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Nintendo Switch doesn't support Optical Audio out....
- Thread starter hlhbk
- Start date
LordOcidax
Member
......HDMI>>>>>>>>>>>≥>>>Optical
geordiemp
Member
With Astro mix amp and quality head phones
Optical>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Hdmi
kitchenmotors
Banned
LordOcidax
Member
So... Nintendo is going to increase costs because a few people are going to use that.... make sense.. :/
knightfolk
Member
I really don't see the headache thing. The 25 dollar adapter has been linked at least three times in this thread, with high praise from a few people as well.
Yeah, I was gonna post something like this too.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BIQER0E/?tag=neogaf0e-20
Whenever I get into a console game I play with Fidelio X2s through an Astro Mixamp. I don't ever expect to use it on a Nintendo Console though. Especially a suped up handheld.
They're both digital, transmitting the same information. HDMI has more bandwidth. Optical can't support many of the newer lossless audio formats for Blu-ray and UHD Blu-ray.
That's the Astro amp and the quality headphones you're hearing, not the optical.
Unknown Soldier
Member
The number of people who use these gaming headsets is vanishingly small outside of PC gaming. I'm sorry but consoles are not PCs and consoles are meant to played in your living room connected to a TV or receiver. Those components have had HDMI for nearly 15 years now.
secretanchitman
Member
Yeah the writing was on the wall considering the Wii U didnt have optical out.
That being said, I do still use optical out myself (Z-5500s connected to a 4 port HDMI switch with optical out - mine was from Monoprice sold through Amazon but they don't sell it anymore) but HDMI has been the standard for a while. Someone linked an HDMI/optical out converter on Amazon for under $30 and I feel that is the best solution for you.
That being said, I do still use optical out myself (Z-5500s connected to a 4 port HDMI switch with optical out - mine was from Monoprice sold through Amazon but they don't sell it anymore) but HDMI has been the standard for a while. Someone linked an HDMI/optical out converter on Amazon for under $30 and I feel that is the best solution for you.
I prefer optical through my hi-fi setup but most A/V receivers support HDMI audio and it doesn't make any sense for the Switch to add an optical audio out port. Hell the latest Apple TV ditched optical and that came out a year or two ago. I think the PS4 Slim does't have one either. Don't paint this on Nintendo.
geordiemp
Member
Its a common set up for head phone amps, yes 5.1 big set ups use HMDI, but small mixer amps do not and still use optical.
A lot of the mid-late 00s receivers that had HDMI only had 1 or 2 HDMI inputs, along with a couple of optical ins and your typical array of component, composite, etc ports.
I got my Panasonic surround sound system in mid-2009, making it maybe 9 years old by model release, and I think I have 1 HDMI port. Maybe it's 2. I had been using the optical ports for convenience's sake.
Granted, I know my system is super old.
As with Wii U it's a minor annoyance for me, but I definitely would have preferred it it had one. The main reason is because my AV Receiver only has 2 HDMI inputs so it's a little fidgety to get everything working without an alternate audio option.
Hopefully I'll be able to get a new AVR soon
Hopefully I'll be able to get a new AVR soon
My TV only has optical out, no HDMI out. I bought it only about 2 years ago, so it's not old either.
Anyways, I'm not using a 'premium headset' or anything like that, numbnut: I'm using a JVC HA-RX700 with a FiiO E17. It's nice, because I live in a studio with central air, and when the AC kicks in I can't hear anything without headphones.
I'm not totally sure why everyone seems to hate Optical. Yes, HDMI can carry slightly better audio signals, but for many cases optical works just as well. The thing about optical is that the cords and connectors are a bit smaller than HDMI, so it can be useful if you don't need a full HDMI cable if you're not dealing with video. On top of that, HDMI is powered. Optical is not. You don't have deal with ground loops or electrical noise with Optical cables, and it's a simpler connector, so it's nice from a design perspective. Of course, those are mild advantages, but there's a reason why optical has been slow to disappear; there's not a great reason to migrate in mass.
Plus, many devices don't let you separate video and audio on two different HDMI cables. The PS3, and my TV doesn't. I suppose I could just buy a really expensive receiver to do this, but quite frankly just outputting to digital audio is much easier if available.
I know you really like HDMI out there, but whether you like it or not, the audio world still uses optical, so stop yelling at the OP for things outside of his control.
Thanks, I think I'm going to have to buy one of those splitters you linked. It's kinda tedious physically changing over the optical cable when I want to switch consoles (I just have cables hooked up already and I just change whichever one actually goes to the amp now)
Astro has a page dedicated now for the PS4 Slim since it does not have an optical port. http://blog.astrogaming.com/2016/09/astro-ps4-slim/
Maybe they should just start including these splitters in the box now...
"Astro mix" + "quality head phones" does not compute. Drop the astro part and it might work.
knightfolk
Member
I'm glad they didn't add it. It's an old standard that few people use. Why should everyone have to pay for them to include it? This thing is overpriced enough already. I get that choices are a good thing but 99% of people would not use it and those who do can drop $30 on a converter.
Same this the Ethernet port. Yeah for some it's important but most would not use it and for those that would there is a $7 adaptor.
Neither of these technologies were build into the Wii or WiiU. Please don't feign surprise that the most portable of all the Nintendo consoles is not ADDING wired connections.
