Adaptor for DTS 24/96 & DD 5.1 output?

[Mattww]

Whilst I’m loving the quiet room and low power consumption of my M1 Mini and can still use my Logitech Z5500 speakers in stereo via the headphone jack I miss the option of 5.1 that I had via optical on my old Mac.

I have a separate USB interface for audio in but is there a driverless recommended option for output? I’ve seen a few cheap USB DAC but I’m uncertain they can do 24/96 for DTS.

 

[ice29]

I have been using this Startech with my Hackintosh (still running Catalina) since ages, it connects the Hack to my Samsung soundbar (older MS650)...

USB Sound Card Audio Adapter w/ SPDIF - USB Audio Adapters | Add-on Cards & Peripherals | StarTech.com Switzerland

USB Stereo Audio Adapter External Sound Card with SPDIF Digital Audio Out - USB Sound Card Adapter - USB to Audio Converter - SPDIF Sound Card | Switzerland

www.startech.com

I just hooked it up to Macbook M1 and it works the same way. I tried to play DTS-HD content with passthrough from here (unfortunately I don't have any 24/96 DTS content myself I guess...):

https://www.demolandia.net/cinema/dts-demo-trailers-hd/page-4.html?1

It works well, DTS is passed to the soundbar (I did not expect it to be able to play it, but in the end it's mentioned on the Samsung's webpage that it supports 24/96...)
Used VLC for that, for some strange reason Movist Pro (my favourite player) has some issues with this file, first the sound was choppy, after app-restart there is no sound at all with DTS-HD (via Movist), I am not sure it's officially supported in this player.
I also see 24/96 for 2-channel in the MIDI app, but I guess this is completely irrelevant as DTS is simply sent natively through the SPDIF bypassing any settings here completely
If you can point me to a specific media I can try it...

Edit: found another one mentioned on one old forum

sample

MediaFire is a simple to use free service that lets you put all your photos, documents, music, and video in a single place so you can access them anywhere and share them everywhere.

www.mediafire.com

should be DTS24/96 according to the discussion... Plays fine on my setup, though VLC shows 48khz (I guess it can't identify it properly? since it's played normally with DTS encoding, should be okay anyway, VLC for Mac can't natively re-encode to DTS/AC3 if I am not mistaken, so it must be the original file playing)

 

[Mattww]

Thanks for this - my main reason (apart from that it is just nicer than stereo for films) is that I have some DVD audio albums (Queen - the game, a night at the opera) that I enjoy hearing the extra details with 5.1 and they are DTS 24/96.

My old Mac Pro has optical built in and the DVD player app in older MacOS versions used to support pass through (either from the disc or a file). In Mojave I had to use VLC or IINA as DVD player dropped support it seems. With the new M1 Mac I expect VLC to work if I can get a physical connection. My Logitech speakers have coax and optical.

 

[ice29]

It should work from what I have seen, but I will try to find/get those Queen albums (or other DVD-A with 24/96 DTS) and play them with this cheap Startech (actually good idea to listen to better quality when at home...)

EDIT: confirmed that the sample I linked above is indeed DTS 24/96 5.1 (see screenshot) and it played well with VLC and encoded output selected
I have also managed to find a Pink Floyd 4.1 24/48 DTS DVD, this one also worked fine in VLC...

 

[Mattww]

Thank you - Sounds like this is what I need - just one last question I have regular TOSLink and coax cables but this looks to be a 3.5mm so I assume I need a TOSLink to mini TOSLink adapter or new cable?

 

[ice29]

Yes, you need the Mini-TOSLink/TOSLink adaptor/cable... I guess the adaptor was included with mine, but it's also possible that I got it with previous Asus Xonar USB soundcard (which I used with windows HTPC previously and which is not supported in MacOS), don't remember anymore... But they are cheap and easy to get

 

[FalcorTheDog]

I'm curious: did you ever get true 5.1 sound to work with your Z5500's on your M1 Mac? I'm in the same boat and wondering if you ended up having any luck with this? https://www.startech.com/en-ch/cards-adapters/icusbaudio2d

I tried this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000KW2YEI?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details
...but didn't have any luck getting 5.1 working.

