Question No 1xHDMI in, 2xOptical out audio switcher!?

RoyAbare

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Heck, even a similar device that's all optical would be fine with a HDMI to Optical converter, problem is I can't seem to find ANYTHING that's not made for the old style red/white audio plugs.
Every time I think I've found something it turns out to be a splitter, which is not what I'm after. Also for some reason nearly all switchers seem to be multiple inputs and a single output.
If I can't find what I'm looking for I'm gonna have to plug both speaker systems directly into my computer and switch through the audio settings every time, which could get tedious.

Any advice'd be appreciated. Cheers.
 

kanewolf

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Heck, even a similar device that's all optical would be fine with a HDMI to Optical converter, problem is I can't seem to find ANYTHING that's not made for the old style red/white audio plugs.
Every time I think I've found something it turns out to be a splitter, which is not what I'm after. Also for some reason nearly all switchers seem to be multiple inputs and a single output.
If I can't find what I'm looking for I'm gonna have to plug both speaker systems directly into my computer and switch through the audio settings every time, which could get tedious.

Any advice'd be appreciated. Cheers.
There are lots of 2 in 1 out switcher, but 1 in 2 out, I didn't find. I did find a 3 in 2 out device - https://m.tomtop.com/p-c9422b.html I believe it could be used as 1 in 2 out.
I have no hands on experience with this device.
 
Heck, even a similar device that's all optical would be fine with a HDMI to Optical converter, problem is I can't seem to find ANYTHING that's not made for the old style red/white audio plugs.
Every time I think I've found something it turns out to be a splitter, which is not what I'm after. Also for some reason nearly all switchers seem to be multiple inputs and a single output.
If I can't find what I'm looking for I'm gonna have to plug both speaker systems directly into my computer and switch through the audio settings every time, which could get tedious.

Any advice'd be appreciated. Cheers.

What are you trying to do here and with what equipment. Sounds like you want to have two speaker sets on one PC but why through HDMI? What exactly are you connecting to what?
 
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RoyAbare

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What are you trying to do here and with what equipment. Sounds like you want to have two speaker sets on one PC but why through HDMI? What exactly are you connecting to what?
I'm connecting:
One set of PC speakers (currently connected with 6-channel direct, but the device also supports optical and coax)
One amplifier that's connected to a different set of speakers. The amp has pretty much every input
To my PC, that for some reason only takes 6-channel direct, audio jack, HDMI and USB despite having a fairly new high-end motherboard. The goal is to be able to switch between the speaker sets. One for gaming (speakers close to me), one for audio (covers the entire room).
 

RoyAbare

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Get an USB adapter with optical (SPDIF) output, connect it to your amplifier and switch from your PC which audio device to use. Depending on your media player, it might have a setting for "preferred" device.
Actually the amplifier has a USB port so I can just use a USB cable in that case. And it's true that a lot of programs have a setting for preferred device. Might not be too bad without a switcher. Thanks.
 
I'm connecting:
One set of PC speakers (currently connected with 6-channel direct, but the device also supports optical and coax)
One amplifier that's connected to a different set of speakers. The amp has pretty much every input
To my PC, that for some reason only takes 6-channel direct, audio jack, HDMI and USB despite having a fairly new high-end motherboard. The goal is to be able to switch between the speaker sets. One for gaming (speakers close to me), one for audio (covers the entire room).

So you have powered speakers connected to the PC? Connected how? 3.5mm jack? You said 6 channel direct, so you are using a surround sound with separate wires for L/R F/R Center and Sub outputs?

Need full specs of the equipment, for a switch between the speaker sets you need to find a common set of inputs the amp and the speakers can take and then stick a device between them. But if you have an amp, it's very easy to swap, just turn on or off whatever set you want to use with the power button on it.
 
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RoyAbare

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Here's a link: https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-THX-Certified-Digital-Surround-Speaker/dp/B0002WPSBC
Link to the amp: https://usa.yamaha.com/products/audio_visual/hifi_components/a-s301/index.html
Your guess is correct; they're connected to the motherboard with L/R, F/R, Center and Sub plugs (green, yellow, black)(not a simple audio jack).
just turn on or off whatever set you want to use with the power button on it.
And the PC then defaults to the set that is on? I could try that, though the amp isn't within reach of where I am seated so that's mildly tedious. Could I somehow create a audio device priority list so that I simply have to turn off the PC speakers to have it switch to the amp?
 
Here's a link: https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-THX-Certified-Digital-Surround-Speaker/dp/B0002WPSBC
Link to the amp: https://usa.yamaha.com/products/audio_visual/hifi_components/a-s301/index.html
Your guess is correct; they're connected to the motherboard with L/R, F/R, Center and Sub plugs (green, yellow, black)(not a simple audio jack).
And the PC then defaults to the set that is on? I could try that, though the amp isn't within reach of where I am seated so that's mildly tedious. Could I somehow create a audio device priority list so that I simply have to turn off the PC speakers to have it switch to the amp?

If the same sound card is feeding both speakers, it won't be swapping sources, all that will happen is no power to the amp, no sound to the other speakers. Turn on the amp, you get sound. But those Logitech 5.1 speakers are pretty powerful, why really bother with that second setup?

Put an audio splitter on the L/R sound card outputs, good quality cable. Run one of them to the receiver, run the other to the Logitech speakers. You want sound from the receiver, turn it on with the remote and shut off the Logitech set, want both, leave both on.
 
