Toslink/Analog combined audio output jack

I want the computer speakers to work even when I have an audio cable plugged into the output jack. Using a standard 3.5mm cable the computer speakers cut out when the cable is plugged in.
If I order and use the Toslink cable, will the computer speakers still cut out? Or, is there nay other way to make this work?

Welcome to the Apple Discussions!
Denny and I have the original Intel Core Duo. Some folks with the later Core 2 Duo, elmac comes to mind, have said that they are offered more sound configuration options in the System Prefs/Sound/Output pane. Some have reported having music and the audio from video emit from external speakers, while the system sounds only emit from the internal speakers.
My only evidence it may be possible, is that the Startup Chime on my iMac emits from the internal speakers even when my external speakers are plugged in and I hear it even if the external speakers are turned off.

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Optical audio output jack

Just purchased this new desktop and am running the audio output out throught the optical audio output jack into my surround sound receiver, AWESOME! Wanted to know if I could connect an optical audio splitter to this jack and split the audio output of the computer into TWO separate receivers?
This question was solved.
View Solution.

There are SPDIF/Tolink splitters out on the market... here is an axample.
http://www.amazon.com/ViewHD-Toslink-Optical-Splitter-VHD-TS1X3/dp/B00G191YL8
( I am an HP Employee )

No Audio Out Of Headphone Or External Audio Output Jacks

We have a Rev. B Bondi iMac that I recently put in my wife's 4th grade classroom for her to use. When trying to hook up external speakers I discovered there is no audio output from the side audio output jack or the front two headphone jacks when listening to the CD player. (I also checked using headphones)
The internal speakers sound fine and normal. I do hear something very distorted and weak from the external audio output jacks but it is so distorted the only way I can tell it is coming from the CD player is by pausing its playing. I have been into OS X now for about 15 months and am starting to forget everything I knew of OS 8.6 which is in the Bondi.
I checked the sound portion of the Monitors and Sound Control panel and all seems set correctly. Is there some other setting that I have forgotten? Any ideas/suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
TIA

Herb Mesler...
Other than exercising the jack-ports with a plug from a headphone, it may need some expensive repair. However I do have a trick for you to try first.
Here is my trick;
Computer must be off! Because there is some light voltage applied to the ports they can slightly arch, spoiling the trick. Arching is the root cause of electrical resistance thus not allowing for proper contact and sound will not pass through to the device.
Next take a plug "softly and full travel" through each port in the side and on the front. I repeat them about 5 times. (any proper spec/type of plug, like from a headphone can work. If it from something that is powered, like from speakers, do not use it)
Boot up the computer and test by avoiding the side ports, using only the front ports. Quite frankly I found the use of the side ports to be somewhat the cause of the problem. Mine has been taped off for about 6 years now and I never have had to repeat my trick to date.
Give it a try and post back if there is any questions. Also, I would like to hear your results.
...Ron

TS1574 you should mention that the audio output jack is fleaky, try plugging and unplugging until red light goes off !!!

It should be mentionned in the Apple help that the audio output jack is sometimes fleaky, as it does not reclose the speakers contacts correctly when an earphone jack is removed. This can be checked by looking into the computer audio jack and seeing a red light, which confirms the optic output is active. Plugging and unplugging the jack until the red light disapears is the cure, unless you are unfortunate enough to have a broken audio jack. Good luck !

Same here. I don't remember doing anything out of the ordinary. I was working in Parallels on getting a AM station to stream via some web interface. Next time I went to play sound on the internal speakers, no go.
I've tried zapping the PRAM, toggling the headphone jack and the toothpick thing. Nothing seems to work.
I've also noticed that I get sound in my headphones in iTunes but not in Garageband (someone had suggested that starting up Garageband would reset things.
Any other ideas out there?
Is there a file that could get corrupted that I could switch out of my back up?

Analog Audio Output Jack for Digital Speakers with same jack configuration

I just purchased my first Mac, a Mac Pro. I can't get sound to my speakers using the analog out jack. With my old PC, there was a setting for "digital output" even though the digital speakers were attached via to the same style jack as the Mac's analog out jack. I've tried going to preferences but don't see a like setting for digital output. Is there a setting to do so and if not, is there an adapter to convert the Mac's digital audio out to the analog jack style?

Do you want digital or analog? Your question seems to imply that you have speakers that accept a digital signal but you also say you want analog...??
Anyway, my Mac Pro (2006 model) has separate analog and optical digital outputs on the back. The pictures on the apple website still show the same thing on the Mac Pro so I'm guessing it's the same. I think only the Mac laptops have the analog/optical digital combo jacks...
The optical digital outputs are the little white squarish ports beneath the rear firewire ports.
The MacPro does not have a SPDIF RCA style output. Maybe that is what you are thinking of from the windoze pc...
You should be able to enable the rear analog line output or the digital outputs from the System Preferences > Sound > Output screen. The front headphone outputs kind of act weird in that they disable the rear line output (if I remember correctly, I never use the front port...).

