Toslink Digital to RCA Analog?

[macuserforlife]

Hey Everyone,

I originally posted this in the Amps section but I think it should probably be here. Apologies for the double post.

I'm about 99% convinced I'm going to buy the Yamaha RX-V2500 Receiver and I have a problem with zone two and three audio. The Yamaha (and all others I can find in that price/quality range) will only output analog to zone 2/3 and won't convert a digital source to do it.

I have a Macintosh based media server using Elgato's EyeHome. As all my dvd's are on there they are obviously accompanied by digital audio. The EyeHome will only output digital audio digitally (i.e. it doesn't perform any onboard conversion) therefore it MUST enter the 2500 via a Toslink cable. This is a good thing because it would be ridiculous to lose sound quality before entering the receiver. However, if I wan't to watch a movie in my zone two area, I can't get audio (at least I don't think I can from reading the manual).

I was wondering if anyone knows of a good inexpensive (I know those two words together are mutually exclusive) D/A Converter or if there is another way I could use. I was thinking of splitting the toslink into two, running one into the 2500 (to preserve the digital experience in the HT room) and the other into a DAC or something then to the 2500 as a different source. The inputs are programmable so I can program the second (analog) source to get it's video feed from the same place as the digital audio source.

I have seen online a 'Toslink to 3.5mm plug' which I could add a red/white analog adaptor to. Would this work or am I oversimplifying. It doesn't make a lot of sense the DAC's are so expensive if a solution like this would work but if anyone can clarify that for me I'd appreciate it.

Thanks, in advance, for any advice.

 

[jotham]

Your requirements have confused me a bit but this accessory might end up being useful to you. I think there has to be some way to get the Yamaha to accomplish what you want. Maybe with speaker pre-outs?

http://www.amabilidade2002.com/toslink.htm

 

[JohnA]

You need a Toslink splitter (aprox $6) and an Digital to analog coverter (Aprox $50).

Take the Toslink from the EyeHome to the splitter and then take one to the receiver and another to the D/A converter then take the Analog to the receiver.

PS. Nice to see another MAC user!

 

[jotham]

Having just glanced at the Yamaha guide, the warnings seem to be about DTS sources. It's possible that the Yamaha will automatically convert Dolby Digital sources automatically to two channels for Zones 2 and 3. May I suggest buying the Yamaha first, hooking up your Elgato and testing it out before you get additional hardware.

 

[MDS]

The splitter idea won't work for anything but 2 channel pcm. If the digital audio is DD/DTS it needs to be decoded before conversion to analog. For that case, you need an external decoder. A reasonable solution might be a low-end receiver. So, digital out from the EyeHome to the receiver and analog outs from that receiver into the Yamaha for zone 2.

 

[JohnA]

I just read the specs on the EyeHome and it has Analog outs as well as the Toslink. So you have no problem just hook the Analog outs to zone 2

http://www.elgato.com/downloads/EyeHome/DataSheet_EyeHomeUS.pdf?PHPSESSID=a61530b43a8a90c58e869c463b85c669

 

[macuserforlife]

Hey Everyone,

Sorry for the delay in getting back here, life getting in the way an all!

Firstly, thankyou all for the suggestions, I'll approach the ones I'm sure of and leave the others.

To JohnA: part 1
I like the sound of the $50 DAC. Can you be a little more specific though coz I spent hours online last night looking for one and couldn't find much at all. I found lots of A to D converters though
part 2
The Eyehomes analog outputs will not transfer digital sound from the Mac. I would have to convert all my DVD's to mpeg2/mp3 format on the Mac and then output it to the Eyehome which would kinda defeat the purpose of having my DVD'c there. Sadly, I already have it hooked up through the analogs and, although my tv programs recorded with EyeTv and my mp3's sound great, the audio on all my DVD's is silent.

To jotham: part 1
I found that product you linked to when I was searching the net last night. It looks like it would do the job but for some reason there is a minimum order of two from that dealer and I couldn't find it elsewhere.
part 2
The Yamaha specifically says in the manual on the zone 2/3 page in the Advanced Setup section:
"Only analog signals are sent to the second and third rooms. Any source you want to listen to in the second or third rooms must be connected using the analog (AUDIO L/R) jack on this unit."
I'm still a little tempted to try it but I'm fairly sure disappointment awaits.

