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    3.5mm to toslink??

    Discussion in 'Accessories' started by AboutThreeFitty, Mar 29, 2010.

  1. AboutThreeFitty

    AboutThreeFitty ~350

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    I have a stupid question(as always). I have an Astro Gaming headset along with the mix amp that comes with it. It has an optical cable audio slot and I wanted to hook up laptop with it. I've seen plenty of people doing it with Macbooks, but I can't find any PC help with it. Would it work and would the quality be better than the SoundMax HD audio on the laptop?

    http://www.amazon.com/3-5MM-TOSLINK-FIBER-OPTIC-CABLE-TOSLINK/dp/B00006LVF3

    This is what I found that should work? Right?

    Thanks in advance.
     
    AboutThreeFitty, Mar 29, 2010
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  2. Step666

    Step666 Professional chubby Chris Pratt impersonator

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    That seems to be designed for use with combined optical/3.5mm ports - it won't work for a standard 3.5mm headphone connector because it's only a cable, not an analogue-to-digital converter.

    So, the question is, does your laptop/source have an optical output?
     
    Step666, Mar 30, 2010
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  3. AboutThreeFitty

    AboutThreeFitty ~350

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    AboutThreeFitty, Mar 30, 2010
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  4. Step666

    Step666 Professional chubby Chris Pratt impersonator

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    That's just the same as before, only not a cable.

    Analogue-to-digital converters tend to be quite expensive, not something you can pick up for $10 and certainly not for 35¢.
     
    Step666, Mar 30, 2010
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  5. Vogelbung

    Vogelbung I R Judgemental

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    Vogelbung, Mar 30, 2010
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  6. catacylsm

    catacylsm Notebook Prophet

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    You can get good cheap toslink cables, but as said, your machine has to support the optical via 3.5mm jack ability.
     
    catacylsm, Mar 30, 2010
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  7. AboutThreeFitty

    AboutThreeFitty ~350

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    So only real option is to get a sound card like Vogelbung posted?

    Sorry I'm so thick about this stuff.
     
    AboutThreeFitty, Mar 30, 2010
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  8. Vogelbung

    Vogelbung I R Judgemental

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    If you want digital sound, yes. Macbooks have built-in dual analog / optical interfaces. However if you were serious about wanting clean digital sound out of a computer you wouldn't be entrusting it to the mediocre chipset integrated into a notebook (which does not - unlike many a fanboi's claims - become something magical the moment it's stuck inside a case with a half-eaten apple on it) regardless of whether it has integrated digital out.
     
    Vogelbung, Mar 31, 2010
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