Mac Pro :: Sound System - Getting Audio Through Optical Output
May 25, 2009
I recently bought a 2009 Mac Pro. Now, I'm trying to setup a small bedroom home theater. And sound is still my main problem here. I used my Mac Pro mainly for doing graphic works, listening to music, watching movie, and gaming sometimes.
Here is what I currently have.
8-Core Mac Pro
40" 1080p LCD TV for Movie
24" LCD for doing graphic work
Harman Kardon Sound sticks (trying to get rid of this and replace it with a 5.1 or 7.1 system)
And here is what I'm buying
5.1 or 7.1 Receiver
Speakers
My plan is to get audio out through the optical output. But according to several articles I read online, optical output does not transmit audio when I play music on iTunes or play games (in BootCamp), is it true? So far, I couldn't find any sound card (internal or external) which work for mac pro that has 3 analog 5.1 signal output which I can use with standard 5.1 speakers. The only things I found is the Creative DDTS-100 and the FireWire which were all discontinued. What other options do I have?
My friend is looking into buying the new 27" iMac Core i7 to replace his PC desktop. The only thing holding him back is that he has an analog surround sound system he uses for his speakers. I am having a hard time myself finding a converter that can make his speakers work in the iMac's optical digital output port. Any products out there that will do that?
I have purchased a optical audio cable to hook up my 15" mbp to my LCD.One end is the toslink and the other end is the toslink adapter, when I put both end into its place. The speaker icon turns gray and I cannot adjust the sound level and the music stops from the laptop speaker.Also, the optical digital audio out option is not showing up in audio preference.
Ideally I'd like to use both the ACD for day to day audio output, then turn on the external amp while watching movies and playing music, being fed by the optical out.Is this possible, or will connecting the optical cable stop all sound from coming through the ACD?
I just picked up a new 1.83 core 2 duo at a price I couldn't pass up. I am going to use it as a HTPC so I have my hdmi cable, etc. All hooked up and ready to go. Last bit is the audio but I am having a bit of trouble. I bought a standard miniplug cable and assumed it would plug in just like my macbook. The problem is that the miniplug doesn't fit in the jack on the mini. I understand that the jack on the mini is a combo analog/optical jack but as you see below, it seems as though a standard miniplug y cable should work.
From the Apple support website: The headphone / line output jack accommodates digital optical audio output, analog audio output with a 24-bit, 44.1-192 kHz D/A converter, digital audio output up to 24-bit stereo and 44.1-192 kHz sampling rate and supporting encoded digital audio output (AC3 and DTS). For analog headphone / line output a standard audio cable with 3.5mm metal plug should be used.
For digital audio, a standard toslink cable with a toslink mini-plug adapter can be used.I have done my research and some reading and can go out and buy an optical cable plus a miniplug/optical adapter but would rather go the analog route (I understand the quality difference) because I already have the cables and don't have a receiver or speakers, just my tv speakers.
My sound card seems to be meesing up. It switches back an forth from "Internal Speakers" or "Headpohones" to "Digital Output". For some reason the optical source keeps getting flipped on and is really annoying. I tried blowing out dust to see if that was causeing the comptuer's confusion, but that didn't work. Until I can make time to go to the apple store, is there anyway for me to turn off that certain connection through terminal commands or something?
I've had a problem with my MacBook Pro (2008) for a while. If I connect a headset or external speakers, there will be no sound from the Macs audio output. The built in speakers is working perfectly. Do you have any idears what could be the reason? I tryed do reset the Pram but with no luck. If it helps there is no red light coming out of the macs output. The problem occurred when I connected a mini-jack for my speakers. Maybe the output thinks it's a S/PDIF and not a normal audio output?
I'm trying to play videos through my macbook (with mini dvi + optical)I've checked the midi player settings and under system preferences it says optical output etc. etc.. there IS light coming out of the end of the optical cable (from monoprice)However no signal is getting to my amp, I've trippled checked all the settings on the amp (we'll say 99% sure everything is correct )
I had a 3,5 mm stereo jack in my audio output on my macbook, and it broke inside. Is it possible to redirect the sound output to go through the input jack?
I had sound on my computer last night but when turning on this morning there was no sound. It is not muted. Also, when I try to run an event in IPhoto as a slide show, it shuts down.
Info: iMac, Mac OS X (10.7.3), Only had the computer for 2 1/2 wee
For some reason, I can't get Logic Express 8 to output audio to my Mac's attached speakers. It outputs fine through my M-Audio interface, though, but I'd just like to listen without headphones.
My sound keeps turning off. When I check the settings, the output device switches randomly between Internal and Digital output. I have no idea where the Digitial Output is coming from and this started about a month again. It switches randomly and then I loose all sound for a few seconds. Sometimes it happens once then stops for a few days, other times it switches back and forth for 5 min. No idea!!!
I'm coming from a good 7-8 years with an old G4, so forgive the ignorance. On that one, I added a PCI audio card to connect with some Altec Lansing speakers with Sub-woofer & simulated Surround sound. It sounded great. hat's your suggestion? Get a similar card for the G5?Or get some new speakers that will sound as good?I don't know anything about digital audio out. Does that connect to speakers, or only tuners?
Here is whats happening: my 3 y.o. 15 MBP is connected to external speakers (Bose MusicMonitor) and every time there is a sound, any system sound, say an email in, a volume chirp, or a Skype chirp, anything at all, I hear an audible POP, before hearing the actual sound, in fact the POP sort of overlays the sound. I hear the second POP sometimes, after the sound has sounded, so to speak, and sometimes the second one does not happen at all. To me it reminds me of the Pioneer Amp my dad used to have in the 70's, when you first turn that thing on, it would produce an audible POP. So, back to to this, it sounds like an amplifier POP by being awaken by the system, and I'm inclined to think it is the MBP's audio "amplifier" on its board. Oh, btw, both the speakers and the MBP's volume is set to low.
