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[dmitch77]

Has anyone heard any firm info as to whether the M2 Minis will support 96KHz audio out via HDMI? I know there is no hope for any M1 boxes. M2 and its variants, maybe...

[Awesome Donkey]

Probably won't know until somebody gets one and tries it.

[LilyAarseth]

I haven't tested this as I'm just used to using usb audio by now, but the reply in this link claims this works: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/253761698

[bob]

That post seems off. It claims the internal DAC is limited to 48k but that's not the case. You can easily play 96k to the internal speaker even on the M1

[jeffpublic]

M1 Mac Minis could not send anything other than 48kHz over HDMI. Yes, they could theoretically play back 192kHz over their internal speaker, but if you plugged HDMI into a 192kHz capable receiver, the Mac would only allow 48kHz.

See here: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/mac-mini-m1-only-48khz-audio.2325804/post-30691057

[bob]

M1 Mac Minis could not send anything other than 48kHz over HDMI. Yes, they could theoretically play back 192kHz over their internal speaker, but if you plugged HDMI into a 192kHz capable receiver, the Mac would only allow 48kHz.

See here: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/mac-mini-m1-only-48khz-audio.2325804/post-30691057

Yes, I was aware of that. The original post however claimed the DAC was limited to 48k and that's not the case.
The issue with the HDMI being limited to 48k is essentially a limitation of the video hardware.

[dmitch77]

The original post however claimed the DAC was limited to 48k

The OP, if you're referring to the OP of this thread, said nothing about the DAC. I referred to the limitation on the HDMI port on M1 minis.

Still waiting for word from Apple, or verification in the field, as to whether the HDMI port on M2 minis can run 96K....we'll learn that any day now. :-)

[bob]

The OP, if you're referring to the OP of this thread, said nothing about the DAC. I referred to the limitation on the HDMI port on M1 minis.

Still waiting for word from Apple, or verification in the field, as to whether the HDMI port on M2 minis can run 96K....we'll learn that any day now. :-)

The link to the Apple Discussion referred to the DAC, obviously incorrectly.

[LilyAarseth]

I saw someone post a while back about actually being unable to record audio clips in anything but 48khz when using hdmi as the active audio device, so something is going on but it is not the internal dac

[bob]

I saw someone post a while back about actually being unable to record audio clips in anything but 48khz when using hdmi as the active audio device, so something is going on but it is not the internal dac

That sounds correct.
A DAC only comes into play if the there is an analog output, like the internal speaker or the audio jack.
So saying the internal DAC can do 96k (like in the linked apple forum post) has no relevancy to the HDMI rate since HDMI audio output is digital, the only required format is PCM.
On the M1 Macs only 48k works. That SEEMS to be a chipset shortcoming. Still no idea on the M2 since no one has volunteered to post that info yet.

[dmitch77]

I guess it might be possible to use a USB-C to HDMI adaptor to get around the limitation...?

https://www.amazon.com/Anker-Aluminum-Pixelbook-Compatible-Thunderbolt/dp/B07THJGZ9Z

I haven't been able to dig up any info as to whether one could use one of these to pass hi-res audio from an app (like MC), out through USB-C, and on to HDMI. If so, one could even use it with M1-based Mac Minis. Maybe.

[bob]

I guess it might be possible to use a USB-C to HDMI adaptor to get around the limitation...?

https://www.amazon.com/Anker-Aluminum-Pixelbook-Compatible-Thunderbolt/dp/B07THJGZ9Z

I haven't been able to dig up any info as to whether one could use one of these to pass hi-res audio from an app (like MC), out through USB-C, and on to HDMI. If so, one could even use it with M1-based Mac Minis. Maybe.

Just gave this a try. At least on the M1 it's still locked to 48k through USB-C.

[dmitch77]

Just gave this a try. At least on the M1 it's still locked to 48k through USB-C.

Grrr.  Ah well, thanks for checking this out. Still might be possible on the M2.

I'm not buying a replacement for my old Mini until I'm sure it can do 96K digital audio out, somehow...

[retiredteacherguy]

I don’t have high hopes that anything is changing on the M2 mini, but here’s something I’m going to try tomorrow…. I already use Blackhole but never thought of trying this.

