G1S S/PDIF Output

Having purchased a reciever and bookshelf speakers recently (Harmon Kardon AVR 146 and Polk RTi4's), I've been looking around for options to increase the quality of the sound output on my G1S. I looked through the manual, and it says this:
"6. SPDIF Output jack
This jack provides connection to SPDIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interface) compliant devices for digital audio output. Use this feature to turn the Notebook PC into a hi-fi home entertainment system"

The same plug is the headphone jack, so I know it is 3.5mm. My reciever has both Toslink and Coaxial digital inputs, so if possible I'd like to utilize this. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find a 3.5mm--Coaxial cable. I don't know that an optical cable will work, since, well... I don't know that the port on the notebook is optical or not.

Looking through monoprice, I found this: http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10229&cs_id=1022902&p_id=1572&seq=1&format=2
but it would be useless if the output isn't optical already.

Does anyone know what I need? Analog connection is ok for now, but there is a noticible amount of static in the 3.5mm--RCA connection I have now.

 

What you need is a jack converter. Here are some pics of the one I have for my G1S. The converter came with my Turtle Beach headphones. It converts the 3.5mm optical to the regular Toslink.






Sorry about quality. I only had a phone camera available to me.

 

Is it an optical connection, though?

I did a few hours more searching, and came to two options:

3.5mm optical to toslink (cable I posted above should work for that)

or

3.5mm mono to RCA/Coaxial digital


I might just order both, it's only a few dollars and I'd rather not get the wrong one and have to pay for shipping again.

 

It is optical.

 

You're right. You could use either one. The audio out port on the laptop is dual use. However if you can connect your laptop audio to a digital audio input on your receiver, you should go the 3.5mm TOSlink route. There's a bunch of options for that all over the place. Like this one.

 

The SPDIF can be a Coaxial or Optical connection. Most notebooks have a 3.5 mini jack that doubles as a headphone jack. The computer senses the type of device plugged in and adjusts the output automatically in most cases. If you want to connect your notebook to an AV System via a digital input. You need a 3.5 mini to RCA(75 ohm) connector. The 3.5 plugs into your computer and the RCA plugs into the Digital Coaxial input on your AV System. The other adapters mentioned above for the mini to toslink will only work for mini toslink to standard toslink devices. It will not work with your notebook. Here's a link to a cable that will work for you:

http://www.avsupplystore.com/tn-mr-10-bag.html

Good luck hope this helps.