# Edge Optical audio out to headphones - any issues?



## mbaumwell (Jun 14, 2005)

My premier has died. I guess I need to buy an Edge. The Premier had RCA Left and Right audio out jacks which went to a set of headphones. The Edge has only a digital audio port. I will need a digital to RCA converter and there are a few online but some talk about needed to set audio settings. Is there anything to worry about? Oh, and from the digital to RCA converter, I will split the R and L signals to go to the headphones as well as a hearing aid device for my wife (it accepts RCA R and L as inputs.)

TiVo support was unhelpful as to what sort of digital audio the Edge puts out, so here I am.

The setup is cable TV in to the TiVo, then to an Onkyo A/V receiver and TV. The Onkyo did not handle separate audio, so I took the Premier's ability to output both HDMI _and_ composite video/audio and just took the audio R and L from the Premier to the headphones. I'm dearly hoping the Edge's digital audio can do that, though I can try and see if the Edge digital audio might go to the Onkyo (but the Onkyo is close to 15 years old...) Thanks!


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

I can't promise that an EDGE is like a Roamio, but the RCA (A/V) audio is always PCM. The optical will be dependent on the content. If it's PCM, then the optical is PCM. If the content is DD, then the output will be DD unless you change it inside the EDGE to be PCM for all audio. If you have sound effects enabled, then lose them with video displayed, then that audio is DD. Sound effects are disabled with DD.


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## rpj22 (Mar 27, 2016)

mbaumwell said:


> My premier has died. I guess I need to buy an Edge. The Premier had RCA Left and Right audio out jacks which went to a set of headphones. The Edge has only a digital audio port. I will need a digital to RCA converter and there are a few online but some talk about needed to set audio settings. Is there anything to worry about? Oh, and from the digital to RCA converter, I will split the R and L signals to go to the headphones as well as a hearing aid device for my wife (it accepts RCA R and L as inputs.)
> 
> TiVo support was unhelpful as to what sort of digital audio the Edge puts out, so here I am.
> 
> The setup is cable TV in to the TiVo, then to an Onkyo A/V receiver and TV. The Onkyo did not handle separate audio, so I took the Premier's ability to output both HDMI _and_ composite video/audio and just took the audio R and L from the Premier to the headphones. I'm dearly hoping the Edge's digital audio can do that, though I can try and see if the Edge digital audio might go to the Onkyo (but the Onkyo is close to 15 years old...) Thanks!


Neither the TV nor the A/V receiver has audio out jacks? We plug into them on my wife's TV, which has the advantage of not having to buy anything plus the advantage of the headphones being functional for everything connected to the TV (a cable company DVR and a DVD player, in addition to the TiVo.)


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## mbaumwell (Jun 14, 2005)

rpj22 said:


> Neither the TV nor the A/V receiver has audio out jacks? We plug into them on my wife's TV, which has the advantage of not having to buy anything plus the advantage of the headphones being functional for everything connected to the TV (a cable company DVR and a DVD player, in addition to the TiVo.)


With my old A/V and TV system, correct. The A/V receiver has a Zone 2 but it only seems to take one set of audio from the DVR input (the TiVo) and that was via HDMI. I found that the TiVo Premier DID simultanuesly out put the video and audio to the A/V receiver via HDMI and also via the Premier analog out. So I hooked up an audio cable to the Premier's analog RCA jacks, and then used a 2 to 1 cable (taking the L and R RCA jacks to a single female headphone jack -- and plugged the headphone's male jack in to the female end. Then when watching TV, the A/V receiver output the audio to the external speakers and the headphones worked. At night, turn down the speakers, put on the headphones (which have their own volume control) and watch TV. But now the Premier is dead. The new Edge does *not* have those analog out RCA jacks --- just a digital out. So now I am looking for a digital to analog box that will take the Edge's digital audio out and convert that signal to analog R and L RCA. *IF* that works, I'm back to where I was with the Premier. What I want to know is if anyone with an Edge has done something like this -- and got to to work --- and ideally which digital to analog box they may have used. If I can get to this point, I will have the Edge still doing HDMI to the A/V receiver and a set of R and L set of analog RCA jacks. I want to know that this is feasible and now that I know it's PCM, that's a big help. I can live without sound effects if that is the term for the TiVo beeps, boops, thumps and other noises. Again thanks all for any help.


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## mbaumwell (Jun 14, 2005)

Great! Hopefully most digital to analog boxes can handle PCM as well as Dolby.


