The Optimus 50 is our take on the modern I2S connection, using the HDMI standard but very much focused on audio. Sure, the Optimus series can also handle 4K video with extremely high bandwidth. But the focus is squarely on audio performance above all else which we believe sets it apart from most competing products on the market. We spent months designing the Optimus series, with numerous prototypes stacked up against over a dozen popular high-end I2S solutions. During the process we discovered that these cables don't quite work the same way as more traditional audiophile designs. In other words, an approach that results in great analog interconnects or even a quality SPDIF cable, isn't necessarily the same approach that leads to an exceptional I2S cable. A few other brands seem to "get it" but many do not, which in our view explains the existence of so many wildly different options where cost doesn't really correlate with performance. One huge challenge in this process was getting different lengths of cable to perform identically. We've never encountered another cable type where length impacts performance to such a large degree. After trying many different ideas and mostly failing to achieve the goal, our solution was to use two completely different cable designs to overcome those differences. Thus we end up with the Optimus 50 - a 50cm cable (aka .5 meters), and the Optimus 100 - a 100cm version (aka 1 meter). Different looks, different internals, but the same performance and the same price. We are unable to do custom length for the Optimus series. An Optimus 150 (1.5m length) may be coming if demand is high enough, using yet another completely unique design to arrive at the same place as its shorter siblings. Compatibility is always a challenge for I2S connections. Our cables use the HDMI standard just like the vast majority of others on the market. Users will still need to verify that their transport is compatible with their DAC - it's a real minefield out there with multiple different "standards" so please be careful.
