I had a slightly odd thought earlier and figured it'd be worth asking here as someone might know if it even exists! I have a netbook with pretty crappy onboard audio and no digital outputs which is silent, my PC however sounds like a wind tunnel and is getting tiresome so I was wondering if there is anyway, preferably in Ubuntu although I'm willing to play with any distro, to make the 3.5mm jack output a digital PCM signal that would work with my DAC?
3.5mm to digital coaxial?
- Thread starter Auraomega
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I don't think so - your best bet would be an external USB soundcard
As I'm sure you know a 3.5mm jack is analog and so cant produce a digital signal.
As I'm sure you know a 3.5mm jack is analog and so cant produce a digital signal.
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Well a coaxial cable just transfers a voltage, high and low, I can't see any reason that the jack couldn't give just high and low voltages out as well. Remember audio from a jack is a wave of voltage to power the magnet to shift the cones.
I'm just trying to avoid buying an external sound card right now because I'll be building a HTPC soon so this would only be a temporary measure.
I'm just trying to avoid buying an external sound card right now because I'll be building a HTPC soon so this would only be a temporary measure.
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It is actually possible to do a decent bit rate digital output using a parallel port but involves writing your own drivers and stuff, a lot of hassle. I can't find a link now but i have read about it several years ago.
If you don't want to buy an external soundcard (though a cheap one is about £10) you will have to hang on a while.
Have you looked at your mobo to see if there is a digital audio header?
If you don't want to buy an external soundcard (though a cheap one is about £10) you will have to hang on a while.
Have you looked at your mobo to see if there is a digital audio header?
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Macbooks have digital optical out on the 3.5mm socket... Unfortunately no netbooks I have seen do this.
An external USB soundcard will do this but it's a shame netbook makers don't include digital audio outputs as I imagine it adds very little little to the overall cost...
An external USB soundcard will do this but it's a shame netbook makers don't include digital audio outputs as I imagine it adds very little little to the overall cost...