Optical Out Port

Hi guys,
I've just bought some 7.1 headphones that fit into the optical out port on my mac pro. I'm just wondering how to open the port or put the cable in? Do you just push it in or do you have to take the little door off somehow?

The 'male' plug should, when oriented correctly, just push in the 'female' opening on the back of the MacPro. The little flap is pushed out of the way by the plug, and you should feel/hear it snap into position.
John F

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Optical out port on G5

I had a quick question, it may be stupid... However, I was wondering if it is normal for the red light in the optical out port to be constantly on, even when no toslink cable is in use.
Answers are greatly appreciated.

This may help explain
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=2225472#2225472

Optical Sound out port won't turn off... No more sound...

My MBP has an optical out port (sound). I plugged in standard analog speakers a lot and all worked fine. Now I once plugged in a mono(!) analog cable and since that time the optical connection stays open (red light in the port), I can't connect standard stereo speakers any more and also the intermal speakers stay off even when nothing is plugged in.
In the system settings nothing can be done, all entries are grey. Rebooting doesn't help either.
What can I do?? ANy help?

I had this problem with my Intel MacBook Pro. It was only an issue when I used Boot Camp to boot into the Windows partition. Apple updated drivers for teh audio card, and once I updated Boot Camp and re-installed the new drivers that fixed the issue.
Note that this issue DID NOT occur on the Mac side for me -- it was only when I booted into Windows.
--Brandon

Optical Out (NO LIGHT)

I am trying to get an optical signal out of the optical out port. I have plugged in an optical cable but dont seem to have any light output at the toslink end. Does this output socket need to be enabled any where?
Thanks for your help!!
Regards Alf

The audio in and output ports are analog and digital. For analog use a standard 3.5 mm mini plug. The digital requires a fiber optic cable with a mini plug. This mini plug is .5 mm longer than the analog version so that it can touch the LED and activate it for digital sound transmission.
There is an Output pane in System Preferences>Sound. That is usually automatic if you do not have other audio devices attached through FireWire or USB.
There are also audio selections in Audio MIDI Setup in Apps/Utilities.

HDMI Out @ Optical Out at the same time?

I need to install an ATV 2 in my old home theater system. The reciver does not accept HDMI inputs but does accept optical inputs. Can I run HDMI to the TV and use the optical out port on the ATV 2 to direct the audio to the receiver for decoding and presentation?

Welcome to the Apple Community.
Yes indeed that's how many of us do it. It also helps eliminate potential HDMI issues by connecting the Apple TV and TV by HDMI directly.

CD player Toslink optical out to optical digital audio in port. Need help

Hello,
I'm taking the Toslink Optical out of my Sony 707esD CD player into the Audio in/optical digital audio in port of my March 2009 iMac.
In System preferences>Sound>Input>Digital in Optical digital-in port I see a signal occurring on the input level meter but I do not hear audio.
Output is headphones port and is working fine from other sources.
I see a signal input does anyone know how to hear the output.
Thanks.

You need the free LineIn app from Rogue Amoeba.
http://www.rogueamoeba.com/freebies/
Dah•veed

Macbook stuck in headphone (optical digital-out port) mode. Plugging and unplugging headphone jack no help.

Stuck in headphone (optical digital-out port) mode. What do I do? Plugging and unplugging headphone jack no help.

Do you see a red light in the headphone jack?? If you do, then the microswitch is stuck and you need to turn it off. Try poking it with a toothpick.
If you don't see a red light, then try resetting the SMC and PRAM and see if these helps. Here are the links.
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3964
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1379

When I unplug Apple headphones from my MacBook Pro sond from internal speakers not work, and system soud preferences displayed: Output: optical digital out port only

When I unplug Apple headphones from my MacBook Pro sond from internal speakers not work, and system soud preferences displayed: Output: optical digital out port only

If you see a red light in the audio output port, then the internal switch is stuck. Insert the earphone plug a few times and see if you can trip the switch. If that fails, insert a cocktail stirrer and the like and jiggle it around inside. If that fails, take it to an Apple store and have the technicians at the genius bar do it for you.
Ciao.

HT2844 iMac 27"(late 2009), Audio in/Optical digital audio out port, stopped recognizing my new Bose speaker system, previously working...

