How to Convert Optical Digital Out to USB Input? (A Full Guide)

Do you have two electronic gadgets with incompatible audio input and output hardware? Take an example of a television set equipped with an Optical Digital Out and a sound system that supports Bluetooth connectivity and or hardware inputs such as an AUX and USB exclusively. In such a scenario, you can’t help but wonder How to Convert Optical Digital Out to USB Input to put the two devices in use.

Finding a reliable configuration when using devices with mismatched hardware is challenging. For instance, you may have audio interference if you connect the TV's headphone jack to the AUX input on a stereo. Optical digital output to USB input converters is the finest solution.

However, USB ports have limited usage, and tracking down adapters that convert optical digital output to USB input might take a lot of work. The transition from Toslink to USB is doable, and as a result, the setup performs admirably. When it comes to How to Convert Optical Digital Out to USB Input, there are a couple of ways, including using a Raspberry Pi, a DAC with USB input, a receiver, or an external soundcard for a PC.

In this guide, we’ll review the best practices for converting your TV's Optical Digital Out to USB Input. Before we get to the details, let’s begin with some basics:

Table Of Contents

Is It Possible to Convert Optical Digital Out to USB Input?

Yes, a device's Optical Digital Out is convertible to a USB Input for audio input on your soundbar or speaker. Here are the most important details you should note before undertaking the procedure and the need for converting Optical Digital Out to USB Input:

Continuous use of your old electronics

The use of optical audio in game consoles, DVD players, DVRs, etc., is still supported despite the widespread adoption of HDMI in modern electronic devices. Digital optical audio can transmit up to 7.1 channels of high-resolution sound, nearly identical to what HDMI transmits.

High-Quality Sound

When using a media player app, the USB audio is intended to preserve the integrity of the audio data to the DAC. Therefore, switch from digital optical to USB if you care about audio quality. Compared to alternative optical digital out connections, the sound quality of a USB input is widely acknowledged to be superior. This is especially true when employing a soundcard's optical output, as this is how the audio system sends the audio stream via the onboard audio chip.

Separation of sounds

If you want to listen to music on a Blu-ray player but don't have time to watch TV, you can use it in CD player mode. This is a simple task if your speakers and receivers have USB inputs. To connect your player to your stereo and speakers easily, check and confirm that your device has a Toslink output.

With that said, it’s evident that converting Optical Digital Out to USB Input is the same as using modern technological audio hardware such as HDMI.

Is Optical Digital Out the Same as Optical Out?

Before making a connection, it is advisable to understand the hardware in use. With the current technological advancements, it's appropriate to understand the use of a port in gadgets, even if the labels and terms used on them are almost similar. In our case, both the digital optical output and the optical out are functionally equivalent. The digital/optical out is a subset of TOSLINK (optical) outputs that send audio data to a receiver.

The only significant distinction is that optical digital out is compatible with many devices (including sound cards and receivers), unlike optical out which only works with a handful of gadgets. Therefore, confirming if the gadget in use is compatible with the hardware is very necessary.

How to Convert Optical Digital Out to USB Input?

Before undertaking any process, you must ensure your devices are compatible. Also ensure you have all the necessary tools and equipment needed. Below, we will elaborate on the main methods for converting optical digital output to USB Input:

Method 1: Use A DAC with Toslink In

If your speaker has multiple connections, such as USB and analog audio, use a DAC with Toslink or a DAC with a USB audio interface. You can convert Optical Digital Out to USB via Toslink To RCA DCA with a DAC. Using a basic DAC, you can convert Toslink signals to RCA analog audio and transfer them to a USB device. There are three stages, with an A/D and D/A in between. Here's how to do it:

Hook up the source to the DAC: Connect your DAC to your TV or other source with an optical cable.
Plug in the USB cable: Connect a USB cable directly to the DAC's USB input.
Hook up the output: Join the DAC to the speaker or other playback system. Remember you need a good DAC to avoid any potential latency issues that might arise during playback.

Method 2: TOSLINK to USB Audio Converter

Using an audio converter is advisable if your gadget has just an optical output. Here is a simple workaround if your DAC only has a USB input:

Connect the digital optical cable to the USB input on the DAC and then to the speaker from the DAC's audio output. Precisely, it would be best if you did this:

1. Invest in a Digital Audio Interface with USB and Bidirectional Capability, like the Mutec MC: Any S/PDIF or optical input can be transmitted via USB with the help of such a device since it acts as a USB-to-SPDIF converter.

2. Get yourself a USB DAC and a USB-to-SPDIF converter:

Connecting to a DAC that accepts a USB input is a breeze using one of these handy gadgets. To receive digital audio from a computer or mobile device, many DACs only have a USB connection. Hardware like the "HiFimeDIY UX1" is typically used with computers and is compatible with Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows, and Linux. It is compatible with 16/24 bit and sample speeds between 32 and 96 kHz.

Method 3: Use an External Soundcard

This convenient adapter makes it possible to send Toslink audio from a laptop to a DAC or to convert Toslink output to USB input on a computer. Many soundcards will include Toslink in (capture), eliminating needing a DAC or USB. Sound cards can pick up the Toslink signal and send it to the computer over a USB port. In this instance, DAC is unnecessary.

Method 4: Use an AV Receiver

Plenty of high-quality AV receivers are available, and you probably already have one. You can bypass the need for a separate optical audio converter by connecting your TV directly to your AV receiver's optical audio input, such as on a home theater system. Finding a good receiver is all that's needed, as it will serve as the central processing unit of your setup.

Method 5: Use a Raspberry Pi

Keep in mind that a USB is a data interface with a host/client structure and not an audio interface. So, if you want to get into the nitty-gritty of electronics and build your own DAC, you only need a USB host (computer) to power the client device. The sound redirection is possible via a Raspberry Pi setup to run in headless mode. However, due to the low-power nature of Raspberry Pi CPUs, latency problems are almost inevitable.

Conclusion

Do you wish to use your current device and avoid audio latency concerns? Refrain from fretting over incompatibilities in audio in and out in devices such as TVs, DVR's, and gaming consoles when connecting them to speakers or soundbars. A DAC, a Toslink to USB audio converter, a sound card, or an AV receiver can all be used to transform an optical digital output into a USB input.

The only thing you must watch out for is ensuring all your gadgets are compatible with the product you intend to use. Purchasing high-quality electronic devices to convert optical digital out into a USB input ensures high-quality sound reproduction.