"normanstrong" wrote in message
news:EYpzb.405600$HS4.3264747@attbi_s01...


Ironically, that's not exactly true. Many portable digital
recorders
and players use a jack that accepts both standard 1/8" stereo
headphone type plugs for analog and an digital optical connector
that looks like a plastic headphone plug with an extended tip.

Interesting. So it's the same jack on the unit that can have
either a stereo headphone plug or a special digital optic plugged
into it?

Right. I have one on my Nomad Jukebox 3, along with the matching
cables.
Also seen on portable minidisc recorders.

Simple question. Is there a jack that handles both coax and optical
digital input? I've seen ones that handle either optical or analog
signals, but I haven't seen one that does both types of digital
inputs.

As they observed in the postings just previous to this one,
many Sony MD portable devices have what appears to be a
conventional 1/8-inch (3.5mm) stereo mini-phone jack for
analog out, but they have a LED at the end that enables the
same "jack" to accept a special "TOSlink" optical fibre
with a jack that looks like 3.5mm mini-phone. Dunno if
anyone besides Sony does this, however.

Of course you can buy adapters that convert optical TOSlink
to electrical SPDIF (and vice-versa).

"WarpedFrets" wrote in message
...
First off... thank you guys very much for trying to help.

"Where have you gotten the idea that it is an optical out?"

Sorry... my brother was calling it an optical out. The unit itself says
Digital
Out.

It says nothing about the wire or jack letting you know whats needed
anywhere
in the manual. The main Specifications at the back of the instructions
does
however list digital out as: "EIAJ CP1201, S/P DIF"

"S/P DIF" implies *electrical* digital to me.
If it said "TOSlink" that would mean *optical*.

If it is an RCA, then it is almost certainly NOT optical!
If it is yellow, then it is almost certainly SPDIF electrical
digital output. (Beware that video equipment uses yellow
RCA jacks to indicate composite video, so you must take
the context into account.)

If you have to run the signal into an optical input, you can
buy an adaptor that does SPDIF (electrical)- TOSlink (optical)

"WarpedFrets" wrote in message
...
First off... thank you guys very much for trying to help.

"Where have you gotten the idea that it is an optical out?"

Sorry... my brother was calling it an optical out. The unit itself says
Digital
Out.

It says nothing about the wire or jack letting you know whats needed
anywhere
in the manual. The main Specifications at the back of the instructions
does
however list digital out as: "EIAJ CP1201, S/P DIF"

"S/P DIF" implies *electrical* digital to me.
If it said "TOSlink" that would mean *optical*.

If it is an RCA, then it is almost certainly NOT optical!
If it is yellow, then it is almost certainly SPDIF electrical
digital output. (Beware that video equipment uses yellow
RCA jacks to indicate composite video, so you must take
the context into account.)

If you have to run the signal into an optical input, you can
buy an adaptor that does SPDIF (electrical)- TOSlink (optical)

WarpedFrets wrote:

Thanks guys!!!

I'll print all this stuff and reread it in the am. It's 4 am and you're all way
smarter then me.


I think that the word is more "knowledgeable"... :-)


So hopefully I'll figure out what I need to get the kid from
what you all explained to me.

Damn, I feel so stupid... But I'm VERY GREATFUL for all of the help!


Don't feel stupid, just feel uninformed! When I saw this thread
originally I realized that there were a few things that I wasn't
quite sure of so my response was an "excuse" for me to go look it
up and firm up some items that I was a little hazy on.

In a transfer of knowledge, everybody benefits. I personally
believe that the really "smart" people on these groups are the
ones who recognize this. So you shouldn't feel like that, just
realize that you are contributing positively as well--even if you
are uninformed or don't know something.

All of this IMHO only, of course :-)

- Jeff

WarpedFrets wrote:

Thanks guys!!!

I'll print all this stuff and reread it in the am. It's 4 am and you're all way
smarter then me.


I think that the word is more "knowledgeable"... :-)


So hopefully I'll figure out what I need to get the kid from
what you all explained to me.