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RoyAbare

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But those Logitech 5.1 speakers are pretty powerful, why really bother with that second setup?
The PC speakers are entirely focused around my PC seat to give me a natural soundscape when gaming. The other set is way more powerful and spread throughout the house to give me equal levels of volume everywhere, for party music and whatnot; not ideal for gaming.

Put an audio splitter on the L/R sound card outputs, good quality cable. Run one of them to the receiver, run the other to the Logitech speakers. You want sound from the receiver, turn it on with the remote and shut off the Logitech set, want both, leave both on.
Hm, at that point I might as well just keep a settings window open to switch the audio output in my OS. Might even be able to get modern games to use the PC speakers while the rest of the system uses the amp, as somebody mentioned earlier. Gonna fiddle for a bit once the USB cable I've ordered arrives and see if I'm happy with things. Thanks!
 
The PC speakers are entirely focused around my PC seat to give me a natural soundscape when gaming. The other set is way more powerful and spread throughout the house to give me equal levels of volume everywhere, for party music and whatnot; not ideal for gaming.


Hm, at that point I might as well just keep a settings window open to switch the audio output in my OS. Might even be able to get modern games to use the PC speakers while the rest of the system uses the amp, as somebody mentioned earlier. Gonna fiddle for a bit once the USB cable I've ordered arrives and see if I'm happy with things. Thanks!

But you are using the same output, from your sound card, unless you wire it to a secondary audio out from the computer. If you are using a splitter, the computer does not see it as a second device.

Not sure what USB connection you want to try using, if it's on the receiver it's probably for either flashing updates of the firmware or playing media though, not for connecting to a computer as a sound device. It does have a bluetooth adapter you can use if you want to swap sources, although it would have to be in range of the computer and you may have a bit of a drop in quality Connection for YBA-11 Bluetooth® Wireless Adapter (Optional Accessory)
 
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RoyAbare

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Not sure what USB connection you want to try using, if it's on the receiver it's probably for either flashing updates of the firmware or playing media though, not for connecting to a computer as a sound device. It does have a bluetooth adapter you can use if you want to swap sources, although it would have to be in range of the computer and you may have a bit of a drop in quality Connection for YBA-11 Bluetooth® Wireless Adapter (Optional Accessory)
I've had a different model of these before. The computer picks it up as a speaker system when connected through USB and it works just the same as connecting an optical cable.
 

RoyAbare

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Aw crap, I messed up. This one has no USB input. The USB socket is for something else as you said. How do I even connect it now... My computer for some reason only takes silly audio plugs. Getting a sound card should be excessive but it might become necessary if I can't find some sort of converter. Perhaps a splitter could serve that function. That'll bring me to the setup you suggested earlier.
 
Aw crap, I messed up. This one has no USB input. The USB socket is for something else as you said. How do I even connect it now... My computer for some reason only takes silly audio plugs. Getting a sound card should be excessive but it might become necessary if I can't find some sort of converter. Perhaps a splitter could serve that function. That'll bring me to the setup you suggested earlier.

Since that receiver is just a stereo one, put a splitter off the L/R sound card outputs and run that to one of the inputs on the receiver. Or get that optional bluetooth adapter for it. Not a lot of receivers have a USB inputs, it would need a DAC inside it to run that way, then the computer will see it as an audio source.
 
Ended up ordering a mini-jack to SPDIF cable and a SPDIF splitter. Should hopefully work.

Not sure why do that instead of just splitting off the existing audio out ports on the sound card since you are not using optical anyway in the setup for surround sound. Just adding an extra piece of hardware to the mix with the SPDIF adapter. And the optical output does not work very well all formats of surround sound, not enough bandwidth in the signal. Optical cables have a few disadvantages to the 5.1 surround coax cables. Seems you were really stuck on looking for a more complex wiring and signal switcher than just splitting the L/R outputs to the two devices and using the power on them to decide what is working. What you will get with this new optical connection is exactly what you would have gotten using the connections you were already using, without the need for using new cables or the optical audio hardware.

Optical Digital Audio Cables Pros and Cons
Advantages
No radio or electromagnetic frequency interference.

Disadvantages
Lower bandwidth means slightly inferior sound quality, but difference probably isn't noticeable.

Cannot carry many high-quality lossless audio formats.

Less sturdy, more easily detached.

Something like this would work for the wires you have https://www.amazon.com/Stereo-Switcher-Selector-Splitter-Out)-RC21/dp/B09GX8Q96Z/ref=asc_df_B09GX8Q96Z/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=564682808121&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11749602361929637336&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9001834&hvtargid=pla-1631885157307&psc=1

or a simple wire splitter
https://www.amazon.com/ROCKRIX-Fema...cphy=9001834&hvtargid=pla-1163174276384&psc=1
 
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RoyAbare

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Jesus Christ. Nothing works. The jack to optical cable is giving me no audio. What kind of idiot designed a modern high-end motherboard with no bloody audio ports.
I guess I'll try a Jack to RCA next.
 
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RoyAbare

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I run headphone jack from pc case front audio header to my yamaha receiver rca input when i want music. Any reason you couldn't do that instead? Afaik you can equalize more on analogue signals than digital.
That's the next plan. Not gonna be happy with it if I receive interference from phone calls and such though. Dunno if analogue adds more noise in general either.
The frequency it outputs is also supposedly low. It's nice to be able to put on something high-quality from SoundCloud and really hear the difference between it and say, something on Youtube or Spotify.