It's possible your cable is defective. In which case an inexpensive but decent cable should fix the noise and crackle. But it's also possible your PC sound card is defective—I've seen defective sound cards before.
Toslink S/PDIF Cable Length
I am currently streaming music on my PC using a sound card with toslink s/pdif out to my Yamaha receiver. I am using the Schiit Vidar as a power amp rather (using pre-outs). The problem is this: my PC and the receiver are 20ft away. My current $10 amazon optical cable is noisy and crackly (when compared to Airplay). Although, it sounds more detailed and has a wider soundstage than Airplay, plus I have some FLAC songs on my computer. Would buying a high quality toslink cable solve the crackling? Or should I take a different route? Thanks for the help
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