New MacBook Pro Models Lack Optical Audio Out via Headphone Jack

[anson42]

Has anyone found any simple (cheap but HQ) solution how to connect spdif speakers to new MBP? Ideally not using expensive external sound card. The adapter mentioned in thread seem to be a little clumsy.

I consider this a high quality product that takes no prisoners on the USB side of the audio equation:

http://www.schiit.com/products/eitr

Simple, yes. Cheap? I think so but that's up to you to decide... and while you're at it, take a look at their other products. I've got a few powering my desktop audio system.

 

[formular]

You could always try using a little Airport Express and play audio from your MBP using Airplay. The Airport Express still has the combined Optical/Analogue Audio Jack. Airplay audio is transmitted using the Apple lossless audio codec, so no quality is lost.

Thank you but no wireless solution, please. 1) I have amazing JBS studio speakers that support analog or spdif coaxial connection, 2) there's too much electro smog around already. Idea of buying another Apple gizmo just to use Logic or play music is ridiculous...

 

[anson42]

1) I have amazing JBS studio speakers that support analog or spdif coaxial connection

While you could use a USB->SPDIF conversion product like I posted earlier, I would actually suggest you go with the analog inputs on your speakers and not the digital. I say this because a $99 product like this one:

http://www.schiit.com/products/modi-2

will likely have a better digital to analog (DAC) component than what is built into your speakers. I use the multi-bit Schiit Bifrost myself into speakers and a headphone amplifier and would definitely not rely on what is very likely a compromised digital design inside a speaker.

 

[zorinlynx]

I hope Apple doesn't phase this out on the iMacs too. Right now in my office I have toslink running from my iMac all the way around the room (25 feet or so) to a receiver for playing my music. Such long runs of analog cable tend to pick up hum; I've been using a toslink cable in this capacity in this same room since the late 90s.

I really hate this trend towards removing useful features.

EDIT: Just did some research and yep, they removed it from the latest iMacs. D'oh!

I know I can buy a freaking USB to toslink adapter, but now that's ANOTHER freaking dongle to worry about, and more crap hanging off the back of my machine to do what I did without that crap before.

Damnit Apple, if your software weren't so good I'd have a hard time sticking around.

 

[anson42]

I hope Apple doesn't phase this out on the iMacs too. Right now in my office I have toslink running from my iMac all the way around the room (25 feet or so) to a receiver for playing my music. Such long runs of analog cable tend to pick up hum; I've been using a toslink cable in this capacity in this same room since the late 90s.

I had been doing the same from my old MacBook Pro, running close to 20ft toslink. If it does get removed from the iMac, know that there are solutions but at added cost and headache. I suspect the toslink feature, while useful for music professionals and those like us, was in general a very under utilized feature and the MBP redesign allowed it to be removed. I wish someone at Apple would actually reveal the true reason for its dismissal. I'm surprised the new MBP has a headphone jack at all, actually, given that the phones no longer do, and maybe that trend is the main reason for the jack being simplified.

 

[obiwan]

Thank you but no wireless solution, please. 1) I have amazing JBS studio speakers that support analog or spdif coaxial connection, 2) there's too much electro smog around already. Idea of buying another Apple gizmo just to use Logic or play music is ridiculous...

Thunderbolt Audio interface? I use the Focusrite Clarett 8Pre with Logic Pro X. If you use Logic already I'm surprised you haven't gone for an audio interface already. - Although I realise that's not a cheap purchase!

https://uk.focusrite.com/clarett-range

 

[formular]

Thunderbolt Audio interface?

Yes, a valid option and likely the only one. But kinda expensive for the purpose of 'just' replacing the missing optical output. Shame. :/

 

[Mac 128]

I had been doing the same from my old MacBook Pro, running close to 20ft toslink. If it does get removed from the iMac, know that there are solutions but at added cost and headache. I suspect the toslink feature, while useful for music professionals and those like us, was in general a very under utilized feature and the MBP redesign allowed it to be removed. I wish someone at Apple would actually reveal the true reason for its dismissal. I'm surprised the new MBP has a headphone jack at all, actually, given that the phones no longer do, and maybe that trend is the main reason for the jack being simplified.

Simple, there's more room on the Mac to continue to support it, and it's used for audio by a wide variety of users, where wireless wouldn't be appropriate due to lag, and quality. If they removed the headphone jack at this juncture, they'd also have to start supporting USC-C to headphone jack adapters, something which is currently not standardized. It would also force the issue of Lightning to USB-C audio adapters, and could push USB-C headphones over Apple's own Lightning standard. I fully expected to see a Lightning port added to the MBP by now, but it seems like that simply won't happen now.

 

[Roguedog]

I'm glad we have Apple to tell us what we need and don't need now!

Thankfully Apple has been doing this for quite some time now. Let's see, it was...

Apple who saw the need to develop the PC as a Business device... circa 1978... Apple IIc, IIe
Apple who deemed it a requirement that PCs would have graphical interfaces, with mouses etc. since 1982
Apple System 7 who was forward thinking enough to get rid of the FLOPPY drive ... 1980"s ? not sure when
Apple who foistered tru color for PC screens
Apple who first produced PDAs with Newton ... I still use my 2001 unit, handwriting, inet, phone calls etc, long before Samsung ever thought of a stylus..., oh ye it still works
Apple who determined that everyone would one day clamor for a SmartPhone
Apple who initiated the use of SCSI devices
Apple who delivered real 1 piece computers .... 1984 Mac 1.... mine still works
Apple first to experiment with VOICE on desktops... I had a wonderful conversation with Macos Lion 1 night
Apple first to plunge us into the future with USB-C Thonderbolt...., you, and the world will follow... AGAIN!

