Dac/headphone amp for optical out from tv.

[Paul7777x]

Hi gents. I’m after a cheap dac/headphone amp for tv listening.

The only thing it needs to be able to do is have no problems changing the 5.1 output to 2.0 on the fly to the headphones. Properly.

It doesn’t need to be used for hifi or home cinema duties. Just the tv and headphones.

Thanks for any help.

 

[Chrispy]

Curious how you think the 5.1 to 2.0 conversion would happen within the headphone amp....properly is another question. Why wouldn't it just grab the 2.0 version usually available?

 

[DVDdoug]

The only thing it needs to be able to do is have no problems changing the 5.1 output to 2.0 on the fly to the headphones. Properly.

You'll probably need to configure the TV for that (Set to LPCM stereo). Most stand-alone DACs can't decode the surround sound formats.

 

[Paul7777x]

The tv doesn’t appear to offer that function. It’s a cheap LG, and nowhere in the menu does it mention stereo, although i have it set to LPCM, it does not specify that such is stereo.

It doesn’t even have its own analogue output for headphones. It does have Bluetooth out, but you can imagine how that sounds on my ‘inexpensive’ JBL BT ‘phones.

I’d rather not have to spend a goodly amount for better BT headphones when I doubt the
LG’s output is up to it.

 

[Paul7777x]

Curious how you think the 5.1 to 2.0 conversion would happen within the headphone amp....properly is another question. Why wouldn't it just grab the 2.0 version usually available?

I’m not certain it has a 2.0 available. On some films and series, it seems fine, but on most it sounds nothing like you’d expect from 2.0. Subdued dialogue, and very odd effects, when any, is the more usual result.

 

[Paul7777x]

Curious how you think the 5.1 to 2.0 conversion would happen within the headphone amp....properly is another question. Why wouldn't it just grab the 2.0 version usually available?

I could just get a cheap 5.1 input to stereo output device I suppose. I’ve seen them inexpensively enough on eBay and Amazon. No idea if they have an annoying lag though.

 

[Chrispy]

I’m not certain it has a 2.0 available. On some films and series, it seems fine, but on most it sounds nothing like you’d expect from 2.0. Subdued dialogue, and very odd effects, when any, is the more usual result.

Maybe look at the info screen when it varies to see what it's actually got going on? 2.0 I don't expect a lot from compared to a good 5.1/7.1 etc soundtrack....

 

[Chrispy]

I could just get a cheap 5.1 input to stereo output device I suppose. I’ve seen them inexpensively enough on eBay and Amazon. No idea if they have an annoying lag though.

AVRs can do that well as well as providing the multich audio if you have the rest of the hardware....

 

[Paul7777x]

It may be that 2.0 is simply poor. But the poor, sometimes impossibly so dialogue is worse than I’d imagine it shows ud be.

I have no AVR set up alas, I’m strictly a stereo fellow.

A Lyngdorf 1120 drives a pair of AVI Trio speakers. And for everything to do with music, it is a wonderful set up.

But the optical output of my tv sounds awful, and mostly wrong. And as I mostly watch a film quite late I’d be using headphones anyway, hence the proposal for a dac that was happy to deal with anything 5.1 ish thrown at it.

 

[Paul7777x]

Now you mention it, I could just buy a dirt cheap, old AVR and use that as the headphone amp. At least it would be guaranteed to work. Cheers sir.

 

[Chrispy]

It may be that 2.0 is simply poor. But the poor, sometimes impossibly so dialogue is worse than I’d imagine it shows ud be.

I have no AVR set up alas, I’m strictly a stereo fellow.

A Lyngdorf 1120 drives a pair of AVI Trio speakers. And for everything to do with music, it is a wonderful set up.

But the optical output of my tv sounds awful, and mostly wrong. And as I mostly watch a film quite late I’d be using headphones anyway, hence the proposal for a dac that was happy to deal with anything 5.1 ish thrown at it.

For 2.0 I'd concentrate on best placement of L/R speakers rather than worry about center, especially if only one primary seat is critical. Look in your tv audio settings for 2.0 output?

 

[DVDdoug]

A Lyngdorf 1120

I'm pretty sure that won't work at all if you feed it a surround track.

 

[Paul7777x]

The speakers are in the required triangle position with respect to the LP. I cannot, either in the menu, or the manual find anything relating to, or mentioning stereo or 2.0. It’s quite odd.

 

[Paul7777x]

I'm pretty sure that won't work at all if you feed it a surround track.

That’s what I thought too. It probably doesn’t. So I’m stuck with just a poor stereo output it might seem.

I’ve decided to get a used AVR, as above. I’ll let that do any conversion rather than the tv.

That should give me a decent enough headphone output from an optical in and allow for the front L+R outputs from it, into the Lyngdorf for any earlier watching I might do.

I’ll see how that works.

Thank you gentlemen, that was quickly sorted out.