Hello,
My iMac 27"(late 2009), Audio in/Optical digital audio out port, stopped recognizing my new Bose speaker system, previously working through that port. I tested the speaker system through my iPhone, and it works fine. I hooked it up to the Headphone out/Optical digital audio in port, and it works through that port also. I did a computer restart, I also checked all wiring and did a system repair on the computer. I also restarted the computer in mode where I could use the system utility, and the computer still did not correct the matter, and it reported everything as being "ok". I wented into "sound", through system preferences, and the computer does not recognize anything I plug into the Audio in/Optical digital audio out port. When I plug the speaker sysytem into the headphone out/optical digital audio out port, it does recognize the Bose speaker system as being "headphones".
Reading through a lot of forums, I hear everything from compatibility, to the port being stuck, and on and on. Since the port was working before, and just quit working one day, I wonder if there is a capacitor or fuse or some type of similar thing is blown, and causing the port to be unfunctionable. Maybe the port went bad, but before this time, I had never used it, and the computer does not move around, and I never plug in and pull wiring out unless needing to, and that being rare.
Here is a link to Costco, where I bought the system, and the exact system I have, if this is any help: http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=bsd&cs=04&sku= A4092931&ST=pla&dgc=ST&cid=262075&lid=4742361&acd=1230980794501410
By the way, I am running OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.5). I upgraded to Mavericks about a month ago, and expeirienced a number of issues, and had to take my iMac into Apple. Talking with the tech, I decided to wait for a while more before I upgraded to Mavericks. I try and keep the computer maintained.
If any of you have any ideas regadrding wear and tear, and fix I can do, etc., besides having to take my computer into Apple? Thank you, and potentially all of you, for your time and effort in helping me with this issue. Thank you kindly.
davE

Okay, davE, first, you have posted in the "Mac Pro" forum (not Macbook Pro), so we can't be super helpful
but we help you. First, hold down the Option key while clicking on the speaker icon at the top of your screen. This should show you all the inputs and outputs you have. you could check in "About this Mac" then "More info" to see whatever's recognized. Then, maybe, fire up Audio MIDI. your speaker system should show up there. something might have gotten set incorrectly. You can test it there. I guess you are using the good ol' analog cable for connection, and it works on your iPhone, so the cable isn't bad. You could try this. it 's an adapter which might solve your problem
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004HBWYQ6/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00
depending on which model of Bose speaker you have, you might try doing a product reset
turn off speakers...unplug power cord from outlet...wait 1 minute..plug cord into outlet..turn on speakers..
\\turning off automatic standby||
press and hold top of control pod for 6 seconds until you hear 2 tones that go from high to low
other than that ,I don't know
John B

My MacBook Pro has no audio. Sounds preferences showing output is Optical digital-out port. How do I change this to built-in speakers?

My MacBook Pro has no audio. Sounds preferences showing output is Optical digital-out port. How do I change this to built-in speakers?

I experienced this same problem yesterday on my MacBook Pro, still searching for a solution, several other posts here indicate people have been experiencing this since at lease 2007. I have yet to find a clear solution.
It appears that occasionally inserting headphone causes this, it turns on the Optical digital-out port feature (red light glows inside the headphone port) and takes away the internal speakers option. Restarting did not restore it, but for some reason after sitting asleep overnight the sound started working again and the internal speaker option return in the Sound - Output Window, and the Optical Digital-out option went away.
Here is another post with some ideas on this
https://discussions.apple.com/message/4160477#4160477

HT1338 how do I turn off optical digital-out port?

how do I turn off optical digital-out port?

