5.1 or 7.1 external sound card

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Level 1

15 points

5.1 or 7.1 external sound card

I have a new iMac but it only has a 2.1 optical audio output on the back. I'd like to connect a 5.1 DD external sound card USB 2.0 (maybe even up to 7.1 Dolby Digital) to it to connect to my DD receiver. However, I am also using Windows Vista Ultimate through Boot Camp separately and may add VMWare Fusion later on to run both OSX and Vista side by side so I'd want to have both of them compatible and even before that. I've been looking for cards but haven't found any that are supported by both Apple AND PC. Either that or they are all internal PC cards. Does anyone know of any external cards that are supported by both?

iMac 20" 2.4 Ghz 320G Core 2 Duo, Mac OS X (10.5.1), 32 bit color HD2600 256 MBs ATI Graphics

Posted on Dec 22, 2007 7:57 PM

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Answer 1

The Looby

Level 4

1,285 points

Dec 23, 2007 10:06 AM in response to Tiery

Tiery wrote:
I have a new iMac but it only has a 2.1 optical audio output on the back.

According to Apple, the optical output on your computer supports AC-3
audio format (a.k.a. Dolby Digital 5.1).

[Apple Audio Developer Note|http://developer.apple.com/documentation/Hardware/Conceptual/HWTech Audio/Articles/Audio_implementation.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40003978-DontLink ElementID13]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolby_Digital

Looby

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Answer 2

Tiery Author

Level 1

15 points

Dec 23, 2007 10:05 PM in response to The Looby

I wish I could believe it. My iMac has a combination 1/8" optical/analog output jack on the back of it that you can use for either connection but I've never heard of such a "combo" jack. Your attached link indicated one but I can't seem to find any sort of thing on the Internet or on Apple's site. I thought the only way I could get DD 5.1 out is through a USB adaptor.

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Answer 3

The Looby

Level 4

1,285 points

Dec 23, 2007 10:32 PM in response to Tiery

Tiery wrote:

My iMac has a combination 1/8" optical/analog output jack on the back of it that
you can use for either connection but I've never heard of such a "combo" jack.

There are two "standard" optical-digital-audio connectors. The original "square"
one is still used in most larger audio/video components. The newer/smaller one,
used mainly in portable gear, is exactly the same size as a mini headphone plug.
The iMac's 'combo' jacks support either analog or digital-optical connections --
depending on which type of plug is inserted.

Radio Shack carries adaptors/cables of both types (usually at outrageously high
prices). For online vendors, try http://monoprice.com Great prices and a good
reputation for quality/service among the HDTV-fanatics on avsforum.com.
Here are just two examples; browse monoprice.com for many more:

[optical mini-plug to toslink adaptor|http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c id=104&cp_id=10423&cs_id=1042301&pid=2671&seq=1&format=2]

[optical mini-plug to toslink cable|http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c id=102&cp_id=10229&cs_id=1022902&pid=1557&seq=1&format=2]

I thought the only way I could get DD 5.1 out is through a USB adaptor.

That should work, too -- but I don't believe it's necessary.

Looby

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Answer 4

Tiery Author

Level 1

15 points

Dec 23, 2007 11:06 PM in response to The Looby

Yippy! Technology seems to keep advancing with or without me I guess. I never knew they made a smaller version of the toslink cable. I did find some online finally but I noticed it said "stereo" male on the 1/8"mini plug side. It wasn't the right one, so I'm glad you found one. Leave it to Apple to use the latest technology. Thank you for clarifying things. Thierry

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Answer 5

The Looby

Level 4

1,285 points

Dec 23, 2007 11:26 PM in response to Tiery

Tiery wrote:

Leave it to Apple to use the latest technology.

Leave it to Apple to do something "cute" when given a choice
between cute and smart. IMO, it's just plain stupid to combine
analog and digital outputs on the same jack -- that leaves no
way to monitor a digital output without a USB audio interface.

Internally, the analog and digital signal paths are completely
separate -- all they share is the brain-dead combo jack.

Looby

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Answer 6

Tiery Author

Level 1

15 points

Dec 24, 2007 10:37 AM in response to The Looby

True. I have some headphones next to the iMac and if I go with the toslink cable, I'd have to unplug it everytime I wanted to use them. I guess the only thing I could use the toslink cable for would be playing DVD's and mp3's, oh and perhaps some OTA HDTV once I found a good HDTV tuner for this Apple of mine. I saw Apple sells the Elgato Eye TV250 Plus TV Digital Recorder. A little leary about some of the reviews though. I know they make a 500 and also a hybrid model. I guess it would work fine for the Apple side of the Mac but I have Windows Vista running with Boot Camp on a partitioned side of it and am not sure it would work software wise as they are curently separate OS's. But then that is probably another topic.

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