Let me know, thanks!

 

[Mattww]

Yes I can get encoded DTS 24-96 via the Startech from VLC.

Not had much luck via the Plex client however.

 

[FalcorTheDog]

Nice. I was thrown off by: "5.1 Surround Sound supported (Windows® only)".

 

[MacsRgr8]

I got the Soundblaster X3 connected to my M1 iMac, connected through Toslink to a AVR 5.1 Sony receiver.

It is supported on macOS, but getting the Soundblaster drivers to install is a pain.… so I tried without… and with macOS Monterey it simply works without installing any drivers (!)

Midi Setup recognizes the card, and can select 6 channels which seem to work fine with Dolby Digital.
But not with VLC passthrough with DTS audio… it‘s choppy and plays at about 2x the speed… no idea what to do about that.

 

[MacsRgr8]

Yes I can get encoded DTS 24-96 via the Startech from VLC.

Not had much luck via the Plex client however.

So, with VLC no drawbacks on M1 with your Startech?

 

[FalcorTheDog]

Update: I ended up buying this and successfully connected it to my M1 MacBook Pro and my Logitech Z-5500 speakers with 5.1 surround:

CSL - USB 7.1 external sound card 8-channel - 7.1 Channel USB Soundbox - Dynamic 3D Surround Sound - up to 8 speakers - simultaneous recording and playback - analog and digital audio equipment

CSL - USB 7.1 external sound card 8-channel - 7.1 Channel USB Soundbox - Dynamic 3D Surround Sound - up to 8 speakers - simultaneous recording and playback - analog and digital audio equipment

www.amazon.co.uk

A few quirks:

1. I couldn't get the SPDIF optical output connection to work at all from the sound card to my speakers, so I ended up using an analog connection (the 3 separate 3.5mm wires).
2. I originally kept trying to set it up as a 6-channel 5.1 setup in Audio MIDI Setup (since I only have 5.1 speakers, not 7.1), but was having all kinds of problems and only a couple of the speakers would turn on. Eventually I tried setting it up as an 8-channel output and then selected 5.1 inside the Speaker Configuration, and that ended up working.
3. The sub and center channels seemed to be reversed by default when testing in the Audio MIDI Setup, so I also switched those in the Speaker Configuration.

Other than that, I verified that I'm definitely getting 5.1 with all 6 channels from VLC when using the "Original" audio output mode and using this test video: https://www.paolofiorani.it/TEST Audio/Forms/DispForm.aspx?ID=1.

And I'm pretty sure movies playing in the TV app are also correctly outputting in 5.1 (since I'm using analog now, I *unchecked* AC3 passthrough), although always a little hard to be sure. Wall-E sounded like it had sound coming from all directions though. I was also able to connect my electric guitar to the line-in and it works in GarageBand as long as I first set it as the input sound source in System Prefs.

 

[Mattww]

So, with VLC no drawbacks on M1 with your Startech?

Yes VLC seems fine to date - just Plex that has been an issue.

 

[MacsRgr8]

I did some more digging into the drivers and trying to install them from Soundblaster.

My Setup: iMac M1 (maxed out) -> USB-C cable (Apple branded) -> Soundblaster X3 -> Toslink -> Sony STR DG-820 AV receiver -> set of Magnat 5.1 speakers

So, got the Mac-driver from Soundblaster support
Did the removal of any previous attempts at installing them, following the Soundblaster support instructions.

• Reinstalled drivers, but got the following pop-up:


After trying to manually load the driver (sudo kextutil /Library/Extensions/TruStudioPCUSBAudioPlugin.kext), you get prompted in the CLI that "arm64" is needed, i.e. this driver seems to be Intel-only.

Knowing that the X3 worked without installing anything on macOS Monterey, I simply removed the drivers again (see above mentioned instructions), and set it up as following in the GUI:

• First of all select the "X3 Speakers", not the SPDIF Out.


• Then make sure you choose the right setup for you in the "Audio Midi Setup" app:

Using VLC 3 (and the latest nightly build of VLC 4), I tried multiple files I have which have Dolby Digital / DTS audio.
• You need to select the SPDIF encoded output


All movies I played, the surround sound was fine! DD and DTS 3/2.1
Only the DTS-audio files I have don't work well. They stay "choppy".