I know it's hip to hate on Nintendo for everything right now but a lot of consumer electronics have dropped Optical out. The PS4 slim doesn't have it but I didn't see a thread like this.
There are plenty of legitimate thing to complain about regarding the Switch, so let's not scrape the bottom of the outrage barrel.
Same this the Ethernet port. Yeah for some it's important but most would not use it and for those that would there is a $7 adaptor.
Neither of these technologies were build into the Wii or WiiU. Please don't feign surprise that the most portable of all the Nintendo consoles is not ADDING wired connections.
I know it's hip to hate on Nintendo for everything right now but a lot of consumer electronics have dropped Optical out. The PS4 slim doesn't have it but I didn't see a thread like this.
There are plenty of legitimate thing to complain about regarding the Switch, so let's not scrape the bottom of the outrage barrel.
One Eyed Willy
Member
Agreed, optical is old.
FrenchFryFiend
Member
Gaming headset manufacturers need to have HDMI audio as an option on their headsets. Especially the ones that come with their own amp box.
Astro Mix amp is junk. iDSD Micro + LCD2/HD800/HE-560 is the true paradise
------
We still don't know if the Switch will support USB audio so that can be an option for Heaphones
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
I guess if the answer to "why optical" is "headphones", then that's a niche use case and the onus shouldn't be on consoles or general console buyers to pay for that. A fraction of console buyers will use that.
It would be a real cinch to have headphones that plug directly into the HDMI output of the console with a passthrough.
It would be a real cinch to have headphones that plug directly into the HDMI output of the console with a passthrough.
geordiemp
Member
What mix amp is better than the astro with Sennheisser game ONE's for gaming where directional + mixing your voice matters ?
You are going on about musical DACS ? Games where directional audio is key, competitive COD players still use it, better than anything else ?
Thats not a mic gaming headset and mix amp for your mic + party chat ? Thats musical !
There's no such thing as a "quality 5.1 setup" that only supports optical, OP. Optical 5.1 is limited to lossy bitstreams only. Your setup has been obsolete for almost a decade now.
Just accept it and buy a cheap breakout box so you can still use your (obsolete) setup with the Switch.
Just accept it and buy a cheap breakout box so you can still use your (obsolete) setup with the Switch.
And lose (proper) surround sound in the process? No thanks.
I have an HDMI compatible AVR, so it's a non-issue for me, but I'd never go through the TV if I could avoid it.
To be fair, there are plenty of setups (AVR and speakers) that lack HDMI which would be significantly better than many HDMI capable setups today, lossy bitstream or not, so it's certainly possibly that their "quality" setup is indeed that.
Yeah, but as long as it has one, you can always get an HDMI switch box to hook up to it. A lot of those have automatic switching, so you don't even have to fiddle with another remote. (Although the PS4 does fuck with that by constantly sending an "active" signal even when it's in rest mode.)
The 3.5mm jack is still universally used.
TAJ
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
It supports 1.5Mbps DTS. That's barely lower bit rate than losslessly packed 16/48/5.1.
To use with a mic? No idea. Ive tired astro and was astonished of how muddy it sounded, personally I recommended (and I own them) the Mojo and su-ax7.
No OP is just wants to see his thread on the 1st page to add to the pilling on.
My Astro Mixamp needs optical in to enable the surround sound, I have no idea what is "the standard" in audio but I appreciate when it is an option.
Transistor
Banned
Sorry folks. Optical is an outdated technology. Just time to move on and upgrade your shit. So is the way with technology
reelbigtink
Member
I work in the AV industry and we very rarely deal with optical audio nowadays. I'm not surprised by the lack of optical out on this thing.
HDMI has its own problems I hate dealing with but whatever.
HDMI has its own problems I hate dealing with but whatever.
If the Wii didn't have it...And the Wii U didn't have it...Did you really expect the Switch to have optical out?
And for the record I was super frustrated that the Wii U didn't have optical out because I couldn't take advantage of my surround sound. I eventually ended up upgrading my setup and that definitely played a factor.
i guess TV is a fair point if you're using your built in tuner; i actually do this for my antenna although i don't use it very often. but then again broadcast ATSC is a pretty old standard so there would be no benefit of using HDMI out on a TV (if such a thing exists, never seen it personally).
as for hdmi being 'slightly' better, i guess if you don't consider having more than 5 speakers or uncompressed audio to be a big deal. but it is night and day.
I also read a post in here that said something about their soundbar only having 1 HDMI input. I just would like to know if anyone is in a similar situation and how old your sound bar is. My ancient Sony soundbar from 2007 has 3 HDMI in and 1 out ffs
Every manufacturer should rightfully get shit for not including some basic features.
Yeah I recently got a lucidsound ls40 headset that requires optical on consoles to get any sound. There is clearly still a use for the connection.
hrm..i have an optical audio external sound processor for dolby 7.1...my motherboard came with optical audio built in, so I guess lots of people?
people not trying to shave coins off for cost versus performance?
Not Nintendo?
secretanchitman
Member
Glad to help man. I'm with you, it just got really tedious switching the optical cable from each console and now all I have to do is switch the input. Way easier and hassle free.
cartman414
Member
Nintendo, non-optical out since the Gamecube.
goldenpp72
Member
I thought optical didn't work with 7.1?
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