MSI 945GT Speedster A4R Audio Output Jack Detection Problem

Motherboard: 945GT Speedster A4R (609-9632-01S)
CPU: T2400 1.83GHz Core 2 Duo
RAM: 2x 1GB Nanya PC5300 DDR2 667MHz
Hello,
I've been trying to get two new computers running using these Mobile Core 2 Duo motherboards. I have had 2 of 3 motherboards exhibit the same problem with detecting audio jack activity - when no activity is actually happening.
In the first failure, the board never worked at all. It never detected that a jack was plugged in. In this second one, it worked right for about 2 hours, then flashed some messages saying "Audio Jack has been unplugged", and then it has never worked since.
The Realtek Audio configuration tool now indicates no jack is plugged in when I insert a speaker plug into the light green colored jack. Conversely, the one board of the three that is working correctly highlights this jack in the software app when it detects the plug.
I hate to keep sending these boards back to the seller, but it looks like I have to send another one back. Are these boards prone to having audio jack problems? Is there an easy fix for this? Is it just a connector problem?
Thanks,
James

To reproduce the problem, I just have to leave the machine on for an hour or so. After the driver is installed, a Realtek Audio applet is constantly running, shown in the bottom right corner of the task bar. This applet automatically pops up a windows when it detects any jack activity.
Unfortunately, it just pops up (rapidly, about five times in a row) detecting random jack unplugging and plugging in, when I'm not even touching the machine and not running anything (Windows idle). As soon as I acknowledge the event by clicking 'OK', it pops up another window, and another, until it has finally decided that a jack is not present. Then the sound no longer functions because it thinks no plug is inserted into the analog output jack.
Thanks,
James

Projection Goes Black With Use of Audio Output Jack

Any video projection I do when using the extended desktop as a second display begins to flicker or go completely black whenever I put a line into the headphone jack. If I unplug the line, the projection comes "back on" and is perfect. This seems to be the strangest problem since I thought using the extended desktop (mirroring off) shouldn't be related to audio output, or maybe I'm missing something. I thought it was the presentation program I was using, but I tried another, and it still happens. Any ideas?

I think you are correct. It sounds like it is a hardware problem which should't occur. Try contacting apple.

Audio output jack nonfunctional-USB instead?

This old Macbook works like a charm but the headphone jack no longer works. I'm a DJ at a radio station and often I play music from my laptop over the air. Is there an alternative to the headphone jack? Can the USB port somehow be used as an audio out?

Yes. You'll need a USB Audio interface such as those mentioned here. If you want more options a google search will turn up tons I am sure.
Be sure the interface will accept input from the computer via USB, not just send to the computer.
Best of luck.

Rear audio output jack died

Only right channel works. I'm out of warranty. I looked behind and it looks difficult to reach in order to replace it. Is there a sound card that I can pop in one of the PCI slots?
Thanks
Message was edited by: tribe

Thanks for your reply. Yes, I'm sure the plug is in all the way. If I play with it I get it to work but when I let go it fails again. That jack was wobbly from day one I believe. I have a Bose Companion set of speakers connected there so it's not something that I plug/unplug often at all.
The iMic is not a bad idea; I have to find one I purchased many years ago for my than 667 titanium Powerbook. Is that the only solution? Is an internal sound card an option? I mean is there such thing since all the ones I see have RCA type and other output plugs but not a simple jack.
Thanks

THE PLAETIC PART THAT FIT AROUND THE AUDIO OUTPUT JACK IS MISSING,CAUSES AUDIO TO DROUPDROP OUT

1. HP Pro Book 4525s
2. Windows 7 64bit
3. n/a
4. na

I was searching on Apple Discussions and many other users have noticed this problem. The web link is: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=2231106
Other users have noticed that ALL MacBooks have this problem- no matter what week made- thus HOPEFULLY this will get fixed soon in an update- otherwise Apple will have to replace the audio hardware on every MacBook shipped!
However- due to the fact that all MacBooks/Pros have this problem it is most probably a driver/ software issue. (knock on wood)

Audio output jack: Can anyone fit any existing headphones in here?

I have Etymotic ER4s, Bose QC3s, and many, assorted standard-issue Apple iPod earbuds. NONE of them fits in the Air's headphone jack!
Huh?

Sorry I wasn't more clear in my preliminary question. As you said, it's not the diameter. The MBA has the same standard minijack phono plug as all iPods, Walkmen, portable CD players, and all the rest. (It is different than most cell phones, but it is the same as the iPhone.) It's just the drop-down door that is the problem -- too little clearance for minijacks that have more than a little plastic on them.
Also, when I went to my local Apple store to show them my problem and to buy the Belkin extender, they noted to me that -- for at least the skinnier items like standard iPhone earbuds -- I thought I hadn't pushed the plug in far enough and I thought the door was a problem, but actually it was making fine contact.
Takes a little getting used to, and definitely needs an extender for many things, but at least it works.

Digital audio output - how?

