Small Rant. Proprietary optical cable? Bose!

[crazyfingers]

I had been looking at the manual for my Denon CD player/recorder the other day and noticed it has optical ins and outs. So today I figured I'd connect it to my preamp via optical just for something to do and to free up an analog line in.

So I rummaged though my cable boxes. I remembered throwing one in when I organized last winter. Found it. Took it out of the original plastic baggie. And what-the F?

Only on very close examination I see that the culprit is Bose. My Bose Soundtouch wifi link has a proprietary optical output and that's what this is from. Vendors who use proprietary cables need to be boycotted. So I suppose I can connect that Soundtouch via optical now that I have a preamp that takes optical but... I'd rather not have gone out to ACE hardware to get a standard optical cable.

 

[lovinthehd]

Even their cable connectors tend to be proprietary, then there are the poor speakers themselves.....doubt there are many fans around here in any case.

 

[crazyfingers]

Not a big fan of Bose either. This Soundtouch adaptor was the first way I was able to play my music over wifi to my old Adcom preamp. Other than that and the noise cancelling headphones I got years ago for business travel, I haven't purchased many Bose products. And as I think about it, the cable that attaches to the headphone is proprietary. If I lose that it's probably $50 for a replacement.

Maybe Bose will get caught up in the EU's cable standardization directive. They sure got Apple. But these aren't chargers...

 

[lovinthehd]

Too bad the Audio Chromecast was discontinued....altho last I looked a bit still available on fleabay for very high prices (compared to when they were new).

 

[Trebdp83]

That is a cable for devices with optical/3.3mm combo ports so that they can be connected to other devices using an optical port.

 

[crazyfingers]

Now that I have the NAD preamp/streamer that uses BluOS and Airplay, I only keep the Bose attached as a backup. I keep it powered off but still plugged in.

 

[Trebdp83]

There are also adapters for those who need such a thing.

 

[lovinthehd]

That is a cable for devices with optical/3.3mm combo ports so that they can be connected to other devices using an optical port.
View attachment 64054

The headphone out is optical?

 

[Trebdp83]

It certainly was never common and has since been discontinued on Macs.

 

[Bobby Bass]

Hate when companies make proprietary cables and connectors. There ought to be an audio/video leas against it. Makes me think of my cable storage bins. Every now and then I’ll pull one out looking for something and be like what was this for again? My wife tells me to throw them away when she witnesses it but I tell her honey no way you never know when I’ll need it. Lol.

 

[crazyfingers]

Hate when companies make proprietary cables and connectors. There ought to be an audio/video leas against it. Makes me think of my cable storage bins. Every now and then I’ll pull one out looking for something and be like what was this for again? My wife tells me to throw them away when she witnesses it but I tell her honey no way you never know when I’ll need it. Lol.

Soon after I retired I tackled this 30 year accumulation of cables and wires in a box. I kept about 1/2, now sorted into small boxes by RCA, USB, HDMI, etc...

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

Soon after I retired I tackled this 30 year accumulation of cables and wires in a box. I kept about 1/2, now sorted into small boxes by RCA, USB, HDMI, etc...

View attachment 64128View attachment 64129

That’s pretty impressive. It’s amazing how you can accumulate these stupid things. I actually take free cables at garage sales just because we have so many odd devices, or people who show up to visit that have different phones, or cameras etc. just never know.
Nice marble tabby too!

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

Hate when companies make proprietary cables and connectors. There ought to be an audio/video leas against it. Makes me think of my cable storage bins. Every now and then I’ll pull one out looking for something and be like what was this for again? My wife tells me to throw them away when she witnesses it but I tell her honey no way you never know when I’ll need it. Lol.

My wife gives me crP about hoarding cables too. Until I save the day with one! Then we laugh about it.

 

[crazyfingers]

That’s pretty impressive. It’s amazing how you can accumulate these stupid things. I actually take free cables at garage sales just because we have so many odd devices, or people who show up to visit that have different phones, or cameras etc. just never know.

It sure was an exercise in making choices!

Rationally, I still keep too many cables. I have more RCA cables then I'd ever possibly use but they are sentimental to me from when my system was far more complex. Imagine three cassette decks all connected through a DBX 400XRoute Selector

and including a separate dbx 224 Noise reduction unit and qualizer. At one time I needed a second route selector to connect everything.

It was so complex whenever I had to move the setup it would take well over 2 hour just making sure the plugs were all correct. (Never to be attempted while stoned).

Anyway, I have a hard time parting with my RCA cables.

But a mono 3.5mm plug on one end that splits into two RCAs? I probably have 5 still in baggies. But when I got a powered sub I needed one. But I don't know why I'd need 5 more. But I kept them.

3.5mm male to male and male to female cables are still valuable.

Micro-USB on the other hand, I hate them. Too small to see which end was up without getting a flashlight and putting my glasses on. Thank goodness they were short lived and USB-C came along. The only device I have left that takes a micro USB is my wireless phone charger.

2, 30 foot long modular phone line? Maybe. I guess I'll keep them.

How may 6 foot long coax cables do I really need to keep? Do I really need 6? Maybe keep 3.

I have an older box in the garage with a 4 prong phone plug cable. Remember them? About one inch square.

The largest mass of what got thrown out was a tangled ball of power supplies for long dead devices and wired mouses.

Nice marble tabby too!

My baby Walle!

 

[davidscott]

Soon after I retired I tackled this 30 year accumulation of cables and wires in a box. I kept about 1/2, now sorted into small boxes by RCA, USB, HDMI, etc...

View attachment 64128View attachment 64129

 

[davidscott]

Too funny. I have a box or 2 in my garage that looks very similar.

 

[crazyfingers]

Too funny. I have a box or 2 in my garage that looks very similar.

While setting up my old setup was incredibly complex and not to be done while stoned, I could never have tackled and sorted that mess of wires sober.