J-Tech DigitalHDMI 2.1 ARC Audio Extractor 4K 120Hz 8K 60Hz, HDMI to HDMI + Optical SPDIF + 3.5mm Audio, Compatible with HDR, HDCP 2.3 [JTECH-AE8K]

I have a nice Sonos Arc sound bar and a couple of Play1 surrounds for my TV. The sound is good but the surround never seemed to really be there. I was on the internet and stumbled across an issue that many TVs with optical output, only output stereo. What! So I checked my TV (with it's optical connection to my Arc sound bar) and sure enough, it only outputs stereo. It turns out I need something that will pull DD5.1 audio right out of my HDMI and send that to the speakers via an optical connetor. That's when I found this guy.This feels solid and well put together. It's small and its lights are pretty bright but not too bad. Hooking it up was fairly easy but the manual is terrible - it doesn't really tell you anything. However, I was able to figure it out and now it's hooked up and running.I have to say, the sound quality is significantly better. I am definitely getting my full surround out of my speakers. This is well worth the price!

Firstly, Amazon screwed up the first time and sent the wrong item - a similar switch from another supplier that cost about a third less, and worked only about a third as well. Sometimes it takes using an inferior product to recognize the incredible value of a quality item. I've used J-Tech products before and have always been impressed by the overall quality of manufacture. The J-Tech 4x2 matrix SPDIF TOSLINK switch might look like similar, less-expensive items, but it's much better built. The housing is very durable and the electronics are well-constructed. In contrast, the other switch had a cheap metal housing and some of the TOSLINK jacks actually physically disappeared inside the device when trying to connect an optical cable to them. Those jacks were evidently soldered directly to a circuit board without any physical support to hold them in place. In contrast, the J-Tech components are solid and reliable in use.In terms of functionality, the J-Tech switch functions very well and it's easy to use. The remote control works well but not at a distance, which is my only complaint. Selection of inputs for each of the two outputs is easy, and I like that they're independent of each other. That way, one can even have the same input connected simultaneously to both outputs if desired. Sound quality is excellent, as would be expected with digital signals. Overall, this is an excellent device.

Despite claiming to support only <= 96 kHz sample rates (officially the highest TOSLINK sample rate), I am successfully feeding my DAC all the PCM sample rates at my disposal: 44.1/88.2/176.4 kHz and 48/96/192 kHz, with affordable 6 ft long TOSLINK cables from PI Manufacturing and Kabeldirekt.I can see the sample rate on both ends, and even 192 kHz works fine. One caveat: wiggling any of the four TOSLINK connectors involved causes dropouts. Play with that if you have connection issues.While the remote has a pretty narrow angle in which it works, the receiver is more tolerant. Pair it with a better remote like the Logitech Harmony 665 universal remote, and the switch becomes much easier to operate. Then you can also define sequences to switch the input for both outputs with just one button press.I do not like that the interface on the device is ordered in reverse, showing inputs 4 to 1 for output B, then A, then selector buttons B and A, instead of inputs 1 to 4 for output A, then B, then selector buttons A and B. That makes it a bit trickier to figure out which input is selected when I'm watching TV on the couch at night.The connectors in the back have the same order, which makes sense if you look at the device from the front since then you see inputs 1 to 4, outputs 1 and 2.And of course it's not the most attractive device. Still, well worth the asking price!

Device has been connected since roughly Jan 15 2023. Used off & on between to computers, used for some minor music and/or video production or just listening to some tunes while working on the web. Yesterday, 15 Feb 23 turned on the unit and it didn't turn on. Of course power is plugged in. Still it will not turn on.Bummer. The 1 star is because it failed after, approx 3 or 4 weeks. Otherwise it would be a 4 or 5.Got in touch with Amazon Help and they are letting me return it for full credit.Maybe I got one made on Monday or Friday.I'll try something else.

Arrived as scheduled and functions well

Handy HDMI Audio Extractor. Just remember it has limits. Optical isn't as good as HDMI itself.

I bought two different versions of this product, the 3x1 and the 4x2. If you're considering one of these, definitely go with the 4x2. My only complaint about this device is that the lights are unnecessarily bright. In a dark room when you're trying to watch a movie, they can be distracting. But this can be remedied without too much effort, and If I was only reviewing the 4x2, I would give it five stars.The 3x1 is a completely different story however. They tried to make this as compact as possible, which would normally be a good thing. But this device has cords sticking our of all 4 sides which looks rediculous. Also, because the device is to lightweight, it naturally gets pulled to the back of your entertainment system by the weight of the optical cords.The IR sensor is not build into the device, but is instead a cord that attaches to an aux port looking thing on one side of the device. You then have this weird cord with a bulb on the end that has a hard time standing vertically so that it can actually sense the light coming from the remote. It's weird, and makes your entertainment system looks all kinds of funky.The lights to tell you which input it is using are on the top of the device, so you cannot possibly see which mode it's in, or even if it's on or not. It's really really really annoying.I would give the 3x1 a one star for usability, although it does function fine.