digital out to analogue options

[AHarvey]

Hi,

I've a 49" Hisense 4k TV and the audio is the only real downside of it. Between setting it to 30 and 60 it doesn't really change and it's far to quiet for a lot of audio.

We have had a soundbar on the shopping list for ages there's always been something more important we've needed.

I've an old 5.1 sound system from my old Soundblaster days on my desktop, I only use USB headphones now but they are decent speakers that cost a couple of hundred pounds at the time. They have a sub and 4 speakers, and provide decent quality and go loud but run from 2 audio cables that do front left/right and rear left/right.

The TV doesn't have a headphone jack so can't just use 2 and the bass speaker.

Can anyone recommend a cheap digital out to analogue converter that I can order online? Maybe one that comes with the digital cable too as I don't have one

 

[lucid]

There are plenty that fit the bill, and available from under £8. but there's something you need to know before ordering, and it may change what you need and how much you have to spend.

The Optical output on the TV is a fixed level. It doesn't change with the TV volume and, if implemented correctly, nor should it as altering the digital volume changes the signal resolution and that's a bad idea.

The consequence of this new bit of information is that you need some way of controlling the speaker volume independent of the TV remote. This could either be with a speaker kit that already has remote control, or it can be done with the right model of Optical to Analogue convertor.

Where you have speaker with volume control, then something along the lines of this will do what you need. It's £7.99 + del and comes with an optical cable.


For when you need that DAC to have its own volume control, then something such as this will do just fine. It's £13.99 + del and comes with an optical cable.

 

[AHarvey]

thanks for the info, I had read something similar on reddit.

The speaker set has it's own volume control on a wire, not ideal but it's at least better than nothing.

I'll look at getting something ordered and test it out

thanks again.

 

[AHarvey]

Just an update on this.

Ordered the one with the remote, but it just starts/stops whatever video is being streamed As it's 2 channel out I've managed to get it out into my sub and then out to the 2 speakers, the volume I can control manually via the sub.

When I first set it up it worked great with the TV speaker also on, since the day after the echo and time difference between the 2 is horrific. I can mostly correct it via the TV settings and although it's set to work through all inputs it seems to constantly forget the settings. So TV sound is always off now.

It's a cheap £350 Hisense 49" 4k TV and a cheap £14 audio adapter. I can't complain as the PC sub and speakers are great