Question Connecting Intel NUC to Separates Audio Amplifier?

[vonsworld]

I have an Intel NUC i5-1340P Mini PC that can deliver 7.1 multichannel (or 8-channel) digital audio on HDMI and Display Port connectors. It doesn't appear to have any other audio connectors apart from a simple stereo 3.5mm headphone jack.

I'd like to connect it for music playback to a modern separates amplifer which has digital sockets, both coax and toslink, plus the usual phono analogue inputs.

Please advise me on the best way to connect the two for audio playback. Is there an straight HDMI to TOSLink or digital coax cable or does there have to be a converter between them?

Thanks

 

[Lutfij]

The best thing that comes to mind is to invest in an audio/video receiver and have the surround sound out of said HDMI port/Displayport.

I'd like to connect it for music playback to a modern separates amplifer which has digital sockets, both coax and toslink, plus the usual phono analogue inputs.
Mind sharing the make and models of your audio equipment?

Moved thread from Systems section to Home Audio & Theater section.

 

[dwd999]

There are various hdmi to toslink audio extractors on Amazon; no way of knowing if any of them are better than the others. There are also usb to toslink converters. But in terms of whether you would hear a noticeable difference between the output from any of those and the NUC's headphone jack is debatable. A lot would depend on the distance from the NUC to your separates amplifier and of course, the type of music and source of the music you are listening to. If you're talking about online radio stations or services it would help to know what quality they are transmitting otherwise the equipment won't matter. So it would also help if you could tells us about that. In addition, all digital music at some point has to be converted to analog before its amplified in your equipment and sent to your speakers. So a lot would depend on the quality of the digital to analog equipment you have.