Damn, I feel so stupid... But I'm VERY GREATFUL for all of the help!


Don't feel stupid, just feel uninformed! When I saw this thread
originally I realized that there were a few things that I wasn't
quite sure of so my response was an "excuse" for me to go look it
up and firm up some items that I was a little hazy on.

In a transfer of knowledge, everybody benefits. I personally
believe that the really "smart" people on these groups are the
ones who recognize this. So you shouldn't feel like that, just
realize that you are contributing positively as well--even if you
are uninformed or don't know something.

All of this IMHO only, of course :-)

- Jeff

Richard Crowley wrote:

stuff deleted

"S/P DIF" implies *electrical* digital to me.
If it said "TOSlink" that would mean *optical*.


I'm pretty sure that the S/P DIF standard defines BOTH an
electrical and an optical format. TOSlink is just a name for the
optical format of the S/P DIF standard if I understand it correctly.


more stuff deleted

If you have to run the signal into an optical input, you can
buy an adaptor that does SPDIF (electrical)- TOSlink (optical)


Again, this is probably an easy conversion because both the
digital coax and the TOSlink are based on the same S/P DIF protocol.

- Jeff

Richard Crowley wrote:

stuff deleted

"S/P DIF" implies *electrical* digital to me.
If it said "TOSlink" that would mean *optical*.


I'm pretty sure that the S/P DIF standard defines BOTH an
electrical and an optical format. TOSlink is just a name for the
optical format of the S/P DIF standard if I understand it correctly.


more stuff deleted

If you have to run the signal into an optical input, you can
buy an adaptor that does SPDIF (electrical)- TOSlink (optical)


Again, this is probably an easy conversion because both the
digital coax and the TOSlink are based on the same S/P DIF protocol.

- Jeff

"Jeff Wiseman" wrote ...
Again, this is probably an easy conversion because both the
digital coax and the TOSlink are based on the same S/P DIF
protocol.

Indeed. The adaptors are trivial. They convert only the medium,
and don't do (or need to do) any changes to the signals.

"Jeff Wiseman" wrote ...
Again, this is probably an easy conversion because both the
digital coax and the TOSlink are based on the same S/P DIF
protocol.

Indeed. The adaptors are trivial. They convert only the medium,
and don't do (or need to do) any changes to the signals.

Richard Crowley wrote:

"Jeff Wiseman" wrote ...
Again, this is probably an easy conversion because both the
digital coax and the TOSlink are based on the same S/P DIF
protocol.

Indeed. The adaptors are trivial. They convert only the medium,
and don't do (or need to do) any changes to the signals.


Actually, if I understand correctly, the S/P DIF format is the
consumer version of the commercial AES/??? (I forget the
ancronyms) standard. Converting between these two is more
problematic since even though the physical interfaces are
basically the same, the AES uses a binary signalling mechanism
for certain overhead information whereas the S/P DIF uses a text
version. The AES one is denser packaging (speed) whereas the S/P
DIF one allows more visibility of the overhead when running
diagnostics I suppose.

- Jeff

Richard Crowley wrote:

"Jeff Wiseman" wrote ...
Again, this is probably an easy conversion because both the
digital coax and the TOSlink are based on the same S/P DIF
protocol.

Indeed. The adaptors are trivial. They convert only the medium,
and don't do (or need to do) any changes to the signals.


Actually, if I understand correctly, the S/P DIF format is the
consumer version of the commercial AES/??? (I forget the
ancronyms) standard. Converting between these two is more
problematic since even though the physical interfaces are
basically the same, the AES uses a binary signalling mechanism
for certain overhead information whereas the S/P DIF uses a text
version. The AES one is denser packaging (speed) whereas the S/P
DIF one allows more visibility of the overhead when running
diagnostics I suppose.

- Jeff

Richard Crowley wrote:

"Jeff Wiseman" wrote ...
Again, this is probably an easy conversion because both the
digital coax and the TOSlink are based on the same S/P DIF
protocol.

