Has my laptop got a digital out?

[mattjax05]

Not sure if my new Compaq laptop has a digital out via its headphone jack? Is there a way of telling? I can't see any setting in the sound cards settings (It's IDT Audio) When I play a DVD I get no red light from the jack but could it be an electrical connection or not the right setting?

Help please...........

Thanks

Matt

 

[John Duncan]

Usually the only way of telling is to plug an optical cable in and see if a light shines out the end of it. What model is it?

 

[PJPro]

A little more detail on the precise model might help us help you.

 

[John Duncan]

(jinx)

 

[pauldownton1979]

i too would like to ask the same question as i may soon buy a beresford, and with the usb version being £50 more, i dont want to stretch to it if i dont have to. i have a sony vaio vgn-nr10e/s the onboard sound is realtek high definition audio the driver is 6.0.1.5433

i have no optical or coaxial output, but wondering if the 3.5mm jack has an output through a toslink adapter ? or am i talking rubbish?????????????????????

cheers

 

[PJPro]

pauldownton1979:
i too would like to ask the same question as i may soon buy a beresford, and with the usb version being £50 more, i dont want to stretch to it if i dont have to.

Don't forget you're getting a lot more than just a usb port with the 7520. It's a redesign on the 7510 and allows for simple opamp rolling eg no soldering.

pauldownton1979:
i have a sony vaio vgn-nr10e/s the onboard sound is realtek high definition audio the driver is 6.0.1.5433

i have no optical or coaxial output, but wondering if the 3.5mm jack has an output through a toslink adapter ? or am i talking rubbish?????????????????????

cheers

The tech specs I have seen do not mention SPDIF on the available interfaces. But I am unable to find your model on the Sony site.

 

[pauldownton1979]

thanks for your help pj, i too couldnt find the model, my gf bought it from tesco cheapish a couple of years ago.

thanks also for the beresford info - invaluable, cheers. i thought £50 was a bit steep for a usb port!!

also, how would you rate the pre amp on the beresford, compared say, with my retro rotel ra820ax intergrated amp ? i was thinking about ditching the rotel in while for a power amp, tho i dont know what i would have to spend on the bay to outperform what i already have, so might have to keep that one on the back burner for a while

 

[mattjax05]

PJPro:A little more detail on the precise model might help us help you.

Sorry guys for the lack of information, here it is:

http://www.pcworld.co.uk/martprd/store/pcw_page.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@0639414462.1249367714@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccfadehmgjdfjgcflgceggdhhmdgml.0&page=Product&fm=null&sm=null&tm=null&sku=418091&category_oid=-36730

How do you edit the link title?

 

[John Duncan]

Don't think it does. The docking station for it adds spdif but that's a bit of an expense just for that one function - you'd be better off getting a small, cheap USB sound card with a digital out like the Turtle Beach Amigo, connecting a DAC via USB, or adding Airport Express to stream wirelessly.

 

[mattjax05]

JohnDuncan:Don't think it does. The docking station for it adds spdif but that's a bit of an expense just for that one function - you'd be better off getting a small, cheap USB sound card with a digital out like the Turtle Beach Amigo, connecting a DAC via USB, or adding Airport Express to stream wirelessly.

What about the HDMI out on the laptop, does this send digital audio?

Basically what I'm trying to achieve is to send a two channel digital signal to my home cinema amplifier for it to do the conversion to analogue. Sounds simple but I doubt I can do it without buying extra hardware!!!!!

If the HDMI won't do it what exactually does the HDMI do on my laptop? Not clued up at all on Laptops/PCs

Thanks

Matt