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Digital audio to Cat6 to RCA

#1

I am running audio back from a remote outdoor smart TV to a Sonos connect (Line IN) to allow it play over my other Sonos outdoor zones. In previous setups I was able to use the TV’s RCA audio out to Cat5 (300ft) back to RCA for the Sonos connection.

The new TV’s only audio out option is a Digital Audio (Optical) connection. Can I go from Digital Audio to Cat5 to RCA? I already have the Cat5 to RCA converters, but how do I start this audio transfer from a Digital Audio (Optical) and end up with RCA?

#2

Seems like you need a DAC as you’re taking a digital out and converting it to analog RCA.

#3

Yes. But where?

Digital to DAC to RCA to Cat5 to RCA?

Digital to DAC to Cat5 directly to RCA?

Digital to Cat5 to Digital to DAC to RCA?

#4

The first option would allow you to continue to use your prior set-up with the added DAC giving you the analog RCA outputs that are missing on the new TV. I don’t know if the other options would work (although I doubt it) or if any of these options is optimal.

#5

Are you trying to convert Toslink optical to RCA analog or SPDIF coax?

#6

eventually optical to RCA, but using a cat5 line for the 300 ft in between…

#7

If you are successful making the connection work, I’d be interested if there is sufficient delay that the TV sound is out of sync with the picture.

#8

Hi Chris. In short, it worked.

So currently I have two paths for sound for my outdoor TV (300ft run).

Main path is coax cable to cable box to RCA out to Sonos Connect (Line In). This gets my cable audio into the Sonos network and I can then play that audio feed over any Sonos speaker. Audio and video are in sync.

The second path is for my steaming TV content. This goes from TV digital optical (Toslink) out to Toslink optical cable to the DAC (Monoprice Digital Coax & Optical Toslink to R/L Stereo Audio Converter) to RCA to RCA/Cat5 balun to Cat5 300ft run to Cat5/RCA balun to RCA to Line In on another Sonos Connect. While a delay is not noticeable, if I play the TV audio at the same time as this path, there is a slight echo (assuming the long run is the delayed sound), but it is so slight, even with both on, it is not a problem… just sounds more stadium-like…

For the record, the Video runs from Cable box HDMI out to Atlona HDMI extender to Cat5 (300ft) to Atlona receiver to HDMI to TV.