Indeed. The adaptors are trivial. They convert only the medium,
and don't do (or need to do) any changes to the signals.


Actually, if I understand correctly, the S/P DIF format is the
consumer version of the commercial AES/??? (I forget the
ancronyms) standard. Converting between these two is more
problematic since even though the physical interfaces are
basically the same, the AES uses a binary signalling mechanism
for certain overhead information whereas the S/P DIF uses a text
version. The AES one is denser packaging (speed) whereas the S/P
DIF one allows more visibility of the overhead when running
diagnostics I suppose.

- Jeff

On Wed, 03 Dec 2003 19:58:55 GMT, Jeff Wiseman
wrote:

Richard Crowley wrote:

stuff deleted

"S/P DIF" implies *electrical* digital to me.
If it said "TOSlink" that would mean *optical*.


I'm pretty sure that the S/P DIF standard defines BOTH an
electrical and an optical format. TOSlink is just a name for the
optical format of the S/P DIF standard if I understand it correctly.

Actually, it's just the proprietary name for the de facto standard -
Toshiba Link. It is of course still S/PDIF protocol. There's also the
far higher quality AT&T optical link, but that's extremely rare
nowadays.


more stuff deleted

If you have to run the signal into an optical input, you can
buy an adaptor that does SPDIF (electrical)- TOSlink (optical)

Again, this is probably an easy conversion because both the
digital coax and the TOSlink are based on the same S/P DIF protocol.

Quite so.
--

Stewart Pinkerton | Music is Art - Audio is Engineering

On Wed, 03 Dec 2003 19:58:55 GMT, Jeff Wiseman
wrote:

Richard Crowley wrote:

stuff deleted

"S/P DIF" implies *electrical* digital to me.
If it said "TOSlink" that would mean *optical*.


I'm pretty sure that the S/P DIF standard defines BOTH an
electrical and an optical format. TOSlink is just a name for the
optical format of the S/P DIF standard if I understand it correctly.

Actually, it's just the proprietary name for the de facto standard -
Toshiba Link. It is of course still S/PDIF protocol. There's also the
far higher quality AT&T optical link, but that's extremely rare
nowadays.


more stuff deleted

If you have to run the signal into an optical input, you can
buy an adaptor that does SPDIF (electrical)- TOSlink (optical)

Again, this is probably an easy conversion because both the
digital coax and the TOSlink are based on the same S/P DIF protocol.

Quite so.
--

Stewart Pinkerton | Music is Art - Audio is Engineering

On Wed, 03 Dec 2003 19:58:55 GMT, Jeff Wiseman
wrote:

Richard Crowley wrote:

stuff deleted

"S/P DIF" implies *electrical* digital to me.
If it said "TOSlink" that would mean *optical*.


I'm pretty sure that the S/P DIF standard defines BOTH an
electrical and an optical format. TOSlink is just a name for the
optical format of the S/P DIF standard if I understand it correctly.

Actually, it's just the proprietary name for the de facto standard -
Toshiba Link. It is of course still S/PDIF protocol. There's also the
far higher quality AT&T optical link, but that's extremely rare
nowadays.


more stuff deleted

If you have to run the signal into an optical input, you can
buy an adaptor that does SPDIF (electrical)- TOSlink (optical)

Again, this is probably an easy conversion because both the
digital coax and the TOSlink are based on the same S/P DIF protocol.

Quite so.
--

Stewart Pinkerton | Music is Art - Audio is Engineering

On Wed, 03 Dec 2003 21:24:17 GMT, Jeff Wiseman
wrote:



Richard Crowley wrote:

"Jeff Wiseman" wrote ...
Again, this is probably an easy conversion because both the
digital coax and the TOSlink are based on the same S/P DIF
protocol.

Indeed. The adaptors are trivial. They convert only the medium,
and don't do (or need to do) any changes to the signals.


Actually, if I understand correctly, the S/P DIF format is the
consumer version of the commercial AES/??? (I forget the
ancronyms) standard.

