Macbook Audio Out options?

[Wanderer509]

Hi, currently i have my macbook hooked up to some external speakers, but on the system preference it is detected as headphones. i am just wondering does it matter it is detected as headphone or is there improvement if they are detected as external speakers? and how can i get it to be detected as external speakers?

i have read around about toslinks and what not, what are those?

thanks in advance, i really have no clue

 

[flopticalcube]

It just means you are using the analog output jack. Makes no difference if its headphones or speakers. Toslink is the optical digital output. Its the same jack (via a plug mini-toslink adaptor) as the analog and uses a fiber optic cable to go to a digital-to-analog converter like an AV amplifier.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toslink

 

[Wanderer509]

thanks for the prompt reply? would it be possible to convert a 3.5mm jack to a toslink jack so i can get it to output a digital signal? and would there be any performance gain by doing that? would an adapter like this do the job for me?

http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...d=1042301&p_id=2671&seq=1&format=1#largeimage

thanks in advance.

 

[flopticalcube]

thanks for the prompt reply? would it be possible to convert a 3.5mm jack to a toslink jack so i can get it to output a digital signal? and would there be any performance gain by doing that? would an adapter like this do the job for me?

http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...d=1042301&p_id=2671&seq=1&format=1#largeimage

thanks in advance.

That's the one I use on my mini. The performance gain depends on the equipment you have further down stream. My mini runs as an HTPC so optical output allows me to play 5.1 soundtracks. My AVR also has a better set of D/A converters so even stereo sound is better than the analog output of the Mac.

 

[Wanderer509]

i am running logitech z2300 with my macbook currently, would i be able get some noticeable difference?

so to my limited understanding, i can go z2300 3.5mm jack>adapter>macbook audio out port?

sry i really dont know much regarding these things

 

[Slypr]

thanks for the prompt reply? would it be possible to convert a 3.5mm jack to a toslink jack so i can get it to output a digital signal? and would there be any performance gain by doing that? would an adapter like this do the job for me?

http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...d=1042301&p_id=2671&seq=1&format=1#largeimage

thanks in advance.

Assuming that your speakers/receiver has an optical input, you would either need that plus a regular optical cable, or a cable like this which is basically like having the mini adapter built in

 

[Moriarty]

i am running logitech z2300 with my macbook currently, would i be able get some noticeable difference?

so to my limited understanding, i can go z2300 3.5mm jack>adapter>macbook audio out port?

sry i really dont know much regarding these things

Don't bother. Those Logitech speakers aren't good enough to reap the benefits of bypassing the Macbook's internal DAC (even if those speakers could handle a digital signal, not sure if they can or not).

You aren't going to get any increase in sound quality.

The only case I would recommend using a digital output would be if you had the computer hooked up to a proper stereo (ie >$1000 in cost) and were playing Apple Lossless files...

 

[flopticalcube]

i am running logitech z2300 with my macbook currently, would i be able get some noticeable difference?

so to my limited understanding, i can go z2300 3.5mm jack>adapter>macbook audio out port?

sry i really dont know much regarding these things

Your Z2300 does not have an optical input as far as I can tell. I doubt that it make much of a difference even if it did.

 

[Wanderer509]

thanks for all your prompt reply

i was just surfing the web and found something called a toslink, since i had no idea waht it is i was just asking around

thanks for all your help!

 

[NewMacbookPlz]

Don't bother. Those Logitech speakers aren't good enough to reap the benefits of bypassing the Macbook's internal DAC (even if those speakers could handle a digital signal, not sure if they can or not).

You aren't going to get any increase in sound quality.

The only case I would recommend using a digital output would be if you had the computer hooked up to a proper stereo (ie >$1000 in cost) and were playing Apple Lossless files...

Another use, even with a not-so-hot system would be to drive a 5.1 computer setup like the true 5.1 systems that logitech/klipsch offers. You can't run those off a standard 3.5mm minijack and get real 5.1 output.

 

[Tomorrow]

thanks for the prompt reply? would it be possible to convert a 3.5mm jack to a toslink jack so i can get it to output a digital signal? and would there be any performance gain by doing that? would an adapter like this do the job for me?

No - the toslink is for a fiber optic cord only.

i am running logitech z2300 with my macbook currently, would i be able get some noticeable difference?

The Z-2300's are analog speakers, not digital - so the toslink/optical signal won't work with them. Stick with the 3.5 mm cord, that's the only way to power them without buying an external sound card, and they'll sound as good as they're capable of sounding.

so to my limited understanding, i can go z2300 3.5mm jack>adapter>macbook audio out port?

Yes, except I don't know if you even need an adapter.

FWIW, going to a digital signal and speaker set (like Logitech Z-5500) will give you some sound improvement (no hiss or popping that my ears can detect), but it's also the only way to get 5.1 out of the Mac without buying an external sound card.