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## mattyro7878 (Nov 27, 2014)

There are tons of little DAC's and/ or headphone amps that will take your toslink output, convert it and give you red and white analog outs. Most have a headphone jack as well as speaker connections. Techmoan on YouTube has done videos as well as many others. Your best bet would be one with the headphone jack for you and the analog outs (which would not have to be split) for the Mrs.


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## mattyro7878 (Nov 27, 2014)

You would think his older receiver would have analog outs or even tape monitor outs. Todays receivers?? nothing but inputs and 1 HDMI out. There was a period when receivers had EVERYTHING. HDMI was new, component was still being used. Tape decks were still around. The backs of those receivers were loaded with ins and outs. I would love to own one but they are mostly 5.1 and wouldnt know a 4k signal ...no hdcp 2.2 Too bad. THe Sony receivers had the blue light of God which meant you were getting 5 whole discrete channels.


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## jamie_loonam (Jan 25, 2014)

mbaumwell said:


> My premier has died. I guess I need to buy an Edge. The Premier had RCA Left and Right audio out jacks which went to a set of headphones. The Edge has only a digital audio port. I will need a digital to RCA converter and there are a few online but some talk about needed to set audio settings. Is there anything to worry about? Oh, and from the digital to RCA converter, I will split the R and L signals to go to the headphones as well as a hearing aid device for my wife (it accepts RCA R and L as inputs.)
> 
> TiVo support was unhelpful as to what sort of digital audio the Edge puts out, so here I am.
> 
> The setup is cable TV in to the TiVo, then to an Onkyo A/V receiver and TV. The Onkyo did not handle separate audio, so I took the Premier's ability to output both HDMI _and_ composite video/audio and just took the audio R and L from the Premier to the headphones. I'm dearly hoping the Edge's digital audio can do that, though I can try and see if the Edge digital audio might go to the Onkyo (but the Onkyo is close to 15 years old...) Thanks!


I


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## jamie_loonam (Jan 25, 2014)

I wish I could be more helpful, but here’s the work-around I’m using. My Premiere also died & ive had the Edge about a week. I was never even successful plugging headphones into receiver with Premiere - I just plugged them straight into the Tivo & bypassed the receiver. I tried using the converter with headphones that have a red & white plug, but was unsuccessful (I may have bought wrong input/output config - no idea). I have a second pair of headphones with optical input. Again, I wasn’t able to connect to receiver (it seems like optical jack on receiver is input rather than output), so the headphones are plugged directly into the Tivo. I can then turn up sound on receiver in case someone else wants speakers on. Good luck - I’m going to break down & call a professional to help me figure it out.

oh - you’ll have to go to audio —> Dolby Audio & change to PCM only.


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## mbaumwell (Jun 14, 2005)

It had BETTER be an output or I will be livid!



jamie_loonam said:


> it seems like optical jack on receiver is input rather than output)


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## HerronScott (Jan 1, 2002)

jamie_loonam said:


> Again, I wasn't able to connect to receiver (it seems like optical jack on receiver is input rather than output), so the headphones are plugged directly into the Tivo.


Most receiver optical connections are inputs since the point of a receiver is to play the audio coming from different sources to speakers connected to it. Why would it have an optical output (not saying there aren't some that might have one but I'm not sure why they would have one).

Scott


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

All of my receivers, like you said, have their inputs in the rear. Each also has a 1/4 headphone jack on the front, which disables the speaker output. I'm surprised it doesn't have a 3.5mm jack like my TV and other newer equipment.


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## rpj22 (Mar 27, 2016)

HerronScott said:


> Most receiver optical connections are inputs since the point of a receiver is to play the audio coming from different sources to speakers connected to it. Why would it have an optical output (not saying there aren't some that might have one but I'm not sure why they would have one).
> 
> Scott


1. The manual for my Harman/Kardon AVR 147 says the optical output is intended for some recorders which have an optical input. (I don't remember seeing one.)
2. I have seen some devices which don't use HDMI for their audio ... they use a separate audio path.
3. Since the headphone output on my AVR is stereo, I have thought about trying one of those surround sound gamer headsets which have an optical input, just to see how they work for a movie. Most of the online reviews say the sound is OK, but not great.
4. To use a soundbar rather than speakers. And, to answer your next question, they would do that if they need the soundbar for the usual reasons, and yet they still need the switching capability of an AVR.


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