The Cinnamon optical cable from AudioQuest uses multiple highly polished polymer fibers instead of a single plastic conductor, as is often the case with standard optical cables. This configuration is designed to reduce light dispersion, a phenomenon that can affect the accuracy of the digital audio signal by altering its temporal integrity.
A Multi-Fiber Architecture to Control Light Dispersion
At the heart of the Cinnamon is a bundle of high-purity polymer fibers, each carefully calibrated to limit the light’s entry angle. In a conventional single-fiber 1.0 mm optical cable, the light emitted by the LED can enter at multiple angles, creating paths of different lengths—like a billiard ball bouncing off the rails. These varying paths generate delays in the signal’s arrival, a phenomenon known as modal dispersion.
AudioQuest’s solution is to replace this single fiber with several hundred thinner fibers. Each individual fiber, due to its reduced size, mechanically limits the possible entry angles of the light. This physical restriction drastically reduces the variety of light paths, and thus temporal dispersion. The ends of each fiber are meticulously polished to optimize light coupling and minimize stray reflections at connection points.
The cable features a black and red braided jacket characteristic of AudioQuest’s Cinnamon range. Beyond its distinctive visual appeal, this finish protects the fiber bundle while maintaining enough flexibility to facilitate installation in tight spaces.
The Impact of Dispersion on Audio Reproduction
Contrary to popular belief, optical transmission is not inherently perfect. When dispersed light arrives out of sync, the decoding circuit struggles to accurately reconstruct the digital information. This difficulty first appears at the high frequencies of the data stream (not audio frequencies, but those of the digital signal itself), creating a form of temporal jitter that affects the precision of digital-to-analog conversion.
The Cinnamon addresses this issue with two complementary approaches: higher intrinsic quality fibers to reduce dispersion within the material itself, and a multi-fiber geometry to mechanically filter out problematic entry angles. This dual strategy preserves the temporal coherence of the S/PDIF signal, which is especially critical for transient reproduction and soundstage stability.
Versatile Connectivity with Included Mini-Optical Adapter
Each Cinnamon cable comes with an adapter for connecting to 3.5 mm mini-optical jacks, increasingly common on laptops, portable players, and certain compact devices. This dual Toslink/mini-Toslink compatibility greatly expands connection possibilities, allowing the same cable to be used between devices of different generations.
The connectors feature an ergonomic design that makes insertion easy and ensures a firm hold in the socket. This design addresses a common issue with cheap optical cables, which tend to disconnect under their own weight or with the slightest movement of the equipment.
Home Theater Applications and Modern Audio Setups
The Cinnamon naturally finds its place in today’s home theater setups. Soundbars, now ubiquitous in modern living rooms, make full use of the cable’s qualities for connection to TVs. The Cinnamon’s ability to preserve the dynamics and clarity of the digital signal results in better dialogue definition and more precise spatialization of virtualized surround effects.
For subwoofers equipped with digital inputs, the cable ensures undiminished transmission of synchronization information, which is crucial for coherent integration of bass with the rest of the spectrum. Users frequently report having to readjust their subwoofer level after installing the Cinnamon, a sign of more faithful low-frequency transmission.
Next-generation gaming consoles, notably PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series, also benefit from the cable’s low latency and temporal precision. In competitive games where spatial sound localization is critical, reduced jitter can make the difference between anticipating or missing the action.
