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what mac mini? the two i have have built in optical.Can anybody recommend a USB sound card that has a 5.1 optical output and Mac compatible that isn't crazy expensive? The headphone jack on my Mac Mini puts out a nasty low frequency tone and I just want to bypass it for the time being.
ah, havent been hands on with one yet. i guess they figure hdmi is good enough. oh! thats another option, depending how its hooked up, you can get one of those hdmi optical audio extractor things.It's an M1 model. Great device, but lacking in connectivity
If the audio jack has a hum on a new device, take it to service. Or do what I did and extract the audio through your monitor to the active speakers. That way your sounds work even if you switch devices/inputs running the monitor. I was surprised to see that the audio out of my new M1 MBP is actually lower quality than in the older Intel model.It's an M1 model. Great device, but lacking in connectivity
I certainly like it, just a matter of deciding if the cost is worth it. Thanks!
I'm not sure where the OP needs 5.1 optical out... Toslink is totally outdated as tech and hardly any hardware supports it anymore.The Caldigit TS3 Plus dock has an optical out. Not sure if there are any cheaper devices however.
This is a really unhelpful post. He needs what he needs. My Home Theater systems (I have 2 of them) run off of Dolby Digital 5.1 and TOSLINK. Even though they are each over 10 years old now, they work well and sound nice. I feel no need to replace them. It would be a pretty expensive thing to do for no appreciable gain since what I have sounds pretty great to me already.I'm not sure where the OP needs 5.1 optical out... Toslink is totally outdated as tech and hardly any hardware supports it anymore.
doesnt matter, your first answer was enough.I'm not sure where the OP needs 5.1 optical out... Toslink is totally outdated as tech and hardly any hardware supports it anymore.
It's because toslink is not a true multichannel capable interface. It was designed for stereo only. I can barely squeeze compressed multichannel through.I really don't get the general TOSLINK hate. It hasn't changed in decades because it doesn't have to keep endlessly iterating the way video connectors must. It's a mature connector in the same way of RCA, 1/8" or 1/4" TRRS, or XLR. TOSLINK could stay the same for 50 more years and it would still be a perfectly acceptable option.
Hardly any hardware supports it? A quick checks shows plenty of support among new receivers, many new-model PC motherboards, and more laptops than one would think still include it. I specifically looked for TOSLINK output for my recent B550 Ryzen build and had no trouble finding a board including it without having to compromise elsewhere.
And TOSLINK can still have some advantages over HDMI; namely lack of juggling HDMI compatibility, lack of the latency and stability issues some ppl have with HDMI audio on certain GPUs, electrical isolation, much thinner cables... yes, HDMI is the solution for most people because it's all-in-one and has the widest support but it's daft to say that TOSLINK is useless, dead, obsolete, etc.
But all that's moot anyways because, as has been pointed out, OP said he want an optical solution, and who are any of us to tell him otherwise? TOSLINK vs HDMI was not the question.
Great suggestion, docks hadn't occurred to me. Generally going to be more money than I want to spend on this problem, but excellent point thanksThe Caldigit TS3 Plus dock has an optical out. Not sure if there are any cheaper devices however.
True, but since the mini itself doesn't have a lot of ports, and it gives you the option in the future to switch to another Mac like a MacBook and still have those ports available, it maybe a good decision.Great suggestion, docks hadn't occurred to me. Generally going to be more money than I want to spend on this problem, but excellent point thanks
covered that alreadyWait, the optical out of macs isn’t multi channel? You sure about that?
what mac mini? the two i have have built in optical.
It's an M1 model. Great device, but lacking in connectivity
I understand this. For that a TS3 would be legit.covered that already
m1's dont have it. on old units its compressed DTS 5.1 or stereo depending on what playing. some people make a big deal out of it not being real 5.1 i guess.I understand this. For that a TS3 would be legit.
But someone above said to slink is not multi channel?
Haha gotcha. I remember when I thought I could tell a difference sitting in my house watching a movie.m1's dont have it. on old units its compressed DTS 5.1 or stereo depending on what playing. some people make a big deal out of it not being real 5.1 i guess.
You might be a genius.... I had one lying around and just threw it in and it's working great. And it was exactly how much money I wanted to spend, ha ha. Thanks!If you just need to get around what is probably a ground loop hum from the M1 Mac Mini's headphone jack, you might be able to get around it just using a USB Dac. Apple's own USB-C to Headphone jack adapter is like under 10 bucks. Might not work, but it's super cheap.
I dont know of any USB soundcards that are multichannel.Can anybody recommend a USB sound card that has a 5.1 optical output and Mac compatible that isn't crazy expensive? The headphone jack on my Mac Mini puts out a nasty low frequency tone and I just want to bypass it for the time being.
I dont know of any USB soundcards that are multichannel.
There are some that can be connected by USB and are multichannel but only when connected by HDMI. ie they have mutiple ways of connecting.
Unfortunately its stereo.The Asus Xonar U3 USB soundcard I mentioned above does Dolby Digital 5.1 out via optical - just not sure of it's Mac compatibility.
If you’re in the mood for a surround-sound experience that extends beyond two-channel stereo output, the U3 employs virtualization schemes for headphones and speakers. This software-based simulation system comes courtesy of Dolby, which also provides real-time encoding for multi-channel digital audio output via Dolby Digital Live.
Unfortunately its stereo.
https://techreport.com/review/21256/asus-xonar-u3-usb-audio-device/
What I posted specifically says all surround output is virtual and a simulation.It's stereo if you are NOT using the optical, or if you are using the optical in PCM mode. It supports real Dolby Digital 5.1 encoding. I own one for use with my home theater, and I assure you ti does output discrete 5.1 audio.
Edit: the blurb you posted says the exact same thing I just did, just poorly worded. It does realtime hardware encoding of 5.1 Dolby Digital over TOSLINK, but uses virtual surround over the 3.5mm stereo output or the optical in PCM mode.
Yes - you enable Dolby Digital in the card's control applet and then set Windows to 5.1 speakers and the speaker test outputs sound on each individual channel (assuming it's connected via TOSLINK to a Dolby Digital 5.1 system, that is)What I posted specifically says all surround output is virtual and a simulation.
To help settle this, does Windows (not the supplied software) allow you to set up the 5.1 channels independently or show it as a 5.1 device?
If not, it can only be fed stereo.
OK thanks, thats really goodYes - you enable Dolby Digital in the card's control applet and then set Windows to 5.1 speakers and the speaker test outputs sound on each individual channel (assuming it's connected via TOSLINK to a Dolby Digital 5.1 system, that is)
plenty of usb dacs with optical supporting DTS/DDL 5.1.OK thanks, thats really good
The downside is its compressed but is the first 5.1 over USB I have seen.
(S/PDIF) Optical 5.1 is always compressed, you can get 2 channel PCM or (lossy) Dobly Digital or DTS to work with most sources and most receivers; there's no real support for anything else. Possibly because it's a one-way medium and there's no opportunity for the receiver to tell the source what it could accept.The downside is its compressed but is the first 5.1 over USB I have seen.
lol I just re-read your post and had a moment. All the other suggestions are good, but some times simplicity is the way to go. Glad it worked out for youYou might be a genius.... I had one lying around and just threw it in and it's working great. And it was exactly how much money I wanted to spend, ha ha. Thanks!