I wish I could help you, but I'll reply and give you a kick. Maybe someone who understands these things can be of some help.

Thanks for kick/reply though.

and tell you!

In the meantime, here's another one of those kicks!

First if you would share the make and model of your TV and the DAC it could help as most manuals are available online.

Are you testing with DVDs or over the air broadcast? How are you getting audio from the DVD to the TV? Your TV should also have an audio or coax cable connection for input as well as output. Be advised the coax for audio is not a standard coax cable.

Are you using the new HDMI cables? they can make things simpler to get the audio routed from your DVD to your TV.

Some situations work better if the audio goes into the DAC and then to the TV.

Let us know more specifics and we may be able to find a solution.

TV is an LG LB5800. The DAC has no model number as such. Here is the unit: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003XCHCLC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I've tried first with a DVD player, using the three RCA type cables for video and three RCA types for audio; well actually the audio uses just the red and the white, yellow is not used. I've also tried using TV from my DVR connected via coax cable. I set the TV sound settings on "external speaker" using the optical connection to the DAC/amp. In both cases I get no sound whatsoever from my headphones through the DAC. When using the external speaker option the usual volume level icon is replaced by a speaker icon. No volume control but the DAC has one so I thought I would be good.

I know the HDMI is the way to go and I do plan to get a newer DVD player; which has those hookups. I even thought of getting good digital headphones that hook right up to the TV's optical/Toslink port, but I'm already near skint from the TV and DAC and my analog headphones are really nice ( and pricey ) units

Thanks very much for any input you can provide.

Is there a setting within the TV for audio, that maybe needs to be changed? Like, the type of audio to output? Something in the audio settings menu?

First off, I didn't realize the fiber optic ( Toslink ) was just a signal and not also the "muscle". The DAC /amp has to be powered from another source. The other is, the external audio setting on the TV had to be set at "PCM". I actually tried these but not at the same time.

I didn't think I could power the amp and use a Toslink input since it has a 3-way switch to select either input. I didn't realize I could select Toslink and still provide power via the USB port ( and 120v wall adapter provided ) but it turns out I could. I actually tried this but had the TV sound set wrong. I finally connected the dots and put all the pieces together and now I get excellent audio in my headphones: enough to blast my brains out if I turn up the volume enough.

Thanks for the input...you and everybody else.

Happy viewing & listening. How do you like the Digital Analog Converter (I assume that's what you mean by DAC)?

Yes, Digital Analog Converter ( with headphone amplifier ) Quite compact too.

My only complaint was the instructions never mentioned that it needed a power source to work, even in the picto-grams depicting various hookup scenarios.

I also use headphones for TV and run the audio through an external device. I have never tried the optical audio, but I have the cable -- good to know there may be more involved.