3.5mm headphone jack to Optical audio (TOSLink) cable

Once you get this TOSLink cable, you might consider buying this Gefen "Digital Audio to Analog Audio Converter". It takes the optical (fiber) cable in or RCA digital in... and gives you an RCA stereo analog output. Of course, it's not digital anymore, but it's great for getting clean sound out of a laptop and into an analog application.

It looks like this;

This is a great device to have and only costs around $60.

Yep, the long'un. If you peek in the jack with a light, you will see the microswitch used to detect the longer TOSlink connector and switch to digital.

Beware that when unplugging, it sometimes gets hung up and stuck in digital mode. Usually evident cause of the red laser light visible deep inside. "Working" the jack a few times usually frees up the switch and restores default analog mode (light off).

@Schmelkov,

I have the same problem that you had, and I just wanted to confirm that yours worked out before I buy the cable. You bought a TOSlink to Mini TOSlink cable? And the mini toslink plugs right into the headphone jack and all works fine? I just wanted to make sure, so if you could let me know how it all worked out for you that'd be great.

Thanks!

Yes acousticguitar7...

I am a video engineer who hooks up computers for corporate shows for a living. The TOSlink to Mini TOSlink cable is the solution for getting digital audio out of any MacBook laptop. It's actually a optical fiber cable and they are pretty cheap if you go find them on Amazon. I hook up and use these all the time.

Regards

I don't honestly know if an Airport Express has the optical/fiber option, I klind of doubt it. Then again, the Apple TV Digital Media Receiver does have optical... so maybe. I know that all Mac computers after about 2007 have it. That would be a good question for an Apple certified technician.

Airport Express has what appears to be a headphone jack for audio out. I have this connected to a stereo receiver with a headphone jack to RCA cable. I'm a little disappointed with the sound. I'd like to see if using the optical-in jack on the receiver improves the sound - but I'd need a cable connecting the Airport Express headphone jack into an optical audio. I was wondering if the cable shown earlier in this thread might work for something like that.

The airport express also has the duel adapter.... Min toslink / headphone jack so u can take the digital optical out.

You can then connect in to your receiver assuming it has a optical digital input .

If you are looking for higher quality sound.... Buy yourself a decent Dac.... digital to analogue converter to place between the airport express and amp. Connect mini toslink - toslink cable between airport express and Dac, then RCA / RCA between dac and amp.... This Will bring a big improvement in sound quality.

Another thought ... If you have more digital audio kit with optical digital output... Digital tv etc.... Get a toslink to toslink cable and buy a mini toslink to toslink adapter.... The adapter fits in your airport express.

You can then pull the to toslink cable out of the adapter and plug in to tv etc when needed ..

I bought a toslink to 3.5 miniplug lead a while back for my MacBook Pro (late 2011)

My problem is that the miniplug end doesn't click in like a normal RTS (ring, tip and sleeve) plug would and consiquently is so loose that the slightest of bumps cuases the signal to be interupted.

I bought this model http://www.cablechick.com.au/cables/pro-series-2m-toslink-to-35mm-mini-toslink-c able.html

The ends look high qualtity but did i just get a dud?

It could be a dud...

Hope so as its impossible to buy the apple part if its the socket on the Macbook that's a problem.

That's why I bought a standard toslink to toslink cable and then an adapter... as the adapter... (Toslink to mini toslink) only cost a few pounds on eBay...

My adapter fits nice and tight in to airport express... And works just fine.

I bought my adapter from berisford as I was buying a a new DAC from them and they do supply high quality cables and adapters.

Maybe you should just buy an adapter for a few pound and see if it fits ok, before you buy a new cable...

Hi vdoengineer, I have a 2008 Macbook pro that works fine with the toslink to mini toslink cable you mention above (Jan 27, 2013),

"The TOSlink to Mini TOSlink cable is the solution for getting digital audio out of any MacBook laptop."

and exactly like the picture schmelkov (April 17 2012) posted.

I just got a Macbook Air and no audio comes through my surround sound system like it did with the old Macbook. Is the new headphone jack incompatible with the cable? Or am I missing some kind of setting on the computer? All my various headphones work fine with the new Macbook Air.

Thanks for any help!

Hi simony

I had the same problem recently with my daughters MacBook Air.

I found some threads on the web that stated.... The headphone socket is just an analog audio socket, it does not have the optical digital output that was on earlier models etc.

If this is true.... Then you still have some options...

1) if your surround sound has analog inputs, you should be able to buy a new analogue cable with headphone socket on one end and 2 audio rca connectors on the other.

I bought a Apple TV box.... The latest version has audio output toslink connection as well as HDMI.

Assuming your surround sound has a HDMI then plug it into Apple TV and you can stream movies and music.

If your connecting to an amp via a DAC, use the toslink for music.

You can also do the music bit with airport express but not the movies.

Hope that helps

Just checked the latest specs on both the Airs and the regular MBPs. Both only have output jacks. In the Airs, it is analog-only. The MBPs do have combo jacks, which would take the TOSlink cable for digital output.

Givem that the Air is already done and purchased, I guess the definite solution will have to be acquiring some external dongle with digital capabilities, that can connect to the Air's Thunderbolt or USB3 ports, as Tony mentions.

Yes, it's a dual port, analog or digital optical, just get a stereo mini Toslink to Toslink adapter, Toslink cable and your partying.

That's the best sound from the Mac, and it's sweet.

yessirie enjoy the bliss. 🙂