2014-04-21, 17:22
I have never seen an amplifier that doesn't have an optical S/PDIF port. What exactly are you trying to hook it up to?
(2014-04-21, 17:33)steve1977 Wrote: The issue with proposed basic adapters (http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=10...1&format=2 or http://www.infinitecables.com/pop/av_dig-35mm.htm) is that they would restrict me to a stereo signal. From my understanding the only way to truly convert (with all channels for 5.1 experience) to a digital coaxial would be to use this powered converter, which is big and adds so many more cables. Can someone confirm whether this is incorrect?
Thanks for your recommendation on Alienware. I will look into it.
I know it's weird and every cheap amplifier has HDMI today. I still have a much-loved B&O with speakers that only carries DVI and coaxial-in. So, need to find a way to get the audio through without losing the channels.
(2014-04-21, 17:59)steve1977 Wrote: That would be really great and would be fantastic. Just to plausibility tes. why should things like this (http://www.amazon.com/Digital-Optical-To...B000I98ZQY) exist, if things like this (http://www.infinitecables.com/pop/av_dig-35mm.htm) do exactly the same thing?
(2014-04-21, 18:21)steve1977 Wrote: Read more online and below from apple web-site makes me doubt that the simple cable will do the trick: Doesn't below imply when using proposed cable (http://www.infinitecables.com/pop/av_dig-35mm.htm), no digital signal would be transmitted as the out would only be used as analogue. And once I use the toslink plug, I am back to my problem that I need the chunky converter?
* The headphone / line output jack accommodates digital optical audio output, analog audio output with a 24-bit, 44.1-192 kHz D/A converter, digital audio output up to 24-bit
* stereo and 44.1-192 kHz sampling rate and supporting encoded digital audio output (AC3 and DTS). For analog headphone / line output a standard audio cable with
* 3.5mm metal plug should be used.
(2014-04-21, 21:39)noggin Wrote: Think there is some confusion here.
Some PC motherboards output an electrical digital SPDIF via a 3.5mm jack. You use a 3.5mm jack to RCA Phono converter to get the SPDIF Coax output. No optical involved. (You normally go into a drive config to decide whether the 3.5mm is carrying an analogue or digital electrical signal - they don't carry both at the same time)
Some PC motherboards output an optical digital SPDIF via a 3.5mm jack at the same time that the jack is also carrying analogue audio electrically. You use a Toslink-mini plug to Toslink converter to get the Toslink optical SPDIF output. If you want to conver this to a Coax SPDIF output you need an optical to coax converter. This is an active, powered device. If you hold your hand close to the back of such 3.5mm jacks you can sometimes see a red glow from the optical output ISTR.
AIUI The Mac Mini (and older Mac laptops - but not the current Retina models which are analogue only) uses the optical approach. So a mini Toslink to Toslink cable and an optical to coax converter should do the job. An electrical 3.5mm jack to Coax SPDIF cable won't work.
Optical and Coax SPDIF carry the same data. DD/DTS and PCM2.0 should all be carried via both connectors - drivers permitting.
(2014-04-21, 21:39)noggin Wrote: Think there is some confusion here.
Some PC motherboards output an electrical digital SPDIF via a 3.5mm jack. You use a 3.5mm jack to RCA Phono converter to get the SPDIF Coax output. No optical involved. (You normally go into a driver config to decide whether the 3.5mm is carrying an analogue or digital electrical signal - they don't carry both at the same time)
Some PC motherboards output an optical digital SPDIF via a 3.5mm jack at the same time that the jack is also carrying analogue audio electrically. You use a Toslink-mini plug to Toslink converter to get the Toslink optical SPDIF output. If you want to conver this to a Coax SPDIF output you need an optical to coax converter. This is an active, powered device. If you hold your hand close to the back of such 3.5mm jacks you can sometimes see a red glow from the optical output ISTR.
AIUI The Mac Mini (and older Mac laptops - but not the current Retina models which are analogue only) uses the optical approach. So a mini Toslink to Toslink cable and an optical to coax converter should do the job. An electrical 3.5mm jack to Coax SPDIF cable won't work.
Optical and Coax SPDIF carry the same data. DD/DTS and PCM2.0 should all be carried via both connectors - drivers permitting.
(2014-04-22, 02:20)steve1977 Wrote: Also, thinking of mini-toslink-to-toslink cable, an active converter and a coaxial cable. Do you think my concerns are reasonable that this set-up may lose some quality? Or shall I use go with this ugly converter box and it will be flawless?