Digital Optical Coax to Analog Stereo Audio Converter, USB DAC Headphone Amplifier

I have the same problem so many other people are having. I bought a large plasma TV and and amplified sound bar, but didn't know the TV had only a toslink/fiber optic audio output. For a lot of reasons that are too difficult to explain here, there are huge differences in the level of volume coming out of the TV, depending on the source of the signal. For some recorded programs I have on my media player I get good volume form the TV at 45% volume. For some cable channels I can't get adequate volume even at 100% volume. It was maddening. If my TV had an RCA audio out, or even a headphone jack, like just about every other TV in the world used to, I could fix it. I could have put a small line-level booster on the TV output. But optical outputs are digital. You would have to modify the digital signal to increase the levels, just not practical. This wonderful box is the perfect solution for me. I plugged the optical out from the TV into this box with a toslink cable, then hooked the box to the sound bar with RCA cables. I didn't even need to use the headphone amplifier built into the converter! The converter translates the optical signal and sends it to the speaker bar with the correct line level, and the bar now has plenty of volume. Hooked it up in 30 seconds, didn't even have to read the instructions, and now I am fully enjoying my new TV and sound bar like I should have weeks ago! A few words to those who gave bad reviews: The ad and description for this converter doesn't make it clear, but it will only convert LPCM audio. The technical specifications listed says LPCM, but how many consumers know what that means? Here is the answer... The toslink/optical audio jack on your equipment puts out a digital signal, but not always the same kind of signal. Just because it uses the same optical cable, doesn't mean the signals are compatible. If your TV is outputting Dolby Digital through the fiberoptic jack, the converter can't read it. The good news is that LPCM is available on most devices, you just might have to tell the settings in that device to use LPCM instead some other format. In my case, the TV defaults to LPCM anyway, so I didn't have to change anything. If you are an audiophile and think you are losing some audio quality by using this, I won't argue with you. Go buy a better unit for several hundred dollars more and feel proud. But if you are practical like me, I can't hear any difference in quality between a direct link to my sound bar, or using this converter, except that now the volume is where it should be. I would have given this converter 5 stars if it could have handled any optical signal instead of just LPCM, but other than that it works beautifully!!!

After much research on Amazon and online, I took a chance on this item and it works even better than I expected, to be able to use headphones with my Panasonic plasma TV. I'll provide a lot of detail below, in case you're not an audiophile.1. TV model: Panasonic Viera TC-P42X5. This TV, like so many today, has no headphone jack and has no RCA-style (red and white) "Audio OUT" connections, but DOES have a "Digital Audio Out" (aka Optical, aka Toslink) connection.1a. IF your TV DOES have the RCA-style (red and white) "Audio OUT" connections, you don't need this converter and probably only need a very inexpensive RCA to headphone converter cable, although you may not get the desired volume level without some other type mini converter/amplifier, or by going ahead and using this solution if you also have an Optical Audio Output.2. A separate Optical/Toslink cable purchase is required. I bought this one for $5.49 from Amazon: "AmazonBasics Digital Optical Audio Toslink Cable, 6 Feet by AmazonBasics".3. NOTE - the Optical cable is shipped with a small plastic protector covering the actual connector at each end of the cable - you MUST remove those plastic protectors - fingernail pinch works fine to get them off.4. The optical cable only fits one way - just rotate the connector until it fits into the converter box and into the Digital Audio Out connection on the back of the TV.5. The converter box optical connection is shipped with a small plastic plug inserted into the connection - just pull out that plastic plug and insert your Optical cable connector.6. Set the converter switch to the "1" position to correspond to using the Optical cable. A red LED lights up on the back of the converter to confirm that you have the switch in the "1" position.7. The converter DOES come with clear instructions, as the converter can be used with multiple connection types. The converter also DOES come with a USB-type AC power supply, which will be "always on" as there is no On/Off switch. If that is a big deal to you, there are electrical adapter plugs available with a built-in On/Off switch - local hardware store or Home Depot/Lowe's, etc.8. VERY IMPORTANT - before you order --- your TV MUST have the AUDIO OUT OPTION to set the "SPDIF Type" to "PCM" (Pulse Code Modulation) --- and NOT Dolby Digital or DTS. On the Panasonic TV, this is found under "MENU / AUDIO / "SPDIF Type" with toggle choices of "Dolby Digital", "Off", and "PCM". (For some reason, the converter worked OK on my headphones, even with the TV's SPDIF Type set to Dolby Digital, but the converter instructions specify that it won't work with Dolby.)9. FYI that my TV source is Comcast HDTV cable TV with an HDMI cable from their Motorola DCH3416 HD DVR to the Panasonic TV's HDMI input. As far as I can tell, the Motorola DVR has no user-selectable Audio options.10. In my opinion, the VOLUME control knob on this converter is a huge plus, as it provided plenty of volume through the headphone jack on the converter.11. Also NOTE that the "Digital Audio Out" on my Panasonic TV is at a FIXED VOLUME level. That may be the case with most, or all, such Plasma or LCD or LED TVs nowadays, which also have an "Optical Audio Out" or "Digital Audio Out" connection. As such, the TV Volume level itself can be low, high or even muted without affecting my headphones. That could be a big plus if someone else in the room preferred to listen to the TV speakers, or if that "significant" other person didn't want to hear the TV sound at all !12. Due to that FIXED VOLUME level output from the TV, the VOLUME control knob on this converter acts like a mini amplifier of that FIXED TV volume output level. Again, a huge plus in my mind, and for my retired, hard of hearing, ears.13. On that same VOLUME subject, I also use headphones that have a 20' cable and WITH AN INLINE VOLUME CONTROL KNOB built in to the headphone cable, close to the headphones. That lets me turn the volume UP even more, or DOWN or OFF. I would recommend the same for you, unless you want to get a lot of exercise adjusting the VOLUME knob on the converter, which will be sitting next to your TV set. That is also VERY HANDY when the TV commercial volume blasts out louder (even though that is technically illegal now), or when a TV show or movie thinks that all explosions, gunshots or car chases need to be at double volume level, but that human conversations can be relatively inaudible. I can just quickly adjust that thumbwheel volume control on the headphone cord as needed.14. SO - much more than you ever wanted to know - hopefully some of it is helpful and saves you some time and money and aggravation.

I got the product and it works perfectly fine for LPCM output but it doesnt work for Dolby Digital output. Of course they clearly state that in the product description but I can not call it a good product if it doesnt work for a very common audio format. You have to make your product complete. If you are using netflix and if your tv does not convert dolby to lpcm (Mine is VT50), you are not going to get any sound from this. Buy the ones with Dolby Decoding option if you use Netflix. It works for Hulu though. Probably original audio format of Hulu is PCM.

This solved my problem with a 50" TV (2010) that has only has an optical sound output other than speakers. It works predictably with excellent sound quality. I use it with Sennheiser wireless earphones. In the course of one year the only problem was a need to unplug it and then plug it in again, once.

didn't work as described. I was really looking forward to hooking up my Sutherland to my tv with this device. :(

Really helpfull tool although expensive. I'm glad i was able to find the product or else my headphones for my tv would have worked

Fully working and fast shipping