I have a soundcard with digital/analog combo 3.5mm headphone jack. The construction of the jack is exactly same as a regular 3.5mm headphone jack. Whenever I intend to use digital pass-through, I use a "3.5mm-to-RCA" adapter
http://img361.imageshack.us/img361/4908/6801wl2.jpghttp://img233.imageshack.us/img233/8181/6802il7.jpg
and attach my coaxial cable to it and to my HT receiver.

Similarly, if I want the digital pass-through via optical cable can I use a "3.5mm-to-toslink" adapter
http://img125.imageshack.us/img125/705/26711bw7.jpghttp://img74.imageshack.us/img74/2026/26712pl0.jpg
and attach my optical cable to it and to my HT receiver?

I am always weary of adapters. I use the Monster LightSpeed 100 Toslink to Mini Toslink cable. This goes into the headphone port on my MacBook Pro.

Just to try it out.........do you get static noise if you use your headphones while using digital pass-through?

http://img361.imageshack.us/img361/4908/6801wl2.jpghttp://img233.imageshack.us/img233/8181/6802il7.jpgWith your particular output, I don't think you can pass a digital coax signal, can you? That is not how most combo digital/analog 3.5mmm outputs work. Most are analog 2-channel and optical digital (Toslink). But not digital coax.

This adapter will most likely only pass an ANALOG signal from your combo output.

But the one in your picture is NOT an analog stereo adapter. It is ONLY an analog mono adapter. Note how it only has one single black "ring". With your 3.5mm analog stereo output it will ONLY pass ONE of the channels as analog, L or R. You need a stereo 3.5mm to R/L RCA adapter like this to pass a 2-channel analog signal:

http://www.computercableinc.com/ccinc/images/CABLE-Audio-Y-Splitter-2-RCA-Females-to-1-3-5mm-Male-IEC-M7401.jpg OR http://i23.ebayimg.com/04/i/000/b4/fc/cb45_1_b.JPG






http://img125.imageshack.us/img125/705/26711bw7.jpghttp://img74.imageshack.us/img74/2026/26712pl0.jpgThis one WILL pass the optical DIGITAL signal from your combo output. Provided the adapter works properly, it will work fine with a standard Toslink cable. If you would like to avoid the adapter you CAN get a mini-Toslink (3.5mm) to Toslink (5.0mm) cable like this:

http://images.monoprice.com/productlargeimages/15561.jpg






Is that what you needed to know?

With your particular output, I don't think you can pass a digital coax signal, can you? That is not how most combo digital/analog 3.5mmm outputs work. Most are analog 2-channel and optical digital (Toslink). But not digital coax.

This adapter will most likely only pass an ANALOG signal from your combo output.

But the one in your picture is NOT an analog stereo adapter. It is ONLY an analog mono adapter. Note how it only has one single black "ring". With your 3.5mm analog stereo output it will ONLY pass ONE of the channels as analog, L or R. You need a stereo 3.5mm to R/L RCA adapter like this to pass a 2-channel analog signal:

Actually in my case I do have a digital coax/analog combo 3.5mm jack. The mono-to-coax adapter works perfectly fine and does give digital 5.1 signal to my HT receiver. Moreover, digital or analog mode is controlled by the audio device control software, and there is no way to get analog signal when I have selected "digital output", and anyways my HT receiver won't work if I send analog signal through its coax input.

The reason mono works is because for coaxial signal you only need two inputs (ground & digital), you don't need any third input like the middle metal band in a stereo male adapter. The "3.5mm mono-to-RCA" adapter that I have shown are sold specifically for this purpose, and its a very common adapter.

Anyways, my confusion/question is because I haven't seen a "digital optical/analog combo 3.5mm" jack and a toslink mini adapter in real.
1) Is the construction of "digital optical/analog combo 3.5mm" jack different from a regular 3.5mm stereo or mono jack?
2) Does the mini toslink adapter have a solid metal piece in the tip, as it seems in the picture?

I agree with sivadselim, it is not possible to get digital output from your combo output unless you use mini toslink connector which is similar to 3.5mm analog jack, but a bit longer to attach to the optical led. I have Asus U6V and I have the some combo 3.5mm output and I am looking forward to get either mini toslink to toslink adapter od mini toslink to toslink cable.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31uRlS-3sdL._SS400_.jpg

If you use 3.5mm headphone analog to RCA adapter, you can pass just one analog channel.

If you use 3.5mm headphone analog to RCA adapter, you can pass just one analog channel.Well, unless it is a stereo 3.5mm to RCA adapter like the ones I posted pictures of. Then you can pass 2 analog channels.

Nice thread resurrection, btw. ;)

It depends on your sound card.

If your sound card uses the shorting of left to ground to detect "coax digital out" then the 3.5-to-RCA adapter you're showing will give you coax out.

If your sound card is like the Macs, and have an optical transmitter inside the 3.5mm jack, then the optical adaptor (or cable) would give you an optical out.

The adapters do nothing on themselves, other than make the appropriate electrical connections such that the card can do what it was designed to do.

However, I doubt your card implements both methods; you'll likely only be able to get one of them to work (or none, depending on how the card is built :-)

Well, unless it is a stereo 3.5mm to RCA adapter like the ones I posted pictures of. Then you can pass 2 analog channels.

I meant the adapter from the first picture. It is mono adapter.

It depends on your sound card.

If your sound card uses the shorting of left to ground to detect "coax digital out" then the 3.5-to-RCA adapter you're showing will give you coax out.

I've never heard of this, but that doesn't mean these don't exist :)
I mean computer sound cards.

Actually, this is my first device with such a port and it is like Macs. Asus calls it SPDIF.

You are right, maybe ontherocks has another version which works with coax, but it doesn't work with fiber than. I also doubt there can be both types in one connector.

I also doubt there can be both types in one connector.

Mechanically and physically, you totally could do it. It would cost more, though, which means that it likely won't happen.

Shorting left to ground for SPDIF is actually pretty smart -- the electronics and connections are already there. There's just a little bit of detection circuitry inside the DAC needed, and some status bits to turn AC-link into S/PDIF, and you're done. It should add zero cost to the manufacture of the output hardware, as opposed to the optical of the Macs which actually need additional hardware.