Recommend a Decent Optical to RCA Converter?

Connecting a Samsung Plasma TV with only Optical out to my amplifier, which only has RCA inputs. PLease recommend a decent Optical to RCA converter?

If it helps, here's the selection on amazon, where I will be buying it.

 

Are you trying to retain a 5.1 signal or two channel?

 

Two channel only. My amp only has two channel.

 

If the DVD or Bluray or TV offers 5.1, I always can change to 2 channel in the TV settings, right?

 

Do you have a DAC for your system? A DAC would likely have an optical input that you could use for this.

 

No, I don't. That would be handy.

 

You need a dac

 

A DAC is what you're looking at. Every item in that Amazon list is a DAC.

I'd suggest a Schiit Modi 2 Uber as a decent budget DAC but it looks like you're looking to spend $20 or so. Honestly, at that price point I don't know how much difference you're going to see between products. Fiio is pretty popular in the head-fi crowd though.

 

Do you have an amazon link for that one? I am getting some very expensive units using that info in a search.

Like this one?

 

Search for DAC instead of optical to rca converter.

The Schiit Modi 2 Uber is $150

Schiit Audio, Headphone amps and DACs made in USA. »

If you're looking at the $20-$25 range I'd get that FiiO D3 and buy from Amazon because I couldn't tell you about QC or reliability of a $25 DAC but Amazon is very good with returns. Just in case.

 

Thanks!

 

Inday makes the best unit that I have ever used.

 

There's something that's being missed in this thread. A straight DAC with an optical in and RCA outs won't really work with television programming. You need something with AC3/DTS/Dolby decoding.

Here is one example.

 

Thanks! So, will the one you suggested also work for a Bluray player and all the available options in it, such as Netflix?

 

My order of the FiiO D3 already shipped! Are you sure it won't work for cable TV? I assume that is what you mean by television programming?

 

In your TV's audio settings can you set it to do PCM?

 

I am looking now. I have a Samsung Plasma Series 4+ 440, 450.

 

Ok, I just checked. The TV does not give me that option - but the Bluray player does give me that option and the main reason I want the DAC is for the sound from the Bluray player to play through my stereo. So, given that info, should it work? (I can't connect the DAC to the Bluray, as it doesn't have optical plugs, so I plan to try it plugged into the TV. And simply use the internal speakers for the cable TV sound.)

 

The one I linked to is the one I bought and connected earlier this year. Though my Sony LCD has actual analog/RCA outs, I wanted to give the set's optical out a try. My television is "over the air" and I don't use cable. I do play some Blu-rays and DVDs through the TV (for serious listening I use the Blu-ray's analog outs) and there have been no issues. The TV sound seems a bit better through the optical than through the analog outs.

I was thinking of the FiiO D3 early on, but my research seemed to reveal that the missing decoders would be a problem. I have used no Blu-ray player apps, I haven't used any television set apps. With my set-up I've had no issues with my linked DAC, though the television remote no longer controls (the analog) volume, so I use my connected integrated amp remote volume for that. If your set provides switchable LPCM output, you should be entirely good to go with the FiiO. My Sony set provides no such option.

 

Thanks for sharing!

My set allows me to use the external speakers and turn off the internal ones completely. Do you suppose that will be enough to get it working?

Where might I find switchable LPCM output in my TV settings?

 

There should be an option to change the SPDIF digital output to Stereo PCM.

 

You will have to try that out.

I would think LPCM goes from the Blu-ray to the television, and if that's the case the television should leave it in LPCM to go to the optical out. You will probably be okay with what you want to do. If you do need some television sound, and the FiiO does not provide that, you'll at least have an idea what the situation is.

 

Thanks. In the Audio settings of the TV? Unfortunately, I don't see anything there. The audio settings are limited, they really are only for setting stereo/mono, EQ, switching between external and internal speakers, and something called SRS True Surround HD, which I can turn on and off. That's it.

 

You might just get lucky. 99% of people use optical outs on TVs to connect to stereo only sound bars, after all. At this point maybe TV makers figure surround sound users always use HDMI and optical is for stereo. Maybe.