In short, don't install drivers, choose the correct sound output, setup Audio Midi correctly and choose the encoded out put in VLC, when using X3 on an M1 Mac.

 

[sebus]

Just wonder, do people actually use laptop to play anything to home theatre setup? When dedicated devices cost less than such soundcard?

 

[tutu13]

Hi, I read for the Startech card "(Note: 5.1 surround sound is supported in Windows® only)".
Can a Mac M1 running Big Sur send all DTS x6 separate channels through the S-PDIF output?

 

[MacsRgr8]

Just for the heads-up, there are now native Apple Silicon supported drivers and Soundblaster app for the X3!
Install the drivers and app, and install the firmware update through the Sounblaster app, and you’ll get a virtual Soundblaster Audio output added through which you can apply all the settings.

So it’s all supported on M1 Macs now.
Must say that the same issue persists with DTS audio files I have with VLC using the SPDIF passthruoigh. But for the rest all DD and DTS movie files play fine with true 5.1 support.

 

[tutu13]

I ask the question to all of you:
which cards can send a multichannel DTS signal by optical output (or RCA) from a Mac M1?

(I tried with the Startech ICUSBAUDIO2D, but couldn't)

 

[MacsRgr8]

Soundblaster X3 did it for me.
My only issue are DTS music files (wav files). Movies played through VLC went fine.

 

[tutu13]

OK thank's.
.... cheaper?

 

[StuAff]

OK thank's.
.... cheaper?

No, the X3 is a lot more expensive. Before you spend more money, on that or something else, are you absolutely sure that the Startech didn't work? It could be faulty, it could be you've found an incompatibility or bug, but (given that others have got it to work) it would be far more likely that something wasn't right- such as the file didn't have the audio in the correct format, the application wasn't compatible with that file, or set up incorrectly, or there's a setup problem with the receiver/speaker system. All of those elements have to be right for it to work. My recommendation would be- if you still have the Startech- to plug it in again, download one of the files linked in post #2, and play it in VLC (making sure you have the Startech's Encoded Output selected, as in #14). Check, and double check, cables etc are correctly set up.

While I'm here: I've bought one of these in readiness for my own Apple Silicon purchases. USB to optical out, nothing else (no DAC, no input). Works perfectly with Logitech Z906 system on my 5,1 Mac Pro running Mojave. iTunes AC3 passthrough didn't work, movies with DD will just output stereo, but since I've only ever bought one movie on it, for the princely sum of £1.99 (and I got that on Blu-ray since anyway) I'm not bothered. It may or may not work with the TV app in Big Sur or Monterey, but, again, no problem.

 

[tutu13]

I tested the Startech with the AVI test file in VLC on the "Encoded" output
I only have stereo, only the front L & R speakers are audible.

but (given that others have got it to work)

Do they really get multichannel DTS? (don't they just hear stereo + amp's Prologic effect?).
Have they tested with the AVI file?

For me, BigSur's Sound Preferences don't even detect the ENCODED Startech output. Do the "others" see it?

 

[StuAff]

I tested the Startech with the AVI test file in VLC on the "Encoded" output
I only have stereo, only the front L & R speakers are audible.


Do they really get multichannel DTS? (don't they just hear stereo + amp's Prologic effect?).
Have they tested with the AVI file?

For me, BigSur's Sound Preferences don't even detect the ENCODED Startech output. Do the "others" see it?

I'm not even sure AVI supports multichannel. The DTS files listed in post #2 are MKV, and they work in VLC. Use one of those. Just retested one myself, it played perfectly. All DTS formats are multichannel (ProLogic is Dolby....and that would only work if the receiver has a ProLogic decoder). The system sound preferences only detect the device.

 

[tutu13]

It's exactly the same with the "dts-sfx-short-(www.demolandia.net).mkv" file, no DTS stream detected.
My receiver is a Yamaha RX-V595 which receives and broadcasts multichannel via TOSLink, it works very well with my Blu-Ray player.

 

[tutu13]

Just retested one myself, it played perfectly.

... with the Startech card ?