Guide 7 · Cables
HDMI & Optical Cables That Actually Matter
Quick verdict · Cables
Buy a certified Ultra High Speed HDMI (6 ft) for TV → bar eARC, and a boring TOSLINK (6 ft) when you need optical. Skip audiophile markup.
Apartment runs are short. Expensive HDMI does not make eARC dialogue clearer. Optical does not need mystical jackets for PCM stereo. Certified length that seats firmly is the whole job.
What actually matters
- Certified HDMI for your length — Ultra High Speed (primary) or High Speed for short-run eARC audio
- Working TOSLINK ends that seat firmly (removable tip caps help)
- 3–10 ft apartment lengths — 6 ft is the default; 3.3 ft when gear sits close
- Not “audiophile,” oxygen-free, or directional jacket marketing
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HDMI picks (apartment runs)
Primary — Ultra High Speed, 6 ft
Certified Ultra High Speed / 48Gbps class. Overkill for dialogue-only eARC on a 6 ft TV→bar run, but it is the honest certified default when you want one cable that will not under-spec video later.
Value / myth-kill — High Speed with Ethernet, 6 ft
18Gbps High Speed is enough for ARC/eARC audio on short apartment runs. If someone is selling you a $40 “audiophile” HDMI for clearer voices, this is the honest cheap counterexample.
Optical / TOSLINK picks
Primary — Digital optical, 6 ft
Working fiber ends + tip caps. Use for older TVs without ARC/eARC, optical backup, or streamer → bar topologies on the wiring guide.
Length alt — 3.3 ft (tight units only)
Same Basics TOSLINK class when the streamer and bar sit close in a small entertainment unit. Prefer 6 ft unless you know you need short.
Myths to skip
- Expensive HDMI ≠ better eARC dialogue on ≤10 ft apartment runs — certification and a firm seat matter; gold-plated mystique does not
- Optical does not need mystical jackets for PCM stereo / basic compressed surround
- Oxygen-free / directional “audiophile” cables — skip for TV→bar and streamer→bar apartment wiring
- Buying 48Gbps only for voice clarity — if your only job is ARC/eARC audio on a short run, High Speed is already honest
When to replace a cable
- Intermittent handshake / dropouts after reseating
- Bent HDMI pins or cracked TOSLINK tips
- Length too short after a furniture move (bump to 6–10 ft rather than stretching)
- Persistent ARC/eARC fail after TV/bar settings are correct — try a known-certified spare before blaming the bar