I keep reading on various platforms, including on here, about using a mini Toslink cable to connect an Airport Express to a DAC. However the Toslink cable only has a single pin on the 3.5 mm jack, and the 3.5 stereo jack on the Airport Express has two channels so, how does the 3.5 stereo jack connect to the Toslink cable please?
the Toslink cable only has a single pin on the 3.5 mm jack
Correct. The Toslink cable connects to the same audio port on the Express. In other words, the audio port on the Express is dual purpose. It is analog if you connect a 3.5 mm mini plug and it is digital if you connect a Toslink cable. Of course, you will need the correct Toslink cable to connect to a 3.5 mm port......something like the example below
We assume that the DAC has a regular Toslink port to accept the signal from the Express via the Toslink cable.
the Toslink cable only has a single pin on the 3.5 mm jack
Correct. The Toslink cable connects to the same audio port on the Express. In other words, the audio port on the Express is dual purpose. It is analog if you connect a 3.5 mm mini plug and it is digital if you connect a Toslink cable. Of course, you will need the correct Toslink cable to connect to a 3.5 mm port......something like the example below
We assume that the DAC has a regular Toslink port to accept the signal from the Express via the Toslink cable.
FYI, the audio port on the Express base station, as Bob has already mentioned, is a dual analog/optical digital port. Also, the Express has a built-in DAC.
In case you want a bit more information on how well the Express' DAC works, please take a look at this article:
Thanks Bob, I'm in UK so, ordered it from Amazon UK. That's really helpful. Each ad I looked at indicated that you could put it in the 3.5mm stereo jack on the Airpot Express, however, I was not sure that the socked doubled as an optical link.
Yes, I know about the DAC and saw the Ken Rockwell article on Saturday thanks,, but it’s TLTR.
Connecting a 2nd Generation Airport Express to a DAC
