Audio capabilities of the USB-C AV Multiport Adapter

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JRod1116 Author

Level 1

4 points

Audio capabilities of the USB-C AV Multiport Adapter

This support article Connect to HDMI from your Mac - Apple Support says:

”Mac computers that have a built-in HDMI port comply with HDMI 1.4 or later and support:

8-channel/24-bit audio at 192kHz, Dolby Surround 5.1, and traditional stereo.”

And then further down the same page:

“If using an adapter, check the specifications of the adapter to learn about supported resolutions and other details.”

So I’m using Apple’s adapter to connect my 2019 MacBook Pro 16” using HDMI, but the page on this adapter About the Apple USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter - Apple Support has no information about the audio capabilities of the adapter. I have the newer model adapter.

So my question is simple: Is the audio HDMI specs the same for this adapter as they would be for a Mac that already has an HDMI port, or are there compromises with the adapter? Or maybe the adapter, having HDMI 2.0, can actually do better? I’m specifically wondering if it’s still capable of 8 channels, still capable of 24-bit and 192kHz, and whether or not it can do other Dolby or DTS modes besides just the 5.1 mentioned above. Any helpful answers are appreciated.

MacBook Pro 16″, macOS 12.2

Posted on May 23, 2022 4:37 PM

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Answer 1

May 23, 2022 4:54 PM in response to JRod1116

The audio specs travel together with the specs of the version of HDMI is use.

If you are using an HDMI adapter that supports a certain version of HDMI, it supports the Audio features of that version of HDMI. The audio signals are not separate -- audio is encoded on the same data pathways as Video, except in the case of Audio Return Channel, which has its own conductors.

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Answer 2

May 23, 2022 6:22 PM in response to JRod1116

The audio support follows the version of HDMI in use. HDMI 2.0 ports give you HDMI 2.0 audio capabilities.

Fo exactly what sorts of signals will be sent by a particular Mac, you would look at the specs for that Mac.

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Answer 3

JRod1116 Author

Level 1

4 points

May 23, 2022 5:50 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Thank you for the response. I think that’s oversimplifying things, however.

Again, just looking again at the this page about the adapter I’m using, About the Apple USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter - Apple Support, just because I am using the HDMI 2.0 version of the adapter doesn’t mean that the MacBook will do everything HDMI 2.0 is capable of. That much is clear from the level of detail this page goes into when it comes to supported video resolutions, HDR, etc. Much depends on macOS and which Mac is being used. Plus HDMI 2.0 supports up to 32 audio channels and up to 1536 kHz audio sampling, but no Mac, nor any other consumer device I’ve heard of, actually uses all that.

Which leaves me still wondering, does Mac’s audio specs vary depending on whether it’s a built-in HDMI port or an adapter? Or are they always the same?

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Answer 4

May 23, 2022 6:40 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

I think the disclaimers you seeing, saying you have to check the capabilities of your adapter, is aimed at folks who connect an HDMI 1.0 adapter to a 2.0 port, and can't figure out why it's not working properly.

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Audio capabilities of the USB-C AV Multiport Adapter

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