Audio out to RCA input on new Sony TV's?

There won't be an impedance issue using the headphone mini-jack output, as headphone outputs have to have low output impedance or they wouldn't be able to drive most headphones with reasonable results.

So using an adapter or adapter cable seems well worth trying, although I can envision the following possible concerns:

1)That output MIGHT not provide enough voltage to drive your system to adequate volume levels, although my guess is you'll be ok in that respect.

2)Ground loop hum could possibly be an issue, although again chances are you'll be ok in that respect.

3)I've never had much faith in the ability of 1/8" and even 1/4" connectors to maintain good contact in the event the plug or cable is physically jarred or disturbed. And a momentary loss of contact between the grounds of the plug and jack could put a large transient into the system. So I would make a point of arranging things so that the plug and cable cannot accidentally be physically disturbed.

4)Obviously the sonic quality of the circuit in the TV which drives that output is uncertain.

Regards,
-- Al

If your Sat/Cable Box/DVR is the TV audio source that you want to connect to your pre-amp, see if there is an Audio Out with RCA jacks in addition to the HDMI output. I've used this output in the past for TV audio that eliminates the need to go through the TV circuitry.

As I understand it, you need to get the analog audio TV output into your preamp with the best quality audio possible.

As was stated by Rbrowne above, I also take the RCA output from my cable box to my Ayre integrated amplifier. I use an HDMI cable from my cable box to my TV for video.

My Wave Broadband/TiVO cable box has a setting used to output the audio to the RCA jacks and NOT the HDMI cable. This means the HDMI cable carries the video to the TV and the cable box outputs the audio to my amplifier (in your case, a pre-amp).

What cable box are you using? Does it have RCA output jacks? If yes, I suggest you take the audio output from your cable box direct to your pre-ampliifier. Please check the audio output setting on your cable box to enable the capability. Does this solve the problem?

Another problem I had was that my Sony BDP-S6500 Blu-Ray player (new model priced at $129 at Best Buy) does NOT have RCA output jacks. Unfortunately, the newer blu-ray players do NOT have RCA jacks.

In my case, I used the HDMI cable to my TV (Video & audio) and ran RCA jacks (audio only) from my TV to my Ayre integrated amplifier. Unfortunately, in your case, your TV does not have RCA jacks. Do you have a blu-ray player? If, yes, what output jacks does it have? If your blu-ray player has RCA jacks, the audio problem is solved. You connect the blu-ray player audio RCA output signal to your pre-amplifier.

For example, the Music Hall DAC15.2 (Amazon price is $249) is a three input solid-state DAC that has 3 digital inputs (usb, optical, coaxial). Hopefully, your blu-ray player has outputs that match the Music Hall DAC. I know you said you preferred not to buy a DAC. I believe the only way to take the audio output from a blu-ray player (without RCA jacks) is to convert the digital signal to analog using a DAC.

See this link for the Music Hall DAC (If the link does not work, copy it your your browser):

http://musichallaudio.com/dac15-2/

There are many DAC’s on the market that could be used for this. I selected the Music Hall DAC15.2 because its price is reasonable (under $300) and it supports usb, optical, coaxial connections. What do you think?

If the ARC SP-9 MK III can take digital via coax from a cable or satellite box, that's a good alternative to HDMI for audio. If OP is relying on the TV for analog source, I suspect "good sound quality" is unlikely.

db