Just want to report that I too, running 10.6.5 on a MacBook Pro, had the mysterious " Audio Out Stuck On Optical Digital-Out Port" problem whereby I was unable to adjust the volume on my built-in speakers and they were permanently "muted" because the operating system was sending the audio signal to a non-existent device that it falsely thought was plugged in to my unused headphone jack hole. I thought at first the problem must necessarily be software-based because the built-in speakers worked fine when playing the start-up chimes. So I uninstalled something called "Soundflower" which does some mysterious shenanigans with commandeering the internal audio signal so that one can make audio recordings of one's computers' sound effects. But uninstalling Soundflower had no effect. So I uninstalled some other audio-related software, also to no avail. Then I zapped the PRAM, to no avail.
Then I decided to try what some people call "the toothpick trick," i.e. poking around in the headphone jack hole to see if something was stuck in there shortcircuiting it, and initiating the false signal to the OS.
Bingo! Success!
Actually, I did a hyper-sophisticated version of the toothpick trick:
First, I own a home "otoscope," one of those doohickeys that doctors use to look into your ear. One can now buy amateur versions of otoscopes for home use, to looks for kids' ear infections, etc. (They only cost $30 or so.) Anyway, using the smallest attachment designed for babies' ears, I was able to look (with illumination) into the headphone jack hole and yessiree there was a big bunch of dust stuck way deep in there.
So then I took not a toothpick but instead a slender dental prong-pick thingie made of stainless steel, and very delicately was able to snag the clot of dust deep in the hole at the bottom on the first try. Quite a wad!
Then I took one of those rubber ear-bulbs, used for cleaning out your ears, and used it as a micro-vacuum-cleaner: Squeeze the rubber bulb til it is as empty as can be, then place the tip of the bulb at the entrance to the headphone jack hole, then suddenly release my grip: it ***** air out of the tiniest spaces! After doing this a few times, I then did the reverse and blew blasts of air into the hole.
After all this, I looked back into the hole with the otoscope, and it was sparkling clean! Not even the tiniest speck of dust in an area that just three minutes earlier was thick with dust.
I then turned my computer back on and...problem solved! The audio worked again like normal, and it was no longer detecting an imaginary "Optical Digital-Out Port" device. The internal speakers once again worked as normal, and the volume could be adjusted.
I guess the problem for me really was dust causing a short-circuit. It might very well be the same for you -- so try cleaning out the headphone jack hole as I did.
I'm writing this detailed description to help anyone else in the future with a similar problem.

Optical digital audio out port

Here is the situation:
The only problem I have with my Mac Pro is that the Audio line-out port does not work reliably in Boot Camp. The audio output cuts out easily and then I have to "jiggle" the speaker cable to get the sound back. And I have determined that it is the audio line-out port that is at fault, not the speakers, nor the cable.
So I want to try to work around this by utilizing the optical digital audio out port.
But I don't understand how it works.
Does this port connect directly to appropriate digital speakers?
If so can someone recommend a decent set of digital speakers that will connect directly.
Or does the optical digital audio port connect to an amplifier or receiver and them to speakers?
Thanks

have you tried other speakers or headphones and what version bootcamp drivers are you using?
Moses Kravitz wrote:
Does this port connect directly to appropriate digital speakers?
If so can someone recommend a decent set of digital speakers that will connect directly.
Or does the optical digital audio port connect to an amplifier or receiver and them to speakers?
With the suggestions i have below the set-up is like this:
Subwoofer - Connects to 2 (Stereo or technically 2.1) or 5 (5.1) speakers
The subwoofer connects to a control pod (which has the optical inputs, coax inputs, and analog inputs - atleast all 3 are on the z5500)
Digital/Optical Audio:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TOSLINK
Suggested Speakers; I Personally have 2 pairs of the Z-5500 set, true high quality audio and variety of settings for whatever you use them for, i have been so pleased by them and their warranty service is by far the best ever, anything ever happens to them, theyll send you a replacement set, logitech/apple great customer service, i also posted a few other priced ones if youre not looking for a huge set up:
The company site & Speakers: http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/speakersaudio/home_pcspeakers/&cl=us,en
Compares a few models:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/comparison/ref=pdcp_ecmp/104-4843690-8241552?ie=UTF8&ASIN.1=B0002WPSBC&ASIN.2=B0002SQ0AE&ASIN.4=B0002 SQ2P2&ASIN.3=B0002SQ0A4&bf=0
and some others in that same field:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/explorer/B00007AKDP/2/ref=pdcp_esexpl/104-4843690-8241552
And you're going to need a TOSLINK cable to go from the audio port to the back of the control pods; found a nice cheap one
http://amazon.com/s/ref=srkk3/104-4843690-8241552?ie=UTF8&search-alias=aps&field-keywords=toslink%20cable
hope that helps!!
Message was edited by: AppleNewton

HT1338 audio output defaults to optical digital-out port

M audio out defaults to optical digital-out port; I cannot select internal speakers - it is not in the preferences menu