That's only partially true, as the AES/EBU standard is subtly
different from S/PDIF, and not interchangeable.

Converting between these two is more
problematic since even though the physical interfaces are
basically the same, the AES uses a binary signalling mechanism
for certain overhead information whereas the S/P DIF uses a text
version. The AES one is denser packaging (speed) whereas the S/P
DIF one allows more visibility of the overhead when running
diagnostics I suppose.

And note that the interfaces are *not* physically the same. S/PDIF
uses a coaxial 75-ohm link, whereas AES/EBU uses a balanced 110-ohm
link.
--

Stewart Pinkerton | Music is Art - Audio is Engineering

On Wed, 03 Dec 2003 21:24:17 GMT, Jeff Wiseman
wrote:



Richard Crowley wrote:

"Jeff Wiseman" wrote ...
Again, this is probably an easy conversion because both the
digital coax and the TOSlink are based on the same S/P DIF
protocol.

Indeed. The adaptors are trivial. They convert only the medium,
and don't do (or need to do) any changes to the signals.


Actually, if I understand correctly, the S/P DIF format is the
consumer version of the commercial AES/??? (I forget the
ancronyms) standard.

That's only partially true, as the AES/EBU standard is subtly
different from S/PDIF, and not interchangeable.

Converting between these two is more
problematic since even though the physical interfaces are
basically the same, the AES uses a binary signalling mechanism
for certain overhead information whereas the S/P DIF uses a text
version. The AES one is denser packaging (speed) whereas the S/P
DIF one allows more visibility of the overhead when running
diagnostics I suppose.

And note that the interfaces are *not* physically the same. S/PDIF
uses a coaxial 75-ohm link, whereas AES/EBU uses a balanced 110-ohm
link.
--

Stewart Pinkerton | Music is Art - Audio is Engineering

On Wed, 03 Dec 2003 21:24:17 GMT, Jeff Wiseman
wrote:



Richard Crowley wrote:

"Jeff Wiseman" wrote ...
Again, this is probably an easy conversion because both the
digital coax and the TOSlink are based on the same S/P DIF
protocol.

Indeed. The adaptors are trivial. They convert only the medium,
and don't do (or need to do) any changes to the signals.


Actually, if I understand correctly, the S/P DIF format is the
consumer version of the commercial AES/??? (I forget the
ancronyms) standard.

That's only partially true, as the AES/EBU standard is subtly
different from S/PDIF, and not interchangeable.

Converting between these two is more
problematic since even though the physical interfaces are
basically the same, the AES uses a binary signalling mechanism
for certain overhead information whereas the S/P DIF uses a text
version. The AES one is denser packaging (speed) whereas the S/P
DIF one allows more visibility of the overhead when running
diagnostics I suppose.

And note that the interfaces are *not* physically the same. S/PDIF
uses a coaxial 75-ohm link, whereas AES/EBU uses a balanced 110-ohm
link.
--

Stewart Pinkerton | Music is Art - Audio is Engineering

"normanstrong" wrote in message
news:EYpzb.405600$HS4.3264747@attbi_s01
Ironically, that's not exactly true. Many portable digital
recorders and players use a jack that accepts both standard 1/8"
stereo headphone type plugs for analog and an digital optical
connector that looks like a plastic headphone plug with an
extended tip.

Interesting. So it's the same jack on the unit that can have
either a stereo headphone plug or a special digital optic plugged
into it?

Right. I have one on my Nomad Jukebox 3, along with the matching
cables. Also seen on portable minidisc recorders.

Simple question. Is there a jack that handles both coax and optical
digital input?

AFAIK, no.

I've seen ones that handle either optical or analog
signals, but I haven't seen one that does both types of digital
inputs.

We're in the same boat, there.

"normanstrong" wrote in message
news:EYpzb.405600$HS4.3264747@attbi_s01
Ironically, that's not exactly true. Many portable digital
recorders and players use a jack that accepts both standard 1/8"
stereo headphone type plugs for analog and an digital optical
connector that looks like a plastic headphone plug with an
extended tip.

