HTPC with Digital Coaxial out (S/PDIF)
#1
I am looking for your help. Want to buy a new HTPC with the pre-requisite that it has a digital coaxial out (S/PDIF). I only now realized that my current setup (macmini) would require an active converter (http://www.amazon.com/Digital-Optical-To...B000I98ZQY) to have a digital coaxial out signal. And such a converter is not an option for me.

The new HTPC should be very small with good form factor, dead-silent, work with heavy skins, and play 1080p movies flawlessly. HD-Audio or 3D are not required.

Thanks in advance for your help!!!
Server: Asus Sabertooth Z77 | Intel Core i5 3.4 GHz | 16 GB DDR3 | 128 GB SSD, 82 TB (9 x 6 TB, 7 x 4 TB)
HTPC 1: Raspberry Pi 2 | HTPC 2: Raspberry Pi 2 | HTPC 3: Raspberry Pi
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#2
GIGABYTE GB-BXI3-4010 Intel Core i3-4010U 1.7GHz/ Intel HM87/ A&V&GbE/ Mini PC Barebone System....
>Alienware X51- do it all HTPC
>Simplify XBMC configurations
>HOW-TO Bitstreaming using XBMC
I refused to watch movie without bitstreaming HD audio!
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#3
(2014-04-21, 05:09)bluray Wrote: GIGABYTE GB-BXI3-4010 Intel Core i3-4010U 1.7GHz/ Intel HM87/ A&V&GbE/ Mini PC Barebone System....

This looks like a digital optical out and not a digital coaxial out. Any idea whether there is anything similar around with a digital coaxial?
Server: Asus Sabertooth Z77 | Intel Core i5 3.4 GHz | 16 GB DDR3 | 128 GB SSD, 82 TB (9 x 6 TB, 7 x 4 TB)
HTPC 1: Raspberry Pi 2 | HTPC 2: Raspberry Pi 2 | HTPC 3: Raspberry Pi
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#4
(2014-04-21, 05:58)steve1977 Wrote:
(2014-04-21, 05:09)bluray Wrote: GIGABYTE GB-BXI3-4010 Intel Core i3-4010U 1.7GHz/ Intel HM87/ A&V&GbE/ Mini PC Barebone System....

This looks like a digital optical out and not a digital coaxial out. Any idea whether there is anything similar around with a digital coaxial?

where do you see an optical port? SPDIF doesn't confer any specific physical connector, in this case it's a 3.5mm jack. All you need is a 3.5mm mono to RCA adapter and you're set Smile
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#5
It's right that I could do it with a converter. But this would be a powered converter (http://www.amazon.com/Digital-Optical-To...B000I98ZQY). In this case, I could also stick to my MacMini and get a converter. I wanted to avoid putting a converter in between, which may lead to loss in audio quality and (given it is a powered one) even yet another box/cable.

I browsed everywhere and the only solution appears to have a HTPC with a digital coaxial out. Does this no longer exist?
Server: Asus Sabertooth Z77 | Intel Core i5 3.4 GHz | 16 GB DDR3 | 128 GB SSD, 82 TB (9 x 6 TB, 7 x 4 TB)
HTPC 1: Raspberry Pi 2 | HTPC 2: Raspberry Pi 2 | HTPC 3: Raspberry Pi
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#6
Some motherboards that have an onboard audio controller and offer Optical Digital SPDIF connectors sometimes also feature the RCA-style digital connector, but the smaller the motherboard, the less likelihood there will be multiples of ANY specific type of connector/standard in my experience.

I have heard it mentioned that a coaxial digital output is better than a Optical digital style connector in terms of audio quality, but to my mind digital is digital, so the two should have the same perceived quality for a given source. I doubt even your pets with better hearing than you would notice the difference, lol.

Not to mention it was said that gold-plated audio interconnects were superior and that reasoning has since been shot down in flames by those in the know.

But then, i'm no audiophile. Smile
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#7
A couple of motherboards I've built PCs around in the past have just had motherboard SPDIF headers rather than back panel ports. To add SPDIF you buy an optional PCI-blanking slot (it doesn't connect to the PCI or PCI-E bus) with a coax socket and flying cable to connect to the header. Coax is less popular than Toslink these days, so it is included as an optional extra (like COM ports in many cases) (It was also used to connect SPDIF to early HDMI-equipped graphics cards that didn't have on-board HDMI audio)(

An optical to Coax converter shouldn't impact your audio quality though, it's the same 1s and 0s passing over the interface, just in a different medium. There are arguments about jitter etc. but AIUI in many cases the audio is reclocked on input - and any DD/DTS is decoded and buffered. I'd try a Toslink->Coax converter first - it's going to be a low cost solution, and if you don't hear any issues then you're fine.
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#8
Thanks for your replies. Not only about cost and quality, but also this converter is just quite huge, ugly and even has an external power supply...

