4x2 Digital Optical Toslink Audio Selector Switch W/remote

I actually bought one of these a while back 6+ years and it has been great since I got it. I bought a second one recently because the first one died (wouldn't turn in), but given that the reviews on optical switches are generally poor I would have to say that this one is definitely one of the best. If you find yourself in need of one of these I highly recommend this model. It does exactly what it claims, and I've never had any problems with it. I can't comment on whether or not it passes 7.1 surround sound properly as I only have a 5.1 setup, but my 5.1 surround sound works beautifully through this switch. No difference in the audio between using this switch and plugging directly into the receiver. It also works well with my Logitech Harmony remote.

My sound system has only one optical audio input. I have a lot of devices in my home theater with optical audio outputs. I want to make sure the surround sound works perfectly, so optical is the way to go. At first I tried one of those mechanical optical switches. That was very annoying to get up out of the chair to turn the dial and change audio sources, but it was so much cheaper, I didn't feel it was worth it to buy this.Then that cheap mechanical switch broke. You get what you pay for. So I bought this, and it is the best. Most people probably won't need this kind of thing in their home theater setup. If you have a different receiver it will likely have enough optical audio inputs to satisfy all of your devices. But if you are in one of those weird cases like I am, and you have way more optical outputs than inputs, this is pretty much the best and only solution out there for you.

I had no way to provide optical audio out from 4 devices to my one input (each) on my receiver and gaming headset until I found this. Usually, because accessing my equipment is difficult for me, I would just be limited to one combination of connected equipment for months at a time. Now I can change from among every piece of equipment remotely and immediately!The output slots have a different appearance to every other coupling, but work just fine anyway. It uses so little power that after 20 hours of testing, my Kill-A-Watt EZ says it has $0.00 annual cost!I've read a review that criticized the longevity of the product. I've used mine for several months, every day. It's always on, the output is changed several times per week, and I use both inputs on a regular basis. Mine continues to work perfectly. Honestly, it's tempting to blame the new product when something goes wrong, but usually you'll find it's user error. If you're using this device, you likely have a very complicated setup with lots of settings on lots of devices. I've diagramed mine for when family or friends need help!But speaking of problems, Specialty A/V went above and beyond their responsibilities to help me with mine. I didn't get my switcher installed until months after receiving it, due to personal health issues. I emailed them asking for advice about a non-functioning input (yes, I am SURE it wasn't my fault). They responded to the email within a day and sent me a replacement device quickly! I won't hesitate to buy from them in the future! Five stars to you, Specialty A/V!Given the lack of other products that fill this need (at least that I could find) and its ability to perfectly convey the signal, I give this optical switcher five stars!

Convenient - this switch allows one to get around a common problem of HD TVs not allowing Dolby Digital/DTS passthrough from the audio channels of your other devices (e.g., Blue-ray, gaming console). That is, attempts to pass 5.1 surround sound (for example) via HDMI to your TV and out through the optical port to your soundbar (for example) will usually result in two-channel PCM sound (e.g., regular stereo). Instead of trying to treat your TV as an audio switch, simply route the optical audio from up to four of your devices into this product, and run up to two S/PDIF cables out to your audio system; in my case, a soundbar and wireless headphones. Older devices which have an S/PDIF coaxial digital audio output can be simply routed first through a coax-to-TOSLINK converter and then into the 4-to-2 switch. HDMI, or component video on older devices, will correspondingly handle all of the video to the TV. Now, let's see if this switch lasts...