Keep em comin guys, I appreciate all the suggestions. Eventually, by simple law of elimination, one of us will surely come up with something so simple that the rest of us will slap our collective foreheads in disgust

P.S. JohnA, what kind of mac(s) do you have?

 

[MDS]

macuserforlife,
I think you are pretty confused by all of this. A simple DAC is NOT going to work at all for what you want to do.

The Eyehomes analog outputs will not transfer digital sound from the Mac. I would have to convert all my DVD's to mpeg2/mp3 format on the Mac and then output it to the Eyehome which would kinda defeat the purpose of having my DVD'c there. Sadly, I already have it hooked up through the analogs and, although my tv programs recorded with EyeTv and my mp3's sound great, the audio on all my DVD's is silent.

mpeg2 and mp3 are digital. From the manual JohnA posted a link to, it looks like it can decode these formats directly. Once decoded, they are analog and if you connect the analog outs to the Yamaha as JohnA said, it will work.

It doesn't say whether or not it can decode those formats to PCM (thus keeping it digital) and send the PCM over the optical connection; I would doubt it because it says 'Dolby Digital Sound through an S/PDIF port' - in other words it is a pass thru, just like your typical sound card that does not have onboard decoding.

If you play a DD or DTS or ANY format that is not PCM, it will send it out as-is and if you send that to an external DAC, it will convert that unrecognized bitstream to analog and you will hear noise. You must send the digital signal to an external DECODER that can recognize the format.

The Yamaha specifically says in the manual on the zone 2/3 page in the Advanced Setup section:
"Only analog signals are sent to the second and third rooms. Any source you want to listen to in the second or third rooms must be connected using the analog (AUDIO L/R) jack on this unit."
I'm still a little tempted to try it but I'm fairly sure disappointment awaits.

That statement is true of all receivers except for uber expensive units like the Sunfire. Give in to your temptation and try - experience is the best teacher. Just don't be disappointed. The outcome (ie no sound) is guaranteed.

 

[macuserforlife]

Hey MDS,

You are entirely correct, I am confused That's why I'm here. As for the Eyehome playing through the Analog Inputs I'll include a quote from the Elgate troubleshooting page to clear this up:

"EyeHome Operation & Performance Issues
Product: EyeHome
Problem: Some of my VOB files from DVDs don’t play audio. What’s going on?

Solution: Many DVD VOB files contain Dolby Digital™ AC-3 sound. EyeHome does not decode this sound format to the analog sound outputs. However, EyeHome passes AC-3 through the S/PDISF optical interface."

As I said, I already have it connected through the analog connections and I get no sound at all from my DVD's on my media server. It seems, however from your post, that I was confused as to why and probably worded it completely wrong. Hopefully the quote above clears up that I still have no audio and maybe you'd be kind enough to point me in the right direction from here.

Thanks again, everyone, for the assistance.

 

[jcoady]

May I please tag in on this thread. I am not an audio expert like you guys so I apologize in advance if my questions are dumb or too elementary.
I have a Sony compact stereo set (tuner, CD, tape). Except for the "phones" output jack, the only "audio out" is digital optical (toslink?). What I want to do is play a tape on the stereo and record it on my Macintosh PowerBook which has the normal 3.5 mm mini jack "audio in". So, what I need to know is how to join these two together.
I have been looking on the web but have come away confused because I don't have the necessary background. For example, would either of the following do the job and would the second one need a power supply?
http://www.trianglecables.com/pof-830.html
http://www.amabilidade2002.com/toslink6.htm

Thanks in advance.

 

[MDS]

Neither will do what you want - they are to convert digital optical signals to digital electrical signals. They would work for the case where you use the optical digital out on the Sony (toslink) to the coaxial digital in on another device.

The 3.5mm audio in on the Mac is likely a standard line input. It expects line level analog signals. If your soundcard happens to have a coaxial digital input then you could use one of those converters. The problem you will have though is that it is unlikely that the analog signal from the tape will be converted to digital and output via the optical out. If the Sony has a line out then you would be able to buy a cable with rca connectors on one end and a stereo mini on the other; if it does not, then you won't be able to record from tape to the computer.

 

[jcoady]

MDS
Thanks for the quick reply. You are correct - the tape player is not linked to the toslink output, only the CD. This is not mentioned in the manual.