My quality concern is not about optical digital or digital coaxial being better (I could not care less and am not even an audiophile). I was just wondering whether this cheap converter (which apparently does something that it needs power for) would significantly impact the quality. Jitter as you said or even worse...

If digital coaxial is uncommon / unused in modern HTPCs, I probably indeed have no other choice than to go the route of the adapter.

Any final thoughts before I buy the converter?
Server: Asus Sabertooth Z77 | Intel Core i5 3.4 GHz | 16 GB DDR3 | 128 GB SSD, 82 TB (9 x 6 TB, 7 x 4 TB)
HTPC 1: Raspberry Pi 2 | HTPC 2: Raspberry Pi 2 | HTPC 3: Raspberry Pi
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#9
(2014-04-21, 08:36)Matt Devo Wrote:
(2014-04-21, 05:58)steve1977 Wrote:
(2014-04-21, 05:09)bluray Wrote: GIGABYTE GB-BXI3-4010 Intel Core i3-4010U 1.7GHz/ Intel HM87/ A&V&GbE/ Mini PC Barebone System....

This looks like a digital optical out and not a digital coaxial out. Any idea whether there is anything similar around with a digital coaxial?

where do you see an optical port? SPDIF doesn't confer any specific physical connector, in this case it's a 3.5mm jack. All you need is a 3.5mm mono to RCA converter and you're set Smile
You'll need this "Toslink-to-Optical Mini Plug Digital Cable" for the Brix, and it be much simpler and cleaner than an adapter....
>Alienware X51- do it all HTPC
>Simplify XBMC configurations
>HOW-TO Bitstreaming using XBMC
I refused to watch movie without bitstreaming HD audio!
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#10
(2014-04-21, 11:19)steve1977 Wrote: Thanks for your replies. Not only about cost and quality, but also this converter is just quite huge, ugly and even has an external power supply...

My quality concern is not about optical digital or digital coaxial being better (I could not care less and am not even an audiophile). I was just wondering whether this cheap converter (which apparently does something that it needs power for) would significantly impact the quality. Jitter as you said or even worse...

If digital coaxial is uncommon / unused in modern HTPCs, I probably indeed have no other choice than to go the route of the adapter.

Any final thoughts before I buy the converter?

all you need is this and a regular coaxial cable. No conversion necessary, just a simple physical adapter.

(2014-04-21, 15:54)bluray Wrote: You'll need this "Toslink-to-Optical Mini Plug Digital Cable" for the Brix, and it be much simpler and cleaner than an adapter....

he wants coax, not optical. See my link above
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#11
(2014-04-21, 09:12)steve1977 Wrote: It's right that I could do it with a converter. But this would be a powered converter (http://www.amazon.com/Digital-Optical-To...B000I98ZQY). In this case, I could also stick to my MacMini and get a converter. I wanted to avoid putting a converter in between, which may lead to loss in audio quality and (given it is a powered one) even yet another box/cable.
You'll need this "Premium Digital Coax Cable RCA Male to 3.5MM Male".....

(2014-04-21, 09:12)steve1977 Wrote: I browsed everywhere and the only solution appears to have a HTPC with a digital coaxial out. Does this no longer exist?
Dell Alienware X51 included all audio connections- Alienware X51....

(2014-04-21, 16:17)Matt Devo Wrote:
(2014-04-21, 15:54)bluray Wrote: You'll need this "Toslink-to-Optical Mini Plug Digital Cable" for the Brix, and it be much simpler and cleaner than an adapter....

he wants coax, not optical. See my link above
I know, I simply answering your question in your earlier post- "where do you see an optical port?"....
>Alienware X51- do it all HTPC
>Simplify XBMC configurations
>HOW-TO Bitstreaming using XBMC
I refused to watch movie without bitstreaming HD audio!
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#12
If you have any interest in DIY or a custom build, this Gigabyte motherboard has both an optical and coax digital output.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6813128526
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#13
(2014-04-21, 16:27)bluray Wrote: I know, I simply answering your question in your earlier post- "where do you see an optical port?"....

my point to the OP was that the box didn't have an optical port, it has a 3.5mm SPDIF, which can easily be adapted to the coax port he needs/wants without an external powered converter
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#14
(2014-04-21, 16:49)Matt Devo Wrote:
(2014-04-21, 16:27)bluray Wrote: I know, I simply answering your question in your earlier post- "where do you see an optical port?"....

my point to the OP was that the box didn't have an optical port, it has a 3.5mm SPDIF, which can easily be adapted to the coax port he needs/wants without an external powered converter

See this: http://www.avsforum.com/t/1438434/digita...-rca-cable
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#15
(2014-04-21, 16:53)Dougie Fresh Wrote: See this: http://www.avsforum.com/t/1438434/digita...-rca-cable

not sure what that adds, they link to the same monoprice part I did
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