In search of ... audio mavens

[barney]

Here's the problem.
I have an LG 55" LED/LCD.  It has four (4) HDMI inputs, one (1) mini-plug output and one (1) fibre-optic output.  The fibre-optic output ties to a Samsung sound bar with sub-woofer that I bought.  The mini-plug is for headphones and derails all other audio output.

I want to incorporate wireless speakers for the patio - cable is not an option.  Bought a pair of wireless speakers, with a broadcast unit that plugs into the mini-plug output.  That won't work, since it disables all other audio.

Question is, what is my best recourse, short of replacing the TV, for allowing some kind of wireless speaker to work?  Don't want to disable the sound bar because folk may be indoors watching while I am outdoors, watching through the patio windows, and listening via the wireless speaker(s).  Sound bar has no recourse for attaching extraneous speakers.  (I could have sworn I used to have a plug that would work for this, but if so, haven't been able to find it.)

My current thinking is to put a wireless receiver close to the sound bar which will then grab the audio and transmit it to the patio speakers.  But I've no idea what system would be good for that sort of thing.  Or even whether there might be a better approach.  (Max distance will be roughly fifty (50) to seventy (70) feet, so that shouldn't be a problem, I thimk.)

Football (the US version) season is rapidly approaching.  I have a cigar-smoking friend.  We wanna see the game, hear the game, still be able to smoke and drink appropriately.  Sound quality is not a major issue - hey, we'll be drinking, smoking, talking  - as long as it is reasonably audible and more-or-less static free.

Any ideas?

[mouser]

The fibre-optic output ties to a Samsung sound bar with sub-woofer that I bought.

I'm not sure what your "sound bar" is, but a good solution would be to buy a proper Receiver, which would have outputs for your speakers and outputs you could connect to the wireless broadcaster.

Your sound bar will either have inputs that will allow it to be used as a center speaker for the receiver, or else you would need to buy a new center speaker and return the sound bar.

[4wd]

One option would be a wireless video/audio/remote transmitter that accepts TOSLINK input and then just use a TOSLINK splitter to get signal to it, eg. TOSLINK Splitter

Then just plug powered speakers into the receiver.

[Stoic Joker]

Um...

The mini-plug is for headphones and derails all other audio output.

I want to incorporate wireless speakers for the patio - cable is not an option.  Bought a pair of wireless speakers, with a broadcast unit that plugs into the mini-plug output.  That won't work, since it disables all other audio.

Problem seems to be by design (can the behavior be disabled?).

IIRC we have the same TV, isn't there a set of 3 RCA jacks (white/yellow/red) on the back of it? It shouldn't be to hard to get an adapter cable to get audio from that.

[barney]

Problem seems to be by design (can the behavior be disabled?).

IIRC we have the same TV, isn't there a set of 3 RCA jacks (white/yellow/red) on the back of it? It shouldn't be to hard to get an adapter cable to get audio from that.

Yea, verily, they do exist ... for input  .  There are RCA jacks for component video, RCA jacks for AV, and an RS-232 port, all input.  (That was in one (1) of my lost posts just after I got the thing.  I was trying then to connect a laptop for remote viewing.)

Methinks 4wd has the right of it, although I was trying to avoid that route.  Guess I'll just have to put up with the cable clutter.  I had expected the sound bar system to have an auxiliary output, but not there.  (When I bought it, the sales guy I questioned was pretty sure it had one  .)  But I can get a TOSLINK splitter and an adapter that's male TOSLINK to female 3.5 mm jack that my sending unit will fit.  At least, that way, I don't have to replace the remote speaker system  .

[AndyM]

Not sure what I'm missing.  Why can't you split the optical feed to the soundbar, one branch to the soundbar and the other to an optical/mini convertor to feed your wireless broadcast unit?

[barney]

Not sure what I'm missing.  Why can't you split the optical feed to the soundbar, one branch to the soundbar and the other to an optical/mini convertor to feed your wireless broadcast unit?

That's what I tried to describe.  Obviously, I didn't do it very well  .

[AndyM]

I'll look up where I got my optical/mini converter (I think I got it to get audio out of my Apple tv into an old flatscreen).

The TOSlink Splitter that 4wd mentioned should take care of the other part.

Back later...

[4wd]

TOSLINK -> Analog Stereo converter - then just use your basic RCA<->RCA stereo cable

[AndyM]

that looks like the same one I got at Monoprice, except the one 4wd found is cheaper:

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=104&cp_id=10423&cs_id=1042302&p_id=6884&seq=1&format=2

[4wd]

Problem seems to be by design (can the behavior be disabled?).

Earphone sockets used to normally incorporate a physical switch that disconnects output to the speakers, (either directly or indirectly), when the plug is inserted - only way to bypass that is solder across the switch contacts, (easiest method).

These days they probably detect the presence of earphones by the impedance - there may be a way to override output switching via the service menu but, naturally, you have to know whether it can be done, how to get into the service menu and where the option is hidden, (may be nothing more than a hex value).

Note that you can do an awful lot of damage, (ie. brick your TV), while you're in a Service Menu - not something to be done lightly.