I experienced this same problem yesterday on my MacBook Pro, still searching for a solution, several other posts here indicate people have been experiencing this since at lease 2007. I have yet to find a clear solution.
It appears that occasionally inserting headphone causes this, it turns on the Optical digital-out port feature (red light glows inside the headphone port) and takes away the internal speakers option. Restarting did not restore it, but for some reason after sitting asleep overnight the sound started working again and the internal speaker option return in the Sound - Output Window, and the Optical Digital-out option went away.
Here is another post with some ideas on this
https://discussions.apple.com/message/4160477#4160477

How do I connect the Apple TV to the home theater if the optical audio port is in use

I had an airport express connected from the home theater system to the speaker out port on the express through which air play worked just fine. Then the express wouldn't work with my new router so I looked for something to replace it. The new Airport Express was the same price as the Apple TV and so I went with it for the added HDMI from NetFlix benefits. Now I find that the cables I used on the express won't work on the Apple TV. It wants an optical cable but there is only one port on the speakers and it is needed to get the sound from the TV to the speakers. So, is here a work around? An adapter or something? What I really wanted it for more than anything else was to use air play to get my music from the computer to the theater speakers.

I have a further question about this. It turns out I do have 2 optical audio ports but I was told I wouldn't need it if it was connected via hdmi. I have 4 ports and they are all in use so the question is whether the best solution is to just get an optical audio cable and connect it directly or get an hdmi splitter so I can add in the Apple TV?

Creative inspire t6300 5.1 surround on mac pro 1.1, optical out to 5.1 audio gear (digital sound decoder).

Hi there,
Been searching and trying a lot but no luck so far. I have a surroundset Creative Inspire t6300
to be able to add some more fun to movies and a few games on my mac.
I own an upgraded Mac Pro 1.1 under Snow leopard, 2.33 gHz, dual processor, 8 core, 8 gb memory.
Even though it`s a piece for the museum, it works very well for designwork I do for work. No real need
to update for me, so....
As I understand, the optical out is standard 5.1. (By the way, the only other ports are the basic sound ports out
and in on the Mac). So after some research I found and got the 5.1 audio gear decoder. I connected this with
an opticle cable and used the 3,5 jackets from the surroundset to connect to (from left to right) cen/sw, (yellow
jacket) fl/fr (green jacket), sl/sr (black jacket) on the decoder. All perfectly understandable and it seemed to work well.
But when I tested with some of the testfile you find when googling on that, I think there is something wrong,
the typical surround effect is not there, it rather sounds more like stereo or even 5 mono`s.
I`ve tried Soundflower and JackPilot, but couldn`t get it right. With Soundflower I was able to choose 5.1 setting
(was not possible before) but testing it didn`t work.
There is an extensive test of the decoder on the net by someone who really is deep into the technics of it all but
no luck there either.
Back to basics: is it right that the optical out is truely 5.1 on the mac? With several tests the unit SFE does not react.
But when I play some music with iTunes, it works (loud and clearly :-)). Maybe I need a visit to the audiologist ;-) ?
Anyone?
tested with: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eL9-sIZRDHg&channel=alexnosenko
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMh_zvCw6us
https://www2.iis.fraunhofer.de/AAC/multichannel.html

Hello John, I figured it was a signal issue. All the speakers fire and the sound is great. I was running the speakers thru a Dell PC with a Creative X-Fi Elite Pro, THX Certified, 7.1 soundcard using a fiber optic from the Mac Pro to the Z906's, it worked great until the Dell died!!! When I bought the soundcard from Creative I also bought the GigaWorks S750, THX Certified, 700 watt, 7.1 speaker system, used the speakers for 11 years and then the woofer/amp said "I QUIT" Creative quit making the speaker system and the sound card. The satellite speakers from the Creative GigaWorks speaker system still sound great (rated at 78 watt each) and are a little better speaker than the one's that came with the Z906 and the wattage from the 906 is sufficient to drive the satellites without any distortion. Thank you for addressing my issue, you confirmed what I suspected all along, just needed to hear it from someone with the same setup.
One last question, I purchased a Diamond Multimedia USB Soundcard, can't use the fiber optic(not supported by Mac) but the green, tan and black RCA's plug in and produces adequetly. When you plug your 906's into the Mac Pro using the fiber optic how do you set your speaker configuration? When I plug into the mac pro with fiber optic the 'Audio Midi Setup' does not seem to see the 5.1 configuration. Any thoughts there?
Carl

Optical Out Port

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