I'm sure I left out a few things, but I think you get the message.... Just buy the freaking HUB and move into the future. I used the optical out via spdif connected to the Schitt DAC, then to my tube headphone amp. I did miss it, but quickly found available solutions less that $40. So, again, welcome to the future, and Apples continued innovative lead.
[doublepost=1525462662][/doublepost]

More and more you're buying a cats in bags with Apple. Gone are the days you'd blindly think/assume that buying an Apple product would have your needs covered.

Gimmicky features, drastic price increases, reduced port selection and bricked long standing functionality.

Can't innovate my ass.

What in the world are you talking about? Maybe people in the PC world BLINDLY buy their computers, most people in the Apple world are extremely aware of what they're buying for their hard earned money. Those days of blindly following never existed in the world of Apple. We always knew we paid a premium for Apple equipment, always knew there is magic in Apple, always new that specs alone don't deliver the real truth about a computing environment. PC hacks are always comparing spec sheets as if those numbers could explain, or show the soul of their equipment. That's why study, after study constantly reveals that Mac users are much more productive than their counterparts, due mainly to the fact that whatever few seconds may be gained on the PC because of faster chip sets, are quickly sacrificed to inefficiencies lost due to interface, or chip set incompatibilities, or having to wait for the wizzbang group to determine why the network isn't working. As far as lost ports... what lost ports!? With USB-3 Thunderbolt and the right hub, 2 ports are all the average user will need...the PRO has 4! so it actually GAINED Ports! Ports are not what makes a macbook a PRO model! Take a look at the processing power, graphics cache and memory, SSD drive speed & size, Screen Size and quality, and of course durability. After 11 years with my early 2007 17" macbook pro with an updated SSHD(512k), I just sold it easily for $1200, 40% of what I paid back in 2007! And it still works perfectly! Runs ElCapitan without a hitch.... Now that's what PRO is all about!

 

[LewisChapman]

Thankfully Apple has been doing this for quite some time now. Let's see, it was...

Apple who saw the need to develop the PC as a Business device... circa 1978... Apple IIc, IIe
Apple who deemed it a requirement that PCs would have graphical interfaces, with mouses etc. since 1982
Apple System 7 who was forward thinking enough to get rid of the FLOPPY drive ... 1980"s ? not sure when
Apple who foistered tru color for PC screens
Apple who first produced PDAs with Newton ... I still use my 2001 unit, handwriting, inet, phone calls etc, long before Samsung ever thought of a stylus..., oh ye it still works
Apple who determined that everyone would one day clamor for a SmartPhone
Apple who initiated the use of SCSI devices
Apple who delivered real 1 piece computers .... 1984 Mac 1.... mine still works
Apple first to experiment with VOICE on desktops... I had a wonderful conversation with Macos Lion 1 night
Apple first to plunge us into the future with USB-C Thonderbolt...., you, and the world will follow... AGAIN!

I'm sure I left out a few things, but I think you get the message.... Just buy the freaking HUB and move into the future. I used the optical out via spdif connected to the Schitt DAC, then to my tube headphone amp. I did miss it, but quickly found available solutions less that $40. So, again, welcome to the future, and Apples continued innovative lead.
[doublepost=1525462662][/doublepost]

What in the world are you talking about? Maybe people in the PC world BLINDLY buy their computers, most people in the Apple world are extremely aware of what they're buying for their hard earned money. Those days of blindly following never existed in the world of Apple. We always knew we paid a premium for Apple equipment, always knew there is magic in Apple, always new that specs alone don't deliver the real truth about a computing environment. PC hacks are always comparing spec sheets as if those numbers could explain, or show the soul of their equipment. That's why study, after study constantly reveals that Mac users are much more productive than their counterparts, due mainly to the fact that whatever few seconds may be gained on the PC because of faster chip sets, are quickly sacrificed to inefficiencies lost due to interface, or chip set incompatibilities, or having to wait for the wizzbang group to determine why the network isn't working. As far as lost ports... what lost ports!? With USB-3 Thunderbolt and the right hub, 2 ports are all the average user will need...the PRO has 4! so it actually GAINED Ports! Ports are not what makes a macbook a PRO model! Take a look at the processing power, graphics cache and memory, SSD drive speed & size, Screen Size and quality, and of course durability. After 11 years with my early 2007 17" macbook pro with an updated SSHD(512k), I just sold it easily for $1200, 40% of what I paid back in 2007! And it still works perfectly! Runs ElCapitan without a hitch.... Now that's what PRO is all about!

Thanks for your late input

 

[Poisednoise]

Yup. The same people complain about a car not having a wifi hotspot built in that they never wanted and never would have used.

For the record, I do use the optical out on my Airport Express in the kitchen to active speakers, AND I have a Dolry hifi stone (wifi hotspot) connected to my car stereo. So, people do use these things.

That said, in this particular instance I would probably use a usb c solution to a studio setup anyway.