No digital output for M2 Mini...?

[Attirex]

Hello:

Just set up a M2 (non-Pro) Mac Mini and I don't see an option for digital output in Sound settings, so can't get sound to my surround sound system. Granted, my setup is kind of clunky--I have a mini-jack-to-Toslink adapter plugged into the Mini's headphone jack, with audio cable running to the optical input on an ancient Onkyo receiver--but it worked with my 2014 Mini.

I'm guessing that in its continuing quest to simplify/dumb-down the MacOS, Apple removed advanced audio options from Ventura. Or am I missing these settings somewhere? Or does the headphone jack output for the M2 Mini not support what I'm trying to do?

Thanks!

 

[Juicy Box]

Or does the headphone jack output for the M2 Mini not support what I'm trying to do?

I think that this is the case. The older Macs have a optical digital audio out built into the analog plug.

The optical out is considered obsolete and old technology, as HDMI can now handle more audio data than the old Toslink.

If you choose not to (or can't) move on from Toslink, you could get an HDMI adapter that extracts the audio into an optical plug. There are a bunch of them with various pricing, but here is one example:

Insignia™ HDMI Audio Extractor with 4K @ 60Hz / HDR Support Black NS-HZ340 - Best Buy

Shop Insignia™ HDMI Audio Extractor with 4K @ 60Hz / HDR Support Black at Best Buy. Find low everyday prices and buy online for delivery or in-store pick-up. Price Match Guarantee.

www.bestbuy.com

You could also get an old AirPort Express, as all of them have built-in optical audio Toslink plug, like your old Mac.

 

[dotnet]

I think the last Mac mini to have optical digital in/out was the 2014 model.

Digital audio these days is meant to use USB (or HDMI for output only). If you absolutely need Toslink output you can hook up a Topping D10s to a USB port.

 

[Attirex]

Thanks for info! That's what I thought re: optical digital in/out is no longer supported in the newer Minis. :-(

I happen to have an Audioquest Dragonfly USB dongle so tried that. MacOS recognizes it and I can select the dongle as an output in Sound settings, and headphones work with it, but for some reason the Onkyo isn't recognizing the stream. Hm.

 

[Bento.Box]

I also use a device that extracts audio from hdmi to spdif. Works quite well, but needs active power supply. It’s for my Wii U console.

For media playback, I use a Raspberry Pi 4. there are soundcards with spdif support available.

On your mini, you might also think about using anUSB soundcard.

Edit: if Onkyo doesn’t recognize the stream, it might be in an incompatible format. I aways resample and never use pass through for this reason on my Onkyo

 

[Attirex]

I also use a device that extracts audio from hdmi to spdif. Works quite well, but needs active power supply. It’s for my Wii U console.

For media playback, I use a Raspberry Pi 4. there are soundcards with spdif support available.

On your mini, you might also think about using anUSB soundcard.

Edit: if Onkyo doesn’t recognize the stream, it might be in an incompatible format. I aways resample and never use pass through for this reason on my Onkyo

Good info to have, thank you. I ordered the Topping box, so fingers crossed that it does the job. Unfortunately, won't arrive for a couple of weeks. Oh well.

The other complication is that I have an old single-monitor 4-port DVI KVM (so I can switch between my Mini, work laptop, and gaming PC) and a dual-monitor setup, which just adds another layer of complexity to everything. It's a mess lol.

I'm hoping to upgrade to a HDMI KVM at some point this year, but waiting to see if I get a new work laptop and what kind of connections it has.

 

[StuAff]

Bit late to the party, but I can recommend this (they also have an input/output version, unlike that one available with a USB-C cable). Does everything I wanted it to- output 5.1 DD/DTS to my Logitech Z906- and nothing I didn't, and needs no additional power. I'd looked at a lot of DACs & other interfaces and many either didn't mention 5.1, or said stereo only, and I didn't want to take an expensive punt on something that might or might not do the job. The AC-3 passthrough option in iTunes/TV app doesn't work with this setup, but the only film I'd bought from Apple I later bought on Blu-ray, so not exactly a problem.

 

[Attirex]

Bit late to the party, but I can recommend this (they also have an input/output version, unlike that one available with a USB-C cable). Does everything I wanted it to- output 5.1 DD/DTS to my Logitech Z906- and nothing I didn't, and needs no additional power. I'd looked at a lot of DACs & other interfaces and many either didn't mention 5.1, or said stereo only, and I didn't want to take an expensive punt on something that might or might not do the job. The AC-3 passthrough option in iTunes/TV app doesn't work with this setup, but the only film I'd bought from Apple I later bought on Blu-ray, so not exactly a problem.

Nice! Much cheaper option, thanks. If it works, I'll return the Topping.

 

[Attirex]

Bit late to the party, but I can recommend this (they also have an input/output version, unlike that one available with a USB-C cable). Does everything I wanted it to- output 5.1 DD/DTS to my Logitech Z906- and nothing I didn't, and needs no additional power. I'd looked at a lot of DACs & other interfaces and many either didn't mention 5.1, or said stereo only, and I didn't want to take an expensive punt on something that might or might not do the job. The AC-3 passthrough option in iTunes/TV app doesn't work with this setup, but the only film I'd bought from Apple I later bought on Blu-ray, so not exactly a problem.

Turns out Hifime has a warehouse only 30 mins away, so I got the adapter via USPS in one day lol. Plugged it in, and works like a charm. Thanks again for the recommendation! Saved my ears from the Mini's awful built-in speakers.

 

[SpaceGhostShip]

Bit late to the party, but I can recommend this (they also have an input/output version, unlike that one available with a USB-C cable). Does everything I wanted it to- output 5.1 DD/DTS to my Logitech Z906- and nothing I didn't, and needs no additional power. I'd looked at a lot of DACs & other interfaces and many either didn't mention 5.1, or said stereo only, and I didn't want to take an expensive punt on something that might or might not do the job. The AC-3 passthrough option in iTunes/TV app doesn't work with this setup, but the only film I'd bought from Apple I later bought on Blu-ray, so not exactly a problem.

Thank you for this. I upgraded my iMac 2014 5k to a M2 Studio and could not get sound out of my Logitech Z-5500 using optical spdif. I had no idea this was no longer supported. Using the Hifime UT23 has allowed me to get my Z-5500 working again. I also got the USB Type-C Adapter to use with the UT23 as to not use up the few USB ports in the Studio.

Sorry for the old thread bump but maybe others out there upgrading their 9 year old iMacs aren't aware either.