This started happening randomly earlier tonight, and I haven't managed to find a fix just yet.I was encoding a video file for quite awhile (I don't think that parts important, but I thought I'd include it anyway) and then I tried to play a youtube video. I noticed there was no sound, so I tried to up the volume using the Volume Up key on the keyboard. The volume visualisation appeared on the screen like normal (albeit a bit laggy), but the sound still didn't change, neither did I get the usual 'click' noise you get when you change the volume.I went looking into the sound options in the system prefs. only to find that the Output Sound device was headphones. For a test I plugged in some headphones to see what happened and, low and behold, the Output Sound device changed to the Internal Sound and my speakers were working again, but only with the headphones plugged in.
I have a white Macbook, Intel Core Duo 2, 2 Gb Ram. (October 2008) Under Leopard, my volume (audio output is a shame); under bootcamp with Windows XP on the hard drive, volume is almost double: is there any work around on this?
I'm looking to use the speakers (Logitech X-540) with my laptop with 5.1... but this is an analog system (has green/black/orange inputs), and Macbook Pros only output with optical through mini-TOSLink. What's the best (read cheapest) device for decoding the optical output to analog?
If this won't work, I'm probably willing to shell out a bit more cash (Z-5500 perhaps). If you have a digital 5.1 system recommendation ($350 or less), let me know.
Is it possible to have the Mac Pro output signals from the optical and the headphone port on the front of the case? I like to have my speakers going as well as have one cup on my ear when listening. Surely there must be an application out there that forces OSX to do this.
I woke up this morning and tried to watch a linked video on a webpage. I saw the video, but there was no sound (this had not been a problem the evening before). I am using USB soundsticks, so I checked to make sure that they were plugged in, and they were. I opened iTunes and sound came through the Soundsticks; I switched to the internal speaker and it worked there as well. When I tried the same with another embedded video, however, I only got sound from the internal speaker.
Has anyone had a similar problem or does anyone know how to fix this?
I normally leave my speaker output balanced right in the middle (under System Prefs>Sound>Output), however I have noticed that my audio output has been going out of balance by itself recently.
One speaker will sound louder than the other and sure enough, I'll go to the system prefs and the balance will be off. Nobody has else uses my machine and I know that I don't ever touch the audio output.
I have an iBook G4 running 10.4.11 connected to a pair of Brookstone speakers and subwoofer.
My audio/midi setup says "output not supported". As a result when I plug in my Ipod, or a CD player, into the mic jack (audio input) on my Mac Mini I can't get the audio to play out of the speakers or headphone jack. I can see that the mic is definitely picking up a signal. I have a mac mini (solo intel) 10.4 OSX. Audio output from ITunes or music movies clips in IPhoto works fine. I have checked the cables and connections. I have checked the "sound" location in System Preferences to make sure the "built in output" source is selected. The input volume display shows that the audio input is being registered. I have checked "system profiler" in the Utilities folder in Applications to make sure the "built in output" AKA headphone outlet is recognized.
I have the "Soundflower" App. installed but turned off. Does anyone have an idea as to why the audio output from the internal sources like ITunes and IPhoto music clips work but the audio output from an external input source like my Ipod or CD player does not? WHY DOES THE AUDIO/MIDI SETUP SAY "OUTPUT NOT SUPPORTED"?
I just bought (as in 2 weeks ago) the new Mac Pro. I have a logitech 5.1 surround system with digital audio input. But it won't receive, or my mac is not sending, a digital audio signal. I think I've got everything set correctly in system preferences.
I have a mac mini (solo intel) 10.4 OSX. I have no audio output when attaching an external input source like a CD player or ipod to the input jack on my Mac Mini. Audio output from ITunes or movies clips in IPhoto works fine. I have checked the cables and connections. I have checked the "sound" location in System Preferences to make sure the "built in output" source is selected. The input volume display shows that the audio input is being registered. I have checked "system profiler" in the Utilities folder in Applications to make sure the "built in output" AKA headphone outlet is recognized.
I have the "Soundflower" App. installed but turned off.
why the audio output from the internal sources like ITunes and IPhoto music clips work but the audio output from an external input source does not? Is there some software or a driver required for audio output from an external source that is not required for audio output from an internal source?
I just bought a converter cable to be able to put things from my laptop onto the TV. More specifically, I bought this one: [URL]
I've read the reviews and they were all really great. The cable is excellent for images; however, I cannot for the life of me figure out how to do the sound.
The reviews said that the audio output option under system preferences should show up with the receiver, but all it has is my computer speakers.
My audio headphone jack is not working anymore and I want to use my line-in as my audio out. Since I don't use them that much. So I can use headphones/speakers again.
I've got a Headroom Headphone Total Bithead mobile Amp., 2.66 MacPro, and Sennheiser HD650's (that are hard to drive). The amp. has a high and low gain switch. The low gain sounds better, but I can't get enough vol. when on low gain. I've got iTunes level up as high as it can go. I've played around with Sound prefs. and the Audio/Midi sound levels. They all seem to actually be the same vol. control.
I also see that iTunes, under "Get Info" has an individual vol. adjustment, but I'm not sure if I really want the sound files to be pumped up for when I use them on my iPhone.
