Optical USB can also refer to the use of optical technology in USB cables and connecters, such as fiber optic USB extension cables and hubs. USB cables are used to connect devices — such as printers, keyboards and music players — to computers.
Both will work fine, but optical has some major benefits over USB that just pushes it into first place. Not being affected by electrical and radio interference is a major advantage to me in the audio world. Personally I always use optical audio when possible.
Can optical cable be used for audio?
Both HDMI and optical pass digital audio from one device to another. Both are better than analog (the red and white cables). Both can pass multi-channel audio, like Dolby Digital.
How do you connect an optical cable to an external audio?
Can you use USB for optical? – Related Questions
Is sound better through optical or HDMI?
The biggest difference is that HDMI can pass higher-resolution audio, including the formats found on Blu-ray: Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD Master Audio. These formats can’t get transmitted across optical. In terms of simplicity, HDMI also passes video signals.
Is optical audio better than HDMI?
In terms of audio quality – HDMI wins
If you’re looking for the best audio quality, HDMI is your choice. While an optical cable can still pass surround sound and super high-quality audio, thanks to the added bandwidth in the latest HDMI versions (2.0) you’ll be able to pass higher resolution and audio.
Where do I connect the optical audio cable?
Plug one end of the optical digital cable into the OPTICAL DIGITAL OUT port of your TV. Plug the other end of the optical digital cable into the OPTICAL DIGITAL IN port of your soundbar. If the optical digital cable is already connected, disconnect it and then reinsert it firmly.
How do you connect an optical cable to a speaker?
How do I get my TV to play through my optical cable?
Make sure the home theater or stereo system is set to the appropriate input and mode for the optical connection. Make sure the optical cable is firmly connected to both the TV and the home theater or stereo system. Try changing the channel on the TV to another digital broadcast.
How do I connect external speakers to my TV with sound?
Using 3.5mm analogue cables
They’re the same connector used on phones, tablets, laptops, etc. For this, you’ll need to use a 3.5mm audio jack on the TV end and a RCA jack on the speaker end. If your speakers also use 3.5mm for input connectivity (instead of RCA connectors), you can use a 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable.
Can you plug USB speakers into TV?
Unfortunately, you can’t connect your soundbar to a TV using a USB port because USB fails to support the transmission of audio and video signals between devices. However, you can use an HDMI, digital optical, Aux, or RCA cable (along with an adapter, if needed) to form a connection.
Can I use USB speakers on my TV?
Analog audio will require an analog to digital converter/interface. There are several models available. If the connected devices have the appropriate interface, drivers and program to communicate, yes, a USB port can be used for audio.
How do I connect speakers to my TV without HDMI?
You simply take one end of your digital optical cable and insert connect it to the digital optical output port on your TV. Then, you take the other end of the cable and insert it into the digital optical input port on the receiver connected to your surround sound speaker system.
What if my TV doesn’t have HDMI-ARC or optical?
There are many ways to avoid using HDMI or optical connections. You can connect wirelessly with Bluetooth, or use a 3.5 mm AUX cable, RCA cables, or even an auxiliary device that converts coaxial cable to another kind of connection.
What if my TV does not have an optical output?
What if Your TV Does Not Have an Optical Output? If you need to connect to a sound system that only has an optical input, then you will need to buy an audio adapter to convert the audio that your TV does support. You can purchase coaxial digital audio to optical converters.
How do I connect speakers to a TV without audio jack?
HDMI cable for the TV and receiver or soundbar
Check if your TV has an HDMI output port, which is usually marked HDMI-ARC.
Use the HDMI cable to connect the two devices.
Note: this method transmits surround sound without any loss to quality, unlike the two previous methods.
Why does my soundbar have a USB port?
The USB port is input for the sound bar. You can connect other devices (say something does not have Bluetooth) to the sound bar.
How do I get audio output from my TV?
Using the HDMI cable, connect the HDMI IN (ARC or eARC) port on the TV and the HDMI OUT (ARC or eARC) port on the audio device. Using the optical digital audio cable, connect the Optical Digital OUT port on the TV and the Optical Digital IN port on the audio device. Turn on the TV. Set Speakers to Audio system.
Can I connect normal speakers directly to my TV?
Can I Connect Speakers Directly to My TV? Generally, no. The only speakers that can connect directly to a television are active speakers with a built-in amplifier. For example, most soundbars are active, and so you can connect these directly to a TV via optical or HDMI ARC.
How do I connect external speakers to my Smart TV?
