£100 analogue fibre optic audio lead

[fcb]

When I was involved in analog audio over fibre back in the early-mid 90's, we mainly used FM to modulate the audio - it was very good, and we could multiplex many channels of audio.

I've also sent audio over fibre in much the same way as the LightLead - it also sounds very good, and if they have fixed lengths and no need to for an AGC, it will be good.  Will be at as good as using star-quad or a digital system - no, but it might have colourations that the end user actually likes (much like valve amps).

I've backed the project as I think it has merit, although I think there is a certain amount poetic-license applied to the KS promotional material...

[Yago]

from the video "lets just switch to the lightlead and do SOMETHING SIMILAR", the mix sounds very different to my ears, boosted.

I though very much the same.
Only got a shite speaker here, but I swear not only is the eq different, there are reverb and chorus effects added to the sound for the light lead test.

[fcb]

I suspect that the single biggest (sonic) benefit of the lightlead will be the inclusion of buffer amplifier in the chain - guitar amps vary wildly in their input impedance and this has (IMHO) the most significant effect on the 'tone'.

It's pretty immaterial as the have raised about 2% of the total..

[LightLead]

Hi, Ive added a new video which may be of interest to
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1536327222/lightleadtm-world-1st-analogue-optical-audio-cable

[fcb]

You quote on the KS page:

"We use a patented optical analogue technology.
No encoding, digitisation or modulation.
The signal travels down the fiber as light!"

What's the patent number??

[LightLead]

Here it is, i think its already been pulled out on a previous post.

Light Emission Circuit
EP 2833568 A1

http://google.com/patents/US20150037047?cl=en
http://google.com/patents/EP2833568A1?cl=en

[fcb]

Interesting Patent - so it's just a uP controlled active bias.

102dB S/N would be very impressive..

[coppice]

Interesting Patent - so it's just a uP controlled active bias.

102dB S/N would be very impressive..

What would be impressive about 102dB SNR? Even with quite small signals, where noise is harder to control, 102dB is very mundane these days.

[fcb]

Interesting Patent - so it's just a uP controlled active bias.

102dB S/N would be very impressive..

What would be impressive about 102dB SNR? Even with quite small signals, where noise is harder to control, 102dB is very mundane these days.

Agree, 102dB SNR is a mundane or even poor for an ADC/DAC or even a balanced audio signal - but not for a EO-OE system.

[LightLead]

We are at 104db S/N
we are constantly achieving better results as optical technology advances.

David Holmes.
Iconic Sound

[LightLead]

There has been an interesting developement!
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1536327222/lightleadtm-world-1st-analogue-optical-audio-cable

[Richard Crowley]

There has been an interesting developement!

And apparently it will only cost you £10 to find out what that is!

[rthorntn]

I think the development is a kickstarter special price of 35 quid.

[LightLead]

I was actually referring to the new design model going to the printers.... but yes £35 is also exciting!

[fcb]

I'm an early backer of this KS.

IMHO your making a mistake dropping the price to 1/3rd - I don't think this is the main reason your KS is stuck at 5% of target. I don't think you've made or can make a convincing case for this product - it's niche and it's one more thing to go wrong (and has batteries in it which scares people).

At £35 you will be making a huge loss on this project as you'll have to make in the region of 2000 units - your BOM is going to be thick-end of the £35 and you'll have to consider hard tooling (certainly if you want to make more in the future).

So if you've got the money for hard-tooling, why not just make some aluminium tools and produce a smaller batch for the niche.