Help understanding 3.5 sound output

Help and Support Vero 2
1

Hi there!

I bought a Vero2 last week (waiting for it’s delivery), and before I buy any cables / connectors, I need help understanding the sound output.

I’ve read the post in here talking about the 3.5 SPDIF output, searched for cables on the Internet, etc. and this afternoon I visited my local shop (they’re expert on all types of connectors, cables, etc… it’s been there +30 years).

I bought Vero2 even if I have Rasp2 because of the hardware capabilityes, H265, and because I read it had an SPDIF output for 5.1 sound. For the Rasp2 I was about to buy a 90€ splitter, for the HDMI output, so I though… “what the heck, just a few more bucks and I don’t have to buy the splitter and I get better HW”.

My hardware is a good’ol Creative Inspire 5500 with 3 inputs: analog (stereo), Toslink, and coaxial (digital), these last two enabling the DTS and Dolby decoding.

The subwoofer also includes 3 3.5 analog inputs (they go from the decoder to the sub), which should allow a direct input from the Vero2 but without any digital and skipping the DTS decoder.

I went to the shop to ask about this cable.

So, according to the guy I talked to, there’s no way to get digital output from a 3.5 jack with 4 parts (for rear speakers, front, etc.), as we’re talking 4 signals to 1 (the coaxial digital).

Also, they had a “video” cable with a mini-jack with 4 parts, that divided into 3 RCA (yellow, red, white), and couldn’t assure me it would work for sound as it depended on the current, etc…

I’ve also found on the internet “mono” cables from 3.5 jack, to coaxial… similar to this one.

So, could someone please confirm me how this output works? Could I use just send a mini-jack “mono” signal to the 5.1 decoder? Do I have to forget about hardware decoding and plug the 3 minijacks to the subwoofer? Or is my only real option the 90€ splitter for toslink?

I find myself completely lost by the lack of information about this on the Internet, mixed with my very basic knowledge on sound-electronics,

Thanks in advance! :slight_smile:
Regards.

2

Hi again,

OK, after some more investigation I think I need the mono jack to coaxial adapter. On an online shop they refered to it as “used for SPDIF output for sound cards”. I also double-checked this post here which I read previously a couple times, but had me confused because of people talking about 4 poles jack, etc… but now I think I finally understand.

Sorry for double-post. Anyway, in case this thread remains open, I have no problem posting an update confirming if it works, once I get my adapter or cable.

Thanks!

3

I haven’t used it myself as I don’t have a compatible AV receiver (analog only for me :smiley: ) but the SPDIF output on the Vero 2 is coaxial. So you need an adaptor cable from a standard 3.5mm TS plug (similar to headphones) to the coax connector found on AV receivers.

The analog audio output is a 4 pole TRS connector as it supplies stereo audio and composite video, however the SPDIF connector I think is only a “mono” (signal and earth) TS connector.

4

As far as I understand, the 3.5mm minijack can be configured to output all sorts of different things. I’m guessing it’s meant to function as an old-fashioned AV port (red/white/yellow) as seen on many other similar devices.

Our particular model has been set up to output SPDIF on one of the channels. I’m guessing the other channels are turned off, since other users seem to use a 3.5mm minijack to 1 RCA. If/when the other channels output anything, I’d presume the mono cable would stop working.

What I use is a regular cheap mini-jack to 3 RCA (red, white, yellow) from another (crappy) ARM box. I get the SPDIF from the white RCA IIRC. Some users have to pull out the minijack a bit to get the right connection, but my cable just works.

So get the cheap r/w/y cable and connect the white(?) RCA to your coax digital input. Set up Kodi for SPDIF pass-through and you should be set.

5

Hi,
A friend had success in getting digital 5.1 sound to his reciever with the Vero 2 using the “mono”-style adapter you had in your link.

6

Thanks all.

I’m still waiting the delivery. After all I think I finally understand how it works, so I will try finding a mono adaptor around my place, and if not, I will try with a 3 RCA cable.

I will confirm once (if) everything works :relaxed:

7

Hi!

You can check my post in the other thread, with a picture of the cable that worked for me:

It must be mono, otherwise it won’t work. Enjoy the Vero 2, it’s an amazing piece of hardware!

8

Pretty sure the 4 pole one will work as well but only on one of the outputs

9

I could not make it work with the four-pole jack in any of the three outputs but maybe I did something wrong… In any case the mono jack is a safe bet :slight_smile:

10

Somr 4 pole connectors have the ground in the wrong place, they won’t work at all

11

Ok, then that makes sense!
Who would have guessed that there’s so much variety in a humble jack connector! :stuck_out_tongue:

12

I’m pretty sure that the mono cable will only work as long as only one output channel is being used. If the channels for analogue audio or video are turned on, the signals will be mixed together in a mono cable.
I have absolutely no idea if this is a likely change or not. But any more than one signal from the mini-jack output and the mono cables will stop working.

13

As has already been stated, one 3.5mm socket is for SPDIF (using a mono connector) and the other connector is stereo audio and composite video. (using a 3 or 4 pole TRS connector)

So what you describe can’t happen.

14
15

I have to say, I’m underwhelmed with this aspect of the Vero2’s audio. I have a feeling that I might be missing some arcane (or maybe obvious!) piece of knowledge. Hopefully. :slight_smile:

I can get patchy sound out of the 3.5mm socket that is closest to the HDMI socket. I have tried a bog standard 3.5mm stereo plug to stereo RCA cable, plus a 4 pole 3.5mm video+stereo RCA cable (both TRS) and neither works satisfactorily. The 4 pole plug seems to only do mono (either left or right depending on how far you insert the plug) and the standard stereo plug can do “stereo” (one channel very very quiet, just silly) if you unplug it an arbitrary, precise and fanicketty amount.

Surely there must be a simple combination of cable/settings that allows for standard stereo audio from this 3.5mm socket - yes? The software (OSMC) and hardware (Vero 2) is standardised, and basic stereo audio (the same volume on left and right channels would be nice too) isn’t too much to expect, is it?

The reason I want to use this output is to feed a 2nd (older) amp that powers outside speakers. That way I have precise and seperate volume controls for inside and outside.

16

You could get timing (sync) issues with this approach, but if you’re only using one set of speakers at a time, you’ll have no problem.

Check the cable you’re using, if I insert some headphones, the audio is well balanced (right and left) in the 4 pole plug (CVBS).

Sam

17

Yes, definitely timing issues. Is this configurable?

I will check my cables and let you know. Thanks!

18

You can set an offset, but this can be difficult to get right. The problem is the delay between analogue and digital. I would recommend a different approach if you want to run audio like this. Maybe an AV receiver with multi-zone support?

19

Little update: when I listen via headphones the audio output sounds good, so maybe issue lies with my cable(s). Further testing required.

Is there any chance our you adding an option to change this offset via a drop-down box or something similar? Fiddly with that sounds a lot more affordable than shelling out for a new AVR, and I/we can always set it back to default if it’s not working. :slight_smile: