1ev0n
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: is there any normal usb 5.1 surround card for mac mini

Hi, i'm going to buy mac mini soon, and i want to connect my 5.1 surround to it, how can i do it?

thx in advance

Posted on Dec 2, 2012 5:20 AM

by woodmeister50,Solvedanswer
woodmeister50 woodmeister50
Level 5 (5,616 points)
Mac OS X
A:

You can also connect Dolby, DTS and PCM multichannel

via optical.  The headphone/line out is also an optical

port.  You just need a cable with the mini plug at one end

and Toslink at the other.  However, for PCM you will be

limited to 48 kHz, 16 bit 5.1.  This is a limitation of the

Toslink/optical standard.

 

With HDMI you can get upto 192 kHz, 24  bit 7.1.  It seems

however OSX limits the Mini to 96 kHz.  A Windows install

via Bootcamp will give the full 192 kHz, 24 bit 7.1.

Posted on Dec 2, 2012 7:00 AM

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1ev0n

Q: is there any normal usb 5.1 surround card for mac mini

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  • by LousyFool,

    LousyFool LousyFool Dec 2, 2012 6:30 AM in response to 1ev0n
    Level 4 (2,645 points)
    Dec 2, 2012 6:30 AM in response to 1ev0n

    The HDMI port supports multichannel audio. So, if your AV receiver has HDMI in, you're set.

  • by woodmeister50,Solvedanswer

    woodmeister50 woodmeister50 Dec 2, 2012 7:00 AM in response to 1ev0n
    Level 5 (5,616 points)
    Mac OS X
    Dec 2, 2012 7:00 AM in response to 1ev0n

    You can also connect Dolby, DTS and PCM multichannel

    via optical.  The headphone/line out is also an optical

    port.  You just need a cable with the mini plug at one end

    and Toslink at the other.  However, for PCM you will be

    limited to 48 kHz, 16 bit 5.1.  This is a limitation of the

    Toslink/optical standard.

     

    With HDMI you can get upto 192 kHz, 24  bit 7.1.  It seems

    however OSX limits the Mini to 96 kHz.  A Windows install

    via Bootcamp will give the full 192 kHz, 24 bit 7.1.

  • by LousyFool,

    LousyFool LousyFool Dec 2, 2012 7:11 AM in response to woodmeister50
    Level 4 (2,645 points)
    Dec 2, 2012 7:11 AM in response to woodmeister50

    woodmeister50 wrote:

     

    You can also connect Dolby, DTS and PCM multichannel

    via optical.

     

    Please excuse, but where do you see this in the specs? For HDMI it's clearly stated, for optical I can't find it on Apple's pages, and I only read people here reporting that it doesn't work. Or am I mixing something up?

  • by LousyFool,

    LousyFool LousyFool Dec 2, 2012 7:14 AM in response to woodmeister50
    Level 4 (2,645 points)
    Dec 2, 2012 7:14 AM in response to woodmeister50

    Aaaaaaah, while continuing to search I found it at the bottom of the table here!!!!

     

    Mea culpa!