# iPad optical out to DSP?



## JakeG37 (Jul 27, 2015)

Guys, Ive been looking for a working solution to this question all over the place. I apologize if its been answered somewhere already but I have not had any luck. Is there a way to convert my output of my iPad mini 4 to optical and send that to my Alpine DSP? Here is what I am wanting to do: I want to play FLAC files (stored on a Seagate Wireless Plus 2TB) bypassing the iPad DAC and send that signal to my Alpine DSP. Is there a way to do this? If I cant get the iPad itself to pass an optical signal (untouched), is there another way to play FLAC files controlled by my iPad to another device that can output Toslink to my DSP? I was going to try this using my iPhone 6 Plus (with a 30pin to lightning adapter) and a Pure i20 that Soundman used on a build, but the Pure i20 doesnt work with iPhones after the 5s (the 5s and the 30pin to lightning works).


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## Hammer1 (Jan 30, 2011)

You can use the Apple digital A/V adapter. That will give you hdmi out and a way to charge then run that to a hdmi converter and you will get optical out. Or you can use the Mosconi AMAS2 if you want to do bluetooth to optical


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## JakeG37 (Jul 27, 2015)

I dont care about the video performance of this device, but some people note limitations with video quality from it. Is there any downside to the audio performance? So long as this will get me an untouched digital output to the hdmi converter/toslink out, it should work fine for what I need. Thanks for the suggestion. Anyone else try this method and care to comment on how well it works?


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## fcarpio (Apr 29, 2008)

Subbed. I am interested in this as well. So I found the adapter to get the HDMI out from the iPad, that was easy. From there what would you use to get Toslink out?


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## Zippy (Jul 21, 2013)

fcarpio said:


> Subbed. I am interested in this as well. So I found the adapter to get the HDMI out from the iPad, that was easy. From there what would you use to get Toslink out?


You can use this:

4X1 HDMI Switcher w/ Toslink & Digital Coaxial Port

That will get you toslink out from the HDMI. Only drawback if you want to watch video is that you must use some other device for video out via HDMI. mp3car.com has some monitors that can be used in place of a double din. Also with this configure, android devices with HDMI will work as well.


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## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

I can confirm the ViewHD Optical Extractor sounded awesome for this in test on wall power. I'm planning on encorporating it. Worked far better I think than a dc modified Airport Express (which I keep forgetting to take back to stock AC wall power)


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## JakeG37 (Jul 27, 2015)

Babs said:


> I can confirm the ViewHD Optical Extractor sounded awesome for this in test on wall power. I'm planning on encorporating it. Worked far better I think than a dc modified Airport Express (which I keep forgetting to take back to stock AC wall power)


I think I will order one and try it out. I wont be able to test for a couple of weeks since I will be out of town.


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## JakeG37 (Jul 27, 2015)

Anyone know where I can find one of these cables? (see attached image). It is a 5 pin RGBS cable for a JAMMA Board. I find the boards all over the place but have not seen where I can just buy the cable. This is a side project to go along with the digital out of my iPad. Hoping to convert the stock video display in my car into a format I can display on on the iPad mini.


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## Theslaking (Oct 8, 2013)

Zippy said:


> You can use this:
> 
> 4X1 HDMI Switcher w/ Toslink & Digital Coaxial Port
> 
> That will get you toslink out from the HDMI. Only drawback if you want to watch video is that you must use some other device for video out via HDMI. mp3car.com has some monitors that can be used in place of a double din. Also with this configure, android devices with HDMI will work as well.


I have been using these for years. I like them a lot. I am a Droid fan so all my phones have had a mini HDMI output for a while. Just need a voltage converter.


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## Onyx1136 (Mar 15, 2009)

Does anyone know off hand if these ViewHD audio extractors shut down the optical output when there is no audio signal present? Or is the optical out always on, regardless of whether or not here is a signal being passed?


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## JakeG37 (Jul 27, 2015)

I have a ViewHD and from what I recall, it seems to always be on when connected/powered up. I am out of town so i cant hook it up in the car to verify this for sure, but Im pretty positive this is the case.


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## fcarpio (Apr 29, 2008)

Theslaking said:


> Just need a voltage converter.


Which one do you use? I am going to try this until I get my HU.


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## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

Idevice to optical? No problem..
http://www.clarion.com/us/en/products-personal/multimedia/NX706/specification/index.html#Fm-1Anchor


Sent from iPhone using Tapatalk


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## fcarpio (Apr 29, 2008)

Babs said:


> Idevice to optical? No problem..
> Clarion U.S.A | NX706
> 
> 
> Sent from iPhone using Tapatalk


That unit is definitely sweet, but not out yet. I am debating between this ($$$), an Alpine ($$$$) just because I have the PXA-H800 and one of those e3io carputers ($$$$$).

In the meantime it would be nice to get a toslink out of my Note 4.