I am new to Macs and the owner of a mini. I'm about to replace my stereo amp with an AV receiver so that I can use the mini as a media centre with a home theatre system. I want an AV receiver with a digital input as the mini has a combined analogue & digital output. My question is what type of digital lead to I need, are they standard and how do I tell the mini to provide a digital signal to the combined output socket rather than an analogue one? Or is it clever enough to work out what type of cable is attached?
Thanks in advance
Paul

I have my Mini connected to my A/v receiver using a digital TOSLINK to mini TOSLINK cable. It should have a mini jack connector on one end for the mini and a squareish connector on the other end for the receiver. The audio output jack on the Mac Mini can output both analog audio and digital. The digital input on my receiver uses a ADAT lightpipe connection on the other end, that looks like a square. These are standard cables and should not be that expensive. Here's an example of the type of cable:
http://www.amazon.com/6ft-Toslink-Mini-Cable/dp/B000FMXKC8
You will also need to make some setting adjustments in you sound control panel and in the DVD player to select the correct digital audio output format. Good luck.

1/4" with optical audio output

Does anyone actually use the digital audio output? Like in a home theater for Dolby Digital? Does the MBP output DTS?

The digital audio output works great. As an audiophile, it's one of the best things about my MacBook Pro. I use mine to not only connect directly via optical cable (toslink) to an external DAC, I can use my MBP as a digital front end for my audio system. I also use my Airport Express to stream music digitally to my pre-amp. The great thing is there is no signal loss between my MBP (source) and the preamp or DAC. This is completely different from using the audio output jack in an analog manner. The difference is astounding. You can buy an optical cable, also called toslink, fibre optic cable, fibre cable, online or at most big box electronics stores. Not all cables come with the mini adapter though, so make sure to find one that does. Monster makes one for about $40, but you can find them online for as little as $6 (before shipping.) The absolute best deal I found was from PowerMax.com. Delivered, this cable was less than $20! The cabling is small in diameter, but it is high quality and the mini adapter snaps into solidly into place. It is a great product at a great price and will make an extraordinary difference compared to analog. Find it here: http://www.powermax.com/parts/show/serv-922-6540 It's made by MonsterCable (MonsterCable is labeled on the external shielding.) It does come with a mini adapter and will work with all the Apple optical digital inputs and outputs. The digital audio output will export Stereo, Dolby Digital (Stereo, 5.1 and 7.1) and DTS. It's a pure digital signal. I can connect my MBP to my 50" 1080p HDTV and use the optical digital out to output the audio in Dolby Digital 7.1 into my audio system. Awesome! Apple was genius to design the audio jacks (input and output) to accept both an analog and digital cable in the same jack. For less than $20, try it, you'll love it. Also, regarding Apple's Airport Express; I rarely used my Airport Express in an analog manner. I couldn't stand the loss in sound quality. I mean, what's the point of having your music in a lossy format stored on your computer if you can't get that same high quality out of it. Using the Airport Express in an analog manner, the degradation in sound quality isn't even worth it (for me.) As an audiophile, quality (both the recording process and the playback process) are everything. By connecting the Airport Express with an optical cable to my pre-amp or DAC, I use it almost daily to stream music and now can truly used my MBP as a digital front end and music server. It's one of the greatest upgrades ever in my audio system and it was only $20!

Firewire drive noise appearing in audio output

Hi:
When I have a firewire drive plugged in, a lot of digital noise appears at the audio output jack. If I turn the drive off, I hear a whining-down noise in the audio output. I've tried two different drives, 3 different cables, same thing. Anyone have any ideas? It's a huge bummer; I bought my MacBook Pro to do music on...

Hey george,
i know this is not going to be any help, (i need some too!!!) but i have exactly the same problem. I first noticed it when using my ICY BOX external harddrive and thought it was just the noise from the external drive but the same thing happens when i attach my Motu traveler firewire soundcard to it. Its so annoying. the sound dissapears when i take out the mini jack from the output.
I am also having a problem of sound distortion over the output and recording input when i attach my Motu firewire unit
(this is seperate from the minijack problem i think as this happens when the minijack is plugged into the output AND when it is not).
This didnt happen to my powerbook 1.6 and never happens to my friends one either????
I am going to make a seperate thread about this problem now but if you could tell me if you have the same problem with your soundcard i would be grateful.
All the best and if you find out what the problem is please post your solutio up, vice versa.
Will.
MBP 1.8 Mac OS X (10.4.6)

2 Tracks, 2 different audio outputs:

I have two tracks, exactly the same. However, one track (track 1) has a metronome click, the other does not (track 2). My laptop is connected to a Mackie Pro FX12 mixer. I am connecting my laptop to the mixer via the laptop audio output jack connecting to a tape input on the mixer. I would like track 2 (no metronome) to run through audio speakers and track 1 (metronome) to run through headphones. Both the speaker and headphone outputs are on the mixer. What do I need to do with Logic Express to make certain that the tracks are run through the correct output?

I'm having some problems with this as well. I want to have one track playing on one output (headphones) and then another track playing on another output (speakers). I have panned each track, so one is on full left and the other on full right. But I don't understand what to do now? How do I route each track to a different output? I don't know how to do this.
Many thanks in advance for your help.

Toslink/Analog combined audio output jack

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