Mac adapters

What adapters are out that let you take advantage of the combo input/
output plugs that will take optical digital signals? I know Sony made
one for their CD players that used this connector but ideally, I'd
like to come from a spdif or toslink cable. Do those adapters exist? I
haven't seen any Mac advertising of the capabilities of these
connectors nor have I seen anything from the online stores you see in
the back of computer magazines.

On Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:53:29 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

>What adapters are out that let you take advantage of the combo input/
>output plugs that will take optical digital signals? I know Sony made
>one for their CD players that used this connector but ideally, I'd
>like to come from a spdif or toslink cable. Do those adapters exist? I
>haven't seen any Mac advertising of the capabilities of these
>connectors nor have I seen anything from the online stores you see in
>the back of computer magazines.

Mac's that I've seen have a combi audio output jack, analog
via stereo 3.5mm and digital via optical. MCM, among others,
sells an optical cable that plugs into the Mac's jack on
one end and into a conventional optical jack on the other.
Will six feet reach ya?

All good fortune,
Chris Hornbeck

On Jul 14, 6:16*pm, "Soundhaspriority" > wrote:
> > wrote in message
>
> ...
>
> > What adapters are out that let you take advantage of the combo input/
> > output plugs that will take optical digital signals? I know Sony made
> > one for their CD players that used this connector but ideally, I'd
> > like to come from a spdif or toslink cable. Do those adapters exist? I
> > haven't seen any Mac advertising of the capabilities of these
> > connectors nor have I seen anything from the online stores you see in
> > the back of computer magazines.
>
> The Sony device is a simple mechanical adapter that has no circuitry; the
> optical interface is already in the player.
>
> I'm not sure what you're after, but i you want to convert from coax to
> optical or the reverse, circuitry is required. The Midiman CO2 is a
> bidirectional converter that can be DC powered, but the power requirement is
> significant, and it's a clunky metal box -- probably not what you're looking
> for.
>
> Bob Morein
> (310) 237-6511

I actually own the C02 and use it to go from optical to coax from a
Sony minidisk with optical to and from a Sony CDR with coax. What I'm
looking for is the adapter to utilize the optical digital ins and outs
of the Mac's combo connector that has a 1/8" stereo ins and outs that
double as optical digital ins and outs.

On Jul 14, 6:32*pm, Chris Hornbeck >
wrote:
> On Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:53:29 -0700 (PDT),
> wrote:
>
> >What adapters are out that let you take advantage of the combo input/
> >output plugs that will take optical digital signals? I know Sony made
> >one for their CD players that used this connector but ideally, I'd
> >like to come from a spdif or toslink cable. Do those adapters exist? I
> >haven't seen any Mac advertising of the capabilities of these
> >connectors nor have I seen anything from the online stores you see in
> >the back of computer magazines.
>
> Mac's that I've seen have a combi audio output jack, analog
> via stereo 3.5mm and digital via optical. MCM, among others,
> sells an optical cable that plugs into the Mac's jack on
> one end and into a conventional optical jack on the other.
> Will six feet reach ya?
>
> All good fortune,
> Chris Hornbeck

Yea, I think 6 to 8 feet would reach. I'll have to look that company
up. Thanks for the info.

On Jul 14, 7:21*pm, wrote:
> On Jul 14, 6:32*pm, Chris Hornbeck >
> wrote:
>
>
>
> > On Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:53:29 -0700 (PDT),
> > wrote:
>
> > >What adapters are out that let you take advantage of the combo input/
> > >output plugs that will take optical digital signals? I know Sony made
> > >one for their CD players that used this connector but ideally, I'd
> > >like to come from a spdif or toslink cable. Do those adapters exist? I
> > >haven't seen any Mac advertising of the capabilities of these
> > >connectors nor have I seen anything from the online stores you see in
> > >the back of computer magazines.
>
> > Mac's that I've seen have a combi audio output jack, analog
> > via stereo 3.5mm and digital via optical. MCM, among others,
> > sells an optical cable that plugs into the Mac's jack on
> > one end and into a conventional optical jack on the other.
> > Will six feet reach ya?
>
> > All good fortune,
> > Chris Hornbeck
>
> Yea, I think 6 to 8 feet would reach. I'll have to look that company
> up. Thanks for the info.

