Solved! Increase HDTV toslink audio output for bluetooth transmission?

Jan 9, 2020
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I've got a problem I'm not sure how to approach.

I recently purchased a pair of Oraolo Neckband Bluetooth Wearable Speakers for use with the output of my 2015 Samsung 50" HDTV. The wearable speakers accept their source signal via bluetooth. The HDTV has a cable box and Apple tv 4K hooked up to it. I took the toslink audio out of the TV (which is the only audio output from the HDTV---no headphones, RCA or line outputs) and input it into a
1 Mii Long Range Bluetooth 5.0 Transmitter Receiver Bluetooth Audio Adapter Bluetooth Transmitter.

Then I paired the wearable speakers to the bluetooth transmitter. It works, but the audio in the speakers is low even when the volume control on the speakers is cranked as high as it will go. When I pair the wearable speakers with my iPhone, the speakers are PLENTY loud. So it's not a question of the volume or amplification abilities of the wearable speakers.

I need to somehow increase the volume of the toslink audio out of the TV. The volume control for the TV doesn't do it as it's just an optical signal. I tried taking the toslink signal from the TV and putting it through a 192kHz DAC Converter, Digital to Analog Converter with Volume Control Optical Coaxial Toslink to Analog Stereo RCA 3.5mm Audio Adapter and then taking the analog signal and inputting that to the bluetooth transmitter. There is a volume control on the bluetooth transmitter that only works when inputting an analog signal. This didn't work: #1 I got a bad buzz I couldn't eliminate and
#2 the volume is no louder then when I input the signal via optical toslink. I've tried two different bluetooth transmitters / manufacturers models so I don't believe they are "broke".

It seems I need to somehow amplify the volume of the toslink optical signal from the TV but also keep it digital and that seems to be the unique requirement. I do recognize that the toslink optical out of an HDTV is usually meant to be input to an amplifier of some sort. But even if I did that, I'd need to get an optical output of the amp to input to the bluetooth transmitter, and that's only available in very high end amps.

Seems like I'm trying to do something relatively simple but there don't seem to be any simple solutions. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.
 
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Solution
If the TV has any audio processing such as a night mode that might raise the audio level a bit.
Using an AVR with optical output won't work since that's also fixed level and might not be any higher than the TV output.
Try connecting the transmitter directly to the source if they have an optical output. The "digital level" might be higher bypassing the TV.
If you got wearable speakers or headphones with an analog input you could use a stereo receiver or headphone amp to adjust the volume. If the receiver/amp didn't have BT built in you would need a BT receiver as well.
If the TV has any audio processing such as a night mode that might raise the audio level a bit.
Using an AVR with optical output won't work since that's also fixed level and might not be any higher than the TV output.
Try connecting the transmitter directly to the source if they have an optical output. The "digital level" might be higher bypassing the TV.
If you got wearable speakers or headphones with an analog input you could use a stereo receiver or headphone amp to adjust the volume. If the receiver/amp didn't have BT built in you would need a BT receiver as well.
 
Solution