TOSLink Connector Problem

In My Humble Opinion
1

I finally entered the mid 2000s with my TV setup by buying a new Samsung HW-K450 soundbar. Which I tried to connect to my dumb Toshiba HDTV via the included digital optical cable.

This is my first experience with TOSLink and it’s not going well.

Either cable end will slip into the female connector of the TV about 2/3rd of the way. The little transverse ridge on the top surface of the male connector looks like it ought to go fully inside the female part to help retain the connector. instead it just barely disappears from view. As it is the connector feels mostly-but-not-fully engaged and slightly floppy.

Either cable end will slip into the female connector of the soundbar barely halfway. Not nearly as deeply as it will into the TV. The little transverse ridges don’t even get close to entering the female connector. The connector feels totally loose & floppy. If I muscle it together I get audio connectivity. Until I let go and then it quits. Sometimes it’ll stay connected for a few seconds and then start making choppy digital-sounding intermittent audio.

Naturally the connector in the soundbar is sideways down in a recess so even if I could push the little door out of the way I can’t get line of sight to look in there for debris.

With the cable plugged into the TV as best I can the other end emits a steady red light. With the cable plugged into the soundbar as best I can the other end is dark.

And no, I don’t own any other TOSLink cables to swap in. Yet.

So you TOSLink experts:

Are TOSLink connectors supposed to feel floppy & about to fall out at the slightest provocation? Or is this typical of cheapo OEM cables? Would a better cable with better connectors be likely to mate securely? Or am I probably looking at a defective soundbar with debris inside the female?

Any advice is much appreciated.

2

Most common problem with TOS connectors: Not taking the covers off the ends of the cables.

3

Annnnd …

We have miraculous healing. The go in deeply & connect solidly. Thanks; you’re the best.
The various pictures I found online of cables mostly showed them with caps on the end. So mine looked like they did. And no, the manual made no mention of there being removable covers on the cable ends. Nor did anything make it clear that the little doors on the females are push in, rather than something you pry off before first use. At least I didn’t screw that up too.

I even read a couple of webpages on common problems with TOSLink. Neither of which mentioned *that *common problem.

Boy that’s obvious once you see it. Until then though. Yet again “intuitive” isn’t :smack:

Thanks again.

4

I recently left the transparent plastic sleeves on my new wiper blades.
They really do work loads better when the sleeves are removed.

5

Besides the sound bar I also bought a coffee pot. Fortunately it’s a pretty low-tech model.

I can hardly wait to see what creative failure to use modern technology properly awaits me tomorrow at dawn.