years) Theta Chroma 396 DAC, which works like a charm.
Stereophile editor John Atkins alerted his readers to the Airport Express / DAC possibility recently and pronounced himself relatively pleased with the fidelity of such a setup. He did warn that some DACs apparently take a few seconds to lock on to the digital audio signal, which is annoying when you change tracks -- the first bar(s) of the recording might get cut off. But Atkinson experienced no such problems, and neither did I. My Theta locks on to the signal without any noticeable delay.
Again, if your CD rips are of good to excellent quality (kbps-wise), the Toslink / DAC scenario is definitely a sonic improvement over using a mini-plug out to RCAs in.
 Same performance at many times the price June 12, 2007
3 out of 5 found this review helpful
The world's most demanding banks, corporations, and data centers use the world's best fiber optic cable to send a 10 gigabit multimode signal several kilometers. That fiber costs 60 cents per foot. Why does Monster Cable charge $60 or more for to send a single-mode 128kbps signal a few feet?
I suggest a much cheaper option like the PTC 6ft Toslink to Mini Toslink Cable, which I've been using for weeks now with zero complaints. Save your money and spend it where it will really count: on quality headphones, speakers, or music.
(Unless you really need a white cable. It won't sound any better but at least it'll color-coordinate.)
 Works great March 21, 2007
Hey folks make sure you take off the plastic caps on both ends of this cable before using!! ;) I am using mine to connect my Apple airport to my Sony Dreamcast reciever. Sounds really good.
Fnatastic looking and performing cable. February 20, 2007
Looks well done... it's a cable i just use it between my airport express and my AV surround amplifier... just works!
Monster AI LSS KIT-2M iCable Fiber Optic Kit February 15, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The kit contains a regular toslink cable and a mini-toslink adaptor. I used it to connect my Mac-mini with a Proceed DAC. It is well built and works great. It is a bit pricy comparing with the other products in the market -- hence the 4 stars rating.
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