[retiredteacherguy]

So I tried the above, and while I can get the aggregate device to show 96 kHz, there is no confirmation on my Denon that I'm getting anything other than 48 kHz. So this begs the question as to whether or not a macOS aggregate device can/does output to multiple sample rates, because my aggregate device includes a Topping E30 and that *does* show 96 kHz.

[bob]

So I tried the above, and while I can get the aggregate device to show 96 kHz, there is no confirmation on my Denon that I'm getting anything other than 48 kHz. So this begs the question as to whether or not a macOS aggregate device can/does output to multiple sample rates, because my aggregate device includes a Topping E30 and that *does* show 96 kHz.

Certainly says to me that the 96k is being resampled to 48k for the Denon (HDMI I assume).

[retiredteacherguy]

Certainly says to me that the 96k is being resampled to 48k for the Denon (HDMI I assume).

Certainly seems so. Not very transparent of Apple, but that comes with the territory I guess.

I’ll keep using toslink, which does do 96.

[dmitch77]

I’ll keep using toslink, which does do 96.

You have a Mac Mini with toslink? Than would be old Intel Mini, right? The HDMI out of that definitely supports 96...your Blackhole experiment was on this Intel mini?

[retiredteacherguy]

No I have an M1. I’m using a Douk U2 Pro to get the optical to my Denon

[jeffpublic]

I bought a Mac Mini M2 Pro and it looks like it's still only allowing 48kHz over HDMI.

This is a base model Mac Mini Pro with 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD. I am sending the HDMI out to a Marantz SR6006.

My old Windows computer will happily send rates of up to 192kHz over HDMI and the Marantz will report that it is receiving 192kHz.

I'm a noob at Mac OS. Anyone have any suggestions on stuff to try before I return the Mac Mini and go back to Windows?

[dmitch77]

No I have an M1. I’m using a Douk U2 Pro to get the optical to my Denon

You're saying that an M1 Mini can do 96K audio over USB? Bob tried that with a USB-to-HDMI converter and it didn't work. Fascinating that it can work with toslink and not HDMI...

[bob]

You're saying that an M1 Mini can do 96K audio over USB? Bob tried that with a USB-to-HDMI converter and it didn't work. Fascinating that it can work with toslink and not HDMI...

That device has its own DAC.
It's USB into the Douk DAC then into whatever.

When I plug a usb-c cable with HDMI output into the Mac M1 it's still going to be limited to the capabilities of the Mac's chipset.

[dmitch77]

That device has its own DAC.
It's USB into the Douk DAC then into whatever.

The Douk? I don't think it has a DAC. It converts USB audio to other digital formats.
https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Interface-Coaxial-Optical-Audio/dp/B08HN3VSF8

When I plug a usb-c cable with HDMI output into the Mac M1 it's still going to be limited to the capabilities of the Mac's chipset.

Well, the USB signal to the Douk doesn't seem to be limited that way. Unless I'm misunderstanding retiredteacherguy's posts...?

[retiredteacherguy]

The Douk? I don't think it has a DAC. It converts USB audio to other digital formats.
https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Interface-Coaxial-Optical-Audio/dp/B08HN3VSF8

Well, the USB signal to the Douk doesn't seem to be limited that way. Unless I'm misunderstanding retiredteacherguy's posts...?

It’s not limited, it basically takes the file from the Mac and does what it wants to do with it. I wish the Sl2 out on it was regular HDMI, then we could really have some fun.

[LilyAarseth]

It's the classical apple knows best and decides the choices or lack of for you instead of letting people who know what they're doing have access to more advanced system options.

So many aspects of the Mx devices are locked down. Not only do they lock 48khz audio on hdmi, but there is also a software block that makes all usb-c/thunderbolt/displayport alt mode adapters that work with hdmi 2.1 (with DSC) to output full 4k120 4:4:4 10-bit on windows devices get locked to 4k60 8bit 4:4:4 or 4:2:2 10-bit HDR in macos.

My M1 mac mini can do 4k144hz with both usb-c to usb-c or usb-c to displayport to a monitor so it's not about the pipeline or framebuffer etc. Not only that, but adjusting system gamma without editing icc profiles manually, video format like YUV/RGB etc, or even EDID overrides are simply not possible and as a preferred platform for music production and photo/video production by a large portion of the industry i just don't get why they can't give users more control.