Audio T Verdict
Chord Company C-lite is the optical digital cable in the company's C-series, designed for home and portable audio equipment fitted with compatible Toslink or optical mini-jack connections.
Rather than carrying an electrical digital signal through copper conductors, C-lite uses a wide-bandwidth PMA optical cable. Chord Company specifies the design to pass signals up to 96K.
The ends of the optical cable are polished to improve bandwidth, while the optical conductor is protected by a soft PVC internal jacket and a hard-skin PVC outer jacket. Chord Company developed this construction to provide protection against crush damage while retaining enough flexibility for practical installation.
One of C-lite's biggest advantages is the range of connections available. Alongside conventional Toslink-to-Toslink versions, Chord Company produces optical mini-jack configurations for compatible compact DACs, portable players and other equipment where a full-size Toslink socket is not provided.
The important word there is optical. A 3.5mm optical mini-jack should not be confused with a conventional analogue headphone or line-level 3.5mm connection.
Chord Company C-lite Digital Optical Audio Interconnect
C-lite is a dedicated digital optical interconnect designed for compatible home and portable audio systems.
Chord Company offers C-lite with conventional Toslink connectors and optical mini-jack connectors, allowing it to accommodate a wider range of digital equipment than a simple Toslink-to-Toslink lead.
Chord Company's Current C-lite Options
The manufacturer currently publishes the following C-lite configurations:
| Connection |
Manufacturer Lengths |
Typical Application |
| Toslink to Toslink |
1m, 2m, 3m, 5m, 8m and 10m |
Compatible equipment with full-size optical Toslink connections |
| Mini-jack to Toslink |
1m, 2m, 3m, 5m, 8m and 10m |
Compatible optical mini-jack equipment connected to full-size Toslink equipment |
| Toslink to Mini-jack |
15cm and 30cm |
Short optical connections for compatible portable equipment |
| Mini-jack to Mini-jack |
15cm and 30cm |
Short optical mini-jack connections for compatible portable equipment |
Check the Exact Audio T Option Before Ordering
Chord Company manufactures more C-lite configurations than may be shown in the Audio T online selector at any one time.
If the connector combination or length you require is not listed online, contact your local Audio T store rather than selecting a different version simply because the plug appears similar.
Wide-Bandwidth PMA Optical Cable
Chord Company specifies C-lite as using a:
Wide-bandwidth PMA optical cable.
This is the optical light-carrying element within the cable.
Optical Rather Than Electrical
C-lite carries its digital signal optically rather than through a conventional copper signal conductor.
It should therefore not be described using OFC, silver-plated copper or coaxial-conductor specifications from Chord Company's electrical digital cables.
Specified for Signals up to 96K
Chord Company's current specification states that C-lite is:
Specified to pass signals up to 96K.
This is the manufacturer's published performance limit for the current C-lite.
Do Not Add Unsupported Higher Sample Rates
Chord Company specifies C-lite for signals up to 96K.
Audio T should not advertise 176.4K, 192K or other higher optical sample rates for C-lite unless Chord Company changes its published specification.
Polished Optical Ends
Chord Company polishes the ends of the PMA optical cable to:
Improve bandwidth.
This forms part of the manufacturer's optical construction rather than relying simply on a generic optical fibre terminated with off-the-shelf connectors.
Soft PVC Internal Jacket
The optical conductor is protected by a:
Soft PVC internal jacket.
This surrounds the optical element before the outer protective jacket is applied.
Hard-Skin PVC Outer Jacket
Chord Company then uses a:
Hard-skin PVC outer jacket.
The manufacturer states that this construction helps protect the optical carrier against crush damage.
Flexible Optical Construction
Despite the protective outer jacket, Chord Company designed C-lite to remain flexible enough to accommodate a relatively tight bend radius without affecting the light carrier.
Do Not Kink an Optical Cable
Flexible does not mean indestructible.
Avoid crushing, sharply folding or trapping C-lite behind equipment or furniture, as physical damage to an optical carrier can affect transmission.
Toslink to Toslink
This is the conventional optical configuration for equipment fitted with standard full-size Toslink sockets at both ends.
Chord Company currently publishes Toslink-to-Toslink C-lite in:
Optical Mini-Jack to Toslink
Chord Company also manufactures C-lite with an optical mini-jack at one end and Toslink at the other.
The manufacturer publishes the longer mini-jack/Toslink configuration in:
Short Portable C-lite Versions
For compatible portable equipment, Chord Company produces particularly short C-lite cables in:
These are available in Toslink-to-mini-jack and mini-jack-to-mini-jack configurations.
What Is an Optical Mini-Jack?
An optical mini-jack uses a compact 3.5mm-style physical connector to carry an optical digital signal.
It is intended only for equipment that specifically supports an optical connection through that socket.
3.5mm Does Not Automatically Mean Optical
A conventional 3.5mm headphone or analogue line socket is not automatically compatible with C-lite.
Check the equipment manual for optical or digital-optical support before ordering a mini-jack C-lite cable.
No Optical Adaptor Required
Where a dedicated C-lite mini-jack configuration is available, the correct connector is fitted directly to the optical cable.
This provides a purpose-built connection for compatible equipment rather than requiring a separate external mini-jack/Toslink adaptor.
Galvanic Isolation Between Components
Because an optical connection transfers the digital signal using light rather than an electrical conductor, there is no direct electrical signal connection through the optical cable itself.