Actually found another item that does the same thing. <http://
macaudiopro.digitalmedianet.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=47126>

On Mon, 14 Jul 2008 19:44:02 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

>Actually found another item that does the same thing. <http://
>macaudiopro.digitalmedianet.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=47126>

That sure looks pretty nice; much fancier than the MCM part.
In some locations I'd worry about the weight and fragility
of the Mac end. But I'm a professional worrier.

I've also seen fairly compact, well isolated small systems
where the optical output from an all-in-one Mac was the
only way to get the buzz floor down enough to even be usable.
Even in home playback-only. Now that I remember it, a
friend still has the loan of my favorite little D/A converter
box in his office because it was the only way to cure the buzz.
Doh!

(The analog (headphones) outputs were unacceptably noisy.
Not ground loops, per se, but more like contaminated grounds.)

All good fortune,
Chris Hornbeck

<< I actually own the C02 and use it to go from optical to
coax from a Sony minidisk with optical to and from a Sony
CDR with coax. What I'm looking for is the adapter to
utilize the optical digital ins and outs of the Mac's combo
connector that has a 1/8" stereo ins and outs that double as
optical digital ins and outs. >>

I'm going to assume that the "adapter" you are looking for
is one that you can physically add to the end of an ordinary
"toslink" (digital/optical) cable in order to plug it into
the Mac output/input, is that correct?

I ordered mine from PartsExpress.com:
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/pshow...TOKEN=47686858
"Toslink to optical mini adapter"

Is this what you're asking about?

- John

"Chris Hornbeck" > wrote in message ...

> (The analog (headphones) outputs were unacceptably noisy.
> Not ground loops, per se, but more like contaminated grounds.)
>
> All good fortune,
> Chris Hornbeck

Took the front panel HP outs from a Mac the other night to run
some down & dirty, quick audio from a short DVD presentation
to the mixer line inputs.... couldn't hear anything that was nasty,
but I had a constant -6dB of _something_ hanging on the inputs
as long as the plug was in the Mac jack.

DM

On Tue, 15 Jul 2008 04:30:19 GMT, "David Morgan \(MAMS\)"
/Odm> wrote:

>> (The analog (headphones) outputs were unacceptably noisy.
>> Not ground loops, per se, but more like contaminated grounds.)

>Took the front panel HP outs from a Mac the other night to run
>some down & dirty, quick audio from a short DVD presentation
>to the mixer line inputs.... couldn't hear anything that was nasty,
>but I had a constant -6dB of _something_ hanging on the inputs
>as long as the plug was in the Mac jack.

Sounds a lot like my experience. I can't say fersure-fersure
it wasn't a ground-loop issue in this case, but everything
was Edison'd to a local power strip and otherwise isolated
from the cruel world outside.

And, an optical cable from the headphone output to (my, loaned)
D/A converter, and then on to the analog world, solved the
problem.

Took me quite a while to believe it, but I'm dogmatic too
often. Rruff!

I'm certainly open for suggestions, if for no other reason than
to get my D/A converter back! Arf.


Much thanks, as always,
Chris Hornbeck

> wrote:
>What adapters are out that let you take advantage of the combo input/
>output plugs that will take optical digital signals? I know Sony made
>one for their CD players that used this connector but ideally, I'd
>like to come from a spdif or toslink cable. Do those adapters exist? I
>haven't seen any Mac advertising of the capabilities of these
>connectors nor have I seen anything from the online stores you see in
>the back of computer magazines.

I don't know who sells a premade cable (though I'd try Markertek), but
I know that Digi-Key sells the Toslink cable, the regular Toslink connectors,
and also the combo connectors the Apple uses. Making your own Toslink
cables is not too hard.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."