Comments on Profile Post by spwath

How about one of those cheap usb to optical dongles?

I cant seem to find one for too cheap. Seems most of them don't do USB to optical

Does Asus have a cheap model? My Asus mobo has toslink out and it ain't new.

Less a sound card and more of a dongle, but the Chromecast Audio can act as a USB>SPDIF converter. It's certainly cheap (15 bucks right now). I have 3 of them at home for streaming and their AKM DAC doesn't sound half bad either.

Doesn't chromecast audio not have a SPDIF out?

Actually, it appears it does, I am wrong. And it can just be a regular USB output device on a computer?

EDIT: I haven't tried it myself (wired USB audio connection) so I may actually be wrong about that. So further research needed there. I can give it a shot tonight and report back if you'd like.

I have two of this little box, $10, it's limited to 44.1/16, does the job though. Make a low ball offer if you're cheap like me. https://www.ebay.com/itm/181957401133

Doesn't ship to the US, but I can probably find one on ebay in US

Just bought one of those. Now to wait a month for it to arrive because im cheap and didn't want to buy one for $35 from amazon

I'm sure you would have noticed if your motherboard already had one :)...

But check to make sure it doesn't have a header ready to connect a lighty-thing socket on a bracket.

I just bought a chromecast myself. I don't know if it works as a general sound card though, I thought it played music through some app.

It has a spdif header, but I don't think I can use that for optical can I?

Oh looks like I can! Ill cancel my order and get one of those bracket things

This might help you
https://www.amazon.co.uk/SPDIF-RCA-Plate-Cable-Bracket/dp/B0035J9Z7W

Read the comment from ktmom

Just checked, I do have a three pin header. ordered the stuff, hopefully should work when I get it in 2 days. Also need to clean the dust out of my cpu heatsink. I guess that's what you get when buying a computer on craigslist (though I got a steal, 2 computers, 1 with i3 (gen 2), 1 with i5 (gen 2), an AIO computer, and 2 monitors, all for $50. no harddrives, but still.

Wish I saw this sooner, would've sent you my old Asus bracket and cable for the spdif header.

Very happy I came up with a useful hint! Most people never bother to read motherboard manuals, and many don't even have one to read.

I knew about that, but didn't think it worked with optical/forgot about it. This was a prebuilt though, so no manual

A problem with pre-built, old, branded, etc machines: one never gets that information. Anyway, success is when it actually works. Keeping fingers crossed!