How to output 5.1 sound from a mac?

[apomarinov]

I've encountered the way where you connect from mini DP on the mac to the HDMI on the reciever, but is it possible to output 5.1 to a system with inputs like this one ?

 

[waw74]

your mac does have optical out also, that amp doesn't appear to have optical in though.

You can use something like this to convert optical to 6 channel analog.

you'll need a "toslink to mini" optical cable - search the part in quotes to find one.

 

[APlotdevice]

your mac does have optical out also...

Unless it's a MacBook air. This is the one current line without optical output.

 

[apomarinov]

Thanks for the answers! So can you light me up on whats going on here, in terms of convertion or.. whatever it is
I believe this is the cable
How I see it is, since APlotdevice said it wouldnt work on a macAir the mini toslink wouldn`t be going in the headset jack, the toslink would go in the miniDP and the mini toslink in the input of the decoder?