Is Bluetooth Audio Better Than Optical?

A music lover will expect an amazing sound quality from the speaker. You will want to have the connection which offers the best sound quality. If you are enthusiastic about music, you will be concerned regarding high quality music from speakers and the connection type with devices will actually matter. Now, the question arises from Optical vs Bluetooth audio.

Both the connections are popular and have their own pros and cons. This article will explain the advantages or disadvantages of each connection type for your speakers.

Read More:-

Is Bluetooth audio better than Optical?

Among Optical vs Bluetooth, Bluetooth audio has some benefits over Optical audio, so it is preferred more.

The transmission of sound makes them different from each other. Bluetooth uses wireless technology to connect with speakers whereas optical audio uses cable to transmit sound signals to a Digital/Audio Converter (DAC).

Does it matter whether sound is transmitted by Bluetooth or Optical cables?

Both of these can transmit the digital audio signals from the source to the digital/analog converter(DAC). It is difficult to decide which interconnection provides the best signal & good sound quality.

Both Bluetooth & Optical audio are digital signals, better than analog sound signals. In order to find out the best among these, let’s go through their pros and cons.

Optical vs Bluetooth

Optical audio:-

It offers stable connectivity because it links the device to your speaker using a physical cable. But, the range is limited. The user can’t move away due to the cable, which can make music lovers disappointed.

Besides, the range limit cable connection is stable to electrical or radio interference & makes it superior than other types of connection, including Bluetooth. You will be able to listen to undistorted audio with guaranteed connectivity on optical audio speakers.

Advantages of Optical audio:-

It cannot be dominated by electrical or radio interference.
Longer cables would help to deliver sound over longer distances.
It can support up to 5.1 channels
No need for compression as it has a large bandwidth.

Disadvantages of Optical audio:-

There is some change in the sound signal sent to DAC as compared to the original stream created by source devices. This happens because sound undergoes resampling when passed through the optical soundcard.
Optical ports are not present in DAC, amplifiers or Personal Computers.
Signal disturbance may occur if the cable is slightly over-bent.

Bluetooth Audio:-

It provides portability as well as high-quality sound. You can enjoy your favorite streaming from wherever you are, like swimming pool, house, garden etc. This is the best advantage of Bluetooth audio put forward.

But, the Bluetooth signal is likely to interference. The sound quality will depend on the distance from your device & the obstacles between them.

Though the quality of Bluetooth 2 speakers has improved over time. The Bluetooth 1 loose compress was poor. Now, the audio quality is better. You may feel the difference when you experience both of them.

Advantages of Bluetooth audio:-

Devices connect to the speaker wirelessly; you don’t need to carry any extra wires.
Most Bluetooth devices are compact, which makes them ideal for travelling.
These are waterproof devices & don’t require a cable to be plugged in.
You don’t need extra space to place them.
It can carry the sound signal thousands of kilometers away.

Disadvantages of Bluetooth audio:-

Mostly prone to electromagnetic signal interference.
Maximum range that Bluetooth allows is 30 feet.
It has smaller bandwidth.
You may experience problems while pairing devices.

Bluetooth vs Optical audio:-

Bluetooth is more convincing for the listeners. Optical audio limits the reach of cables. The sound quality offered by both is amazing, irrespective of their cons.

Both have their own value, you can’t decide whether Bluetooth is better than the optical audio. There is only a difference in modes of transmission & decoding. Whereas Bluetooth offers a wide range of 30 feet, optical cables provide better sound quality that is interference-free, but come with wires running all around the connection. The user can identify which will be better for them after using it.

Yes, the wire connection will be more stable, more bandwidth & with less interference than Bluetooth audio, as Bluetooth is not considered to be a high fidelity audio transmission standard.

It is not possible to say which one is better without understanding its application. Optical connection is more preferable for sound quality. With Bluetooth, the sound must be compressed or decompressed on the other end, which results in loss of sound quality.

There can be a problem if you use optical cable from your device. Using an optical cable in busy areas like farms or working areas is not recommended.

Conclusion:-

Both the signal connections will work properly, but Bluetooth audio has some advantages over the optical audio, which is convenient for music lovers. The sound is not disturbed by any electrical and radio interference from optical audio. This can be a better option without any interference.