Interesting. So it's the same jack on the unit that can have
either a stereo headphone plug or a special digital optic plugged
into it?

Right. I have one on my Nomad Jukebox 3, along with the matching
cables. Also seen on portable minidisc recorders.

Simple question. Is there a jack that handles both coax and optical
digital input?

AFAIK, no.

I've seen ones that handle either optical or analog
signals, but I haven't seen one that does both types of digital
inputs.

We're in the same boat, there.

"normanstrong" wrote in message
news:EYpzb.405600$HS4.3264747@attbi_s01
Ironically, that's not exactly true. Many portable digital
recorders and players use a jack that accepts both standard 1/8"
stereo headphone type plugs for analog and an digital optical
connector that looks like a plastic headphone plug with an
extended tip.

Interesting. So it's the same jack on the unit that can have
either a stereo headphone plug or a special digital optic plugged
into it?

Right. I have one on my Nomad Jukebox 3, along with the matching
cables. Also seen on portable minidisc recorders.

Simple question. Is there a jack that handles both coax and optical
digital input?

AFAIK, no.

I've seen ones that handle either optical or analog
signals, but I haven't seen one that does both types of digital
inputs.

We're in the same boat, there.

Simple question. Is there a jack that handles both coax and
optical
digital input?

AFAIK, no.

I've seen ones that handle either optical or analog
signals, but I haven't seen one that does both types of digital
inputs.

We're in the same boat, there.

One of the enduring problems of marketing receivers is the choice of
how many of each type of digital audio input to provide. It's not
sufficient to provide lots of inputs--unless they are the right type
of input. 3 optical inputs and 1 coax input constitute 4 inputs, but
if you have 2 devices with coax outputs, it simply won't do.

The solution I envision is a jack that will accept either a 3.5mm
optical plug or a 3.5mm mini plug, so that each input will work with
either source. The only problem now is to pick the right optical or
coaxial cable. Fortunately, there are lots of the right type on the
market already. This solution doesn't cost anything extra, whereas
the currently recommended scheme requires an expensive converter to
change one into the other.

Norm Strong

Simple question. Is there a jack that handles both coax and
optical
digital input?

AFAIK, no.

I've seen ones that handle either optical or analog
signals, but I haven't seen one that does both types of digital
inputs.

We're in the same boat, there.

One of the enduring problems of marketing receivers is the choice of
how many of each type of digital audio input to provide. It's not
sufficient to provide lots of inputs--unless they are the right type
of input. 3 optical inputs and 1 coax input constitute 4 inputs, but
if you have 2 devices with coax outputs, it simply won't do.

The solution I envision is a jack that will accept either a 3.5mm
optical plug or a 3.5mm mini plug, so that each input will work with
either source. The only problem now is to pick the right optical or
coaxial cable. Fortunately, there are lots of the right type on the
market already. This solution doesn't cost anything extra, whereas
the currently recommended scheme requires an expensive converter to
change one into the other.

Norm Strong

Simple question. Is there a jack that handles both coax and
optical
digital input?

AFAIK, no.

I've seen ones that handle either optical or analog
signals, but I haven't seen one that does both types of digital
inputs.

We're in the same boat, there.

One of the enduring problems of marketing receivers is the choice of
how many of each type of digital audio input to provide. It's not
sufficient to provide lots of inputs--unless they are the right type
of input. 3 optical inputs and 1 coax input constitute 4 inputs, but
if you have 2 devices with coax outputs, it simply won't do.

The solution I envision is a jack that will accept either a 3.5mm
optical plug or a 3.5mm mini plug, so that each input will work with
either source. The only problem now is to pick the right optical or
coaxial cable. Fortunately, there are lots of the right type on the
market already. This solution doesn't cost anything extra, whereas
the currently recommended scheme requires an expensive converter to
change one into the other.

Norm Strong