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## JakeG37 (Jul 27, 2015)

fcarpio said:


> Which one do you use? I am going to try this until I get my HU.


To supply the voltage to the ViewHD you can just take the power plug they supply and splice in a USB A connector to the end and plug into a USB power adapter in your car. I would take a pic of mine but its in the car and Im too lazy to do that right now. Lol. Just came back to CA from FL and drove 3 hours to get home.


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## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

Yeah I'm going to attempt powering the ViewHD and the return iPhone charge from the same 5v output of a DCDC-USB supply. 


Sent from iPhone using Tapatalk


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## fcarpio (Apr 29, 2008)

I found this unit that has USB power. Has anyone used it before?

4K x 2K HDMI to HDMI and Optical Toslink SPDIF 3 5mm Audio Extractor Converter | eBay


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## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

fcarpio said:


> I found this unit that has USB power. Has anyone used it before?
> 
> 4K x 2K HDMI to HDMI and Optical Toslink SPDIF 3 5mm Audio Extractor Converter | eBay


I've not used it, but that mini-USB port for power certainly makes things convenient.


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## fcarpio (Apr 29, 2008)

Babs said:


> I've not used it, but that mini-USB port for power certainly makes things convenient.


I know...


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## JakeG37 (Jul 27, 2015)

Id give it a shot. Looks a lot like the ViewHD boxes. The components inside might be inferior but you arent talking about a lot of money either way.


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## fcarpio (Apr 29, 2008)

JakeG37 said:


> Id give it a shot. Looks a lot like the ViewHD boxes. The components inside might be inferior but you arent talking about a lot of money either way.


Yeah, I already ordered one to try out.


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## JakeG37 (Jul 27, 2015)

I am trying to find something for my system that will be able to take a live video signal (in this case my RGBS from my factory display) and be able to send that via Wi-Fi that I could view using an App on my iPad/iPhone. I read somewhere that people said this existed in some form but I cannot find anything in my searches for this hardware. Anyone have any info to share? 

I just found this on amazon http://www.amazon.com/Sourcingbay-T..._23_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1RBEYKE10B68M1A5N5GJ#Ask 

Any thoughts if this might do what I need it to do? I would use a RGBS converter to convert to a composite video to be input into this device.


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## jomito7 (Apr 1, 2016)

Wifi connection to optical PCM output is my answer ...

There are a number of wifi streaming options including airplay, DLNA, Soundtouch, Sonos, play-fi, chromecast ... to name a few. The geniuses at Apple made airplay always stream at 16bit/44.1kHz, so they will have to change their protocol if you want 24bit audio coming out of an airplay device. Sonos and Soundtouch are expensive, Chromecast only works with google devices such as android ... so that leaves DLNA and Play-Fi. 

DLNA has been around for a long time, and there are many devices out there that can play DLNA audio stream at higher rates. Most DLNA devices that output optical PCM streams are cheap and chinese crap, but you may be able to find something to stream over wifi. 

Play-Fi to me looks like the most promising wifi audio streaming protocol. It is generic, so it can be played on iOS, windows, kindle or google devices. It already has devices that can stream 24bit/192kHz files. The problem with Play-Fi at this particular time is that it is so new. There are a few devices, but I haven't been able to find any with optical outputs.

Just search wifi audio receiver, and you'll find a ton of devices out on the market. 

So the next question is, how do you hook up wifi and browse or stream LTE at the same time. Well there are a couple ways. On apple devices you can connect airplay and turn off the router function ... or just in general, you give it a static IP/DHCP to connect to the wifi device and you'll always be connected.

Right now I'm waiting for the JL Audio TWK to come out, so I plan on doing something like this as a connection to the TWK. I have an outstanding question out to JL Audio as to what PCM audio stream the TWK can accept.

Good Luck.


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## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

jomito7 said:


> So the next question is, how do you hook up wifi and browse or stream LTE at the same time. Well there are a couple ways. On apple devices you can connect airplay and turn off the router function ... or just in general, you give it a static IP/DHCP to connect to the wifi device and you'll always be connected.


Yep.. That appears to be the way to do it.
Section 9 here: AirPlay on the Highway


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## t3sn4f2 (Jan 3, 2007)

jomito7 said:


> Wifi connection to optical PCM output is my answer ...
> 
> There are a number of wifi streaming options including airplay, DLNA, Soundtouch, Sonos, play-fi, chromecast ... to name a few. The geniuses at Apple made airplay always stream at 16bit/44.1kHz, so they will have to change their protocol if you want 24bit audio coming out of an airplay device. Sonos and Soundtouch are expensive, Chromecast only works with google devices such as android ... so that leaves DLNA and Play-Fi.
> 
> ...


Every processor out there has some type of sample rate conversion chip on the digital input. So I think it's safe to say that the TWK will accept anything you can throw at it and convert it to the likely 48kHz native rate the processor runs at. If not you can just add one of these.

https://www.minidsp.com/products/minidspkits/minidigi


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