I have a question, I hope someone can help me with.
For years, i’ve had an older flatscreen tv that has RCA audio output jacks on the back. Easy to hook up to my BHK preamp. Works great for watching youtube videos and movies.
Now I need to replace the tv, and am told that none of the larger higher quality tv’s have RCA outputs or XLR outputs for audio.
Is there anyway I can hook up a new tv to my BHK preamp?
Most TVs have a headphone out (typically on a 3.5mm minijack). Some let you decide whether the output is at line level or variable by the TV’s remote (most TVs also have optical out but obviously the preamp doesn’t have a dac in it).
For what it may be worth, I have a Samsung TV; the model name is The Frame TV. It has an optical audio (digital) out that is connected not to my BHK, but to my MKII Directstream DAC, which is connected to my BHK. This setup allows me to play the TV sound through my stereo.
Just google ‘toslink to analog converter’, plenty of cheap choice 
I want to play it through my stereo, but am using a Mark Levinson 5101 cd/sacd/streamer.
can i plug a 3.5mm headphone jack into the RCA inputs on the BHK? Are the voltages comparable?
In that case just use the ML 5101 optical input and you’re done (every decent TV does offer optical out)
i’m really not familiar with that, i’ll have to check to see if it has one
i would prefer to go directly to the preamp
oh, ok… forgive my lack of knowledge, would the PCM filters effect the sound?
Direct to preamp without analog out on TV is not possible. You could go for my first el cheapos solution. However soundwise that is no comparison to the use of optical out into your streamer/dac doing the wonders. El cheapos too BTW…
I’d use a 3.5mm to 2 rcas plug like this:
Or you could buy a lead with the minijack at one end and two RCAs at the other. Cheap toslink converters are likely to sound worse than the TV’s headphone out IMO.
So which method is preferred?
I don’t need to repeat my recommendation, spend a few dollars on a minijack to twin RCAs and see what you think, that’s what I do, I’m sure you’ll be happy - it’s just TV sound not the latest natively recorded DSD file.
Others disagree but I’m convinced that cheap dacs can sound terrible (and who’s to say that the TV toslink out will be better than the analogue out even if an expensive dac is used?).
Go with the miniplug. Cheap and easy.
You can always try the optical out later if you are seriously disappointed.
Thanks Elk…
is the output voltage from the headphone jack on the tv, equal to what the BHK is expecting?
FFS - probably variable, read my posts!!!
Now I have to try to figure out what is a good 65 inch tv to purchase. I’m not a videophile.
I have never bought anything approaching that size, but I love Sony TVs; the last one I purchased 13 years ago (was quite expensive for a 40") is still going strong with a beautiful picture and excellent sound.
