Is there a better way to high quality audio from PS5?

[Pancreas]

My setup is this.

I have the SMSL po100, as recommended by @staticV3, connected to the PS5 usb port, then an optical cable connected to my Motu MK5 interface, then sound coming out of Genelec 8030c

I was told by a "gamer" that this an inferior way, and the best way is to use an HDMI extractor, but how would that be different from the SMSL po100?

The HDMI extractor would connect to my PS5, then go from optical to my audio interface, so how would at be different or any better than my SMSL po100 setup?

I can still use the PS5 3d audio option with the USB setup.

Is the HDMI pathway, superior sound than going with USB? cause at the end, both are going optical to the interface, so does it matter?

 

[DVDdoug]

No difference. It's the same digital audio data.

HDMI supports "Blu-Ray" formats that are not supported by S/PDIF (optical). But, you'd need those formats to begin with plus an AVR or other "surround decoder" and you'd have to bypass the optical.