This can be useful in systems where the equipment provides suitable optical digital connections.
C-lite or C-digital?
C-lite
- Optical digital connection
- PMA optical cable
- Specified for signals up to 96K
- Toslink options
- Optical mini-jack options
- No electrical signal conductor
C-digital
- Electrical coaxial digital connection
- RCA to RCA
- Oxygen-free copper conductors
- ARAY conductor geometry
- Foil shielding
- Gold-plated RCA plugs
The correct choice depends first and foremost on the digital outputs and inputs provided by the equipment.
Compare the Chord Company C-digital at Audio T.
C-lite or Clearway Digital?
Clearway Digital is an electrical coaxial digital interconnect rather than an optical cable.
It is available with RCA, BNC and compatible digital mini-jack terminations, while C-lite uses an optical signal path and Toslink or optical mini-jack connectors.
Compare the Chord Company Clearway Digital Interconnect at Audio T.
Typical C-lite Applications
C-lite can be used wherever both components provide compatible optical digital connections.
Examples can include:
- Television to amplifier
- Television to soundbar
- CD player or transport to DAC
- Streamer to DAC
- Games console or compatible AV source
- Compatible portable DACs and players
- Other equipment fitted with Toslink or optical mini-jack connections
Check the Audio Format Too
The physical optical connection is only one part of compatibility.
Make sure the source is configured to output a digital audio format supported by the receiving equipment.
Key Features
- Chord Company C-lite
- Digital optical audio interconnect
- Wide-bandwidth PMA optical cable
- Specified to pass signals up to 96K
- Polished optical ends
- Soft PVC internal jacket
- Hard-skin PVC outer jacket
- Designed to resist crush damage
- Flexible optical construction
- Toslink connections available
- Optical mini-jack connections available
- Toslink to Toslink available
- Mini-jack to Toslink available
- Toslink to mini-jack portable versions available
- Mini-jack to mini-jack portable versions available
- 1m manufacturer length
- 2m manufacturer length
- 3m manufacturer length
- 5m manufacturer length
- 8m manufacturer length
- 10m manufacturer length
- 15cm portable version
- 30cm portable version
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Chord Company C-lite?
C-lite is Chord Company's C-series digital optical audio interconnect for compatible Toslink and optical mini-jack equipment.
What does C-lite use to carry the digital signal?
Chord Company specifies a wide-bandwidth PMA optical cable.
What signal rate does Chord Company specify?
Chord Company states that C-lite is specified to pass signals up to 96K.
Does Audio T claim support above 96K?
No. The manufacturer currently specifies signals up to 96K, so higher figures are not added by assumption.
Are the optical ends polished?
Yes. Chord Company states that the ends are polished to improve bandwidth.
What protects the optical conductor?
A soft PVC internal jacket followed by a hard-skin PVC outer jacket.
Why does C-lite use a hard outer jacket?
Chord Company states that the construction helps prevent crush damage to the optical carrier.
Is C-lite flexible?
Yes. Chord Company describes it as flexible enough to allow a relatively tight bend radius without affecting the light carrier, although it should still not be kinked or crushed.
What is Toslink?
Toslink is the full-size optical digital connector used on many televisions, DACs, CD players, streamers, amplifiers and other audio products.
Does C-lite come with mini-jack connectors?
Yes. Chord Company manufactures optical mini-jack C-lite configurations.
Is the mini-jack connection analogue?
No. On C-lite it is an optical digital connection. Do not confuse it with an ordinary analogue headphone or line-level 3.5mm socket.
What Toslink-to-Toslink lengths are available from Chord Company?
1m, 2m, 3m, 5m, 8m and 10m.
What mini-jack-to-Toslink lengths are available?
Chord Company publishes 1m, 2m, 3m, 5m, 8m and 10m versions.
What short portable lengths are available?
15cm and 30cm.
What short portable connector combinations are available?
Chord Company publishes Toslink-to-mini-jack and mini-jack-to-mini-jack versions.
Does C-lite use copper conductors?
No copper signal-conductor specification applies to C-lite. It is an optical cable using a PMA optical carrier.
Does C-lite use silver-plated OFC?
No. That specification belongs to electrical cables elsewhere in the Chord Company range and should not be applied to C-lite.
Does C-lite need electrical shielding?
Chord Company's current trade specification lists shielding as not applicable for the optical C-lite construction.
Can I connect my television to my amplifier?
Yes, where the television has a compatible optical digital output and the amplifier has the matching optical digital input.
Can I connect a CD transport to a DAC?
Yes, where both products use compatible optical digital connections and the required signal format is supported.
Can I use C-lite with a headphone socket?
Not unless the socket is specifically designed to provide a compatible optical digital output. A normal analogue headphone output is not suitable.
Can Audio T help identify the correct version?
Yes. If you provide the make and model of the two components being connected, your local Audio T store can help identify the required optical connector arrangement and cable length.
Related Chord Company Products and Audio T Guides
Why Buy From Audio T?
- Help identifying Toslink and optical mini-jack connections
- Advice on choosing the correct optical cable length
- Television and amplifier connection guidance
- CD transport and DAC connection advice
- Optical versus coaxial digital comparisons
- Help sourcing C-lite configurations not shown online
- System demonstrations where available
- Home demonstrations where appropriate
- Digital-audio setup advice
- Ongoing after-sales support
Contact your local Audio T store if you need help identifying the correct Chord Company C-lite connector configuration or length.