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Author Topic: some macs hide their SPDIF support in the headphone output  (Read 1986 times)

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Offline chrisNova777

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some macs hide their SPDIF support in the headphone output
« on: June 20, 2021, 02:28:29 PM »
this was a feature that was inherited from the PowerMac G5!! which featured an optical spdif output

https://babcuvpisecek.com/htpc/do-i-have-optical-out-apple-toslink-spdif-compatibility-list/
according to the page above from 2006-2016 most imacs + "pro" mac devices had spdif support incorporated into the headphone output : https://support.apple.com/en-ca/guide/mac-help/cpmh0052/mac but after 2016 they dropped the feature: "The 2016 and 2017 MacBook Pros and the 2017 iMacs omit S/PDIF from their headphone jacks"

Quote
Use a Toslink cable with a Toslink miniplug adapter or a fiber-optic cable with a 3.5 mm plastic or nylon optical plug.

not sure which cable you are supposed to use to make this work?
maybe this: https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/product/startech-6ft-toslink-to-mini-digital-optical-spdif-audio-cable/10434591

i guess you just jam this connector into the 3.5mm port! so it only costs the cost of the cable and voila! stereo digital output!
https://www.amazon.ca/Toslink-3-5mm-Digital-Optical-3-3Feet/dp/B077YKNVMQ

5.99 on amazon!
https://www.amazon.com/Toslink-Fosmon-Digital-Optical-Chromecast/dp/B01MY2DJUM/ref=pd_lpo_4?pd_rd_i=B01MY2DJUM&psc=1