Q: How to get the Mac Mini Digital Audio output at 192kHz?
I have a mid 2011 Mac Mini (and love it). According to http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4806, "The headphone / line output port 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)."
So there is digital audio output to 192 kHz but how do you configure it to work? Using the Audio Midi Setup Utility, I can set the sample rate to 96000 Hz -- but it won't go higher to 192kHz. Anyone know how to do this?
Mac mini, Mac OS X (10.7.2), Outputting to an external DAC that
Posted on Dec 13, 2011 7:23 PM
That is in some ways confusing. For the analog output, the
internal DAC can support 24 bit/192Khz audio data. It does
require an application that has the capability of playing back
such material.
The TOSLINK optical standard does not support this data rate.
It has nothing to do with the Mini, it is the standard itself. The
TOSLINK optical spec is 96 kHz, 24 bit stereo (uncompressed).
The mini will however support multichannel, 24 bit, 192 kHz
(uncompressed) via the HDMI interface. Also, again,
the playback software needs to support it.
Just as a final note, unless the source material has the
higher sample rate format, there is no benifit to outputing
at the higher sample rate, especially if the source some
lossy comporessed format (mp3, aac, Dollby and DTS
non-HD formats).
Posted on Dec 14, 2011 3:24 AM