Can I add an adaptor to Mac Studio Ultra M2 that will give me optical audio output?

I guess it depends on how you want to connect your Mac Studio to the receiver.

• Using an analog cable to carry the stereo signal from the Mac Studio's headphone jack to a pair of stereo RCA input jacks on the receiver?
• Using a USB or Thunderbolt sound card to add an optical audio output to your Mac, so you can run an optical audio cable from the sound card to the receiver?
• Using a USB or Thunderbolt sound card to add multi-channel audio output (possibly using analog outputs) to your Mac, so you can connect that to a multi-channel input on your receiver?
• Using a HDMI cable to carry sound from the Mac Studio's HDMI port (or from a HDMI splitter attached to that port?) to a HDMI input jack on the receiver? (*)
• Using a USB-C to HDMI adapter cable to carry sound from one of the Mac Studio's USB-C ports to a HDMI input jack on the receiver? (*)

(*) I'm not sure how the Mac will react if it sees just a receiver connected via HDMI, not a monitor.

Note that the USB-C ports on your Mac Studio support both USB (USB 3.1 Gen 2) and Thunderbolt, and will adapt to the type of device that you plug in.

You can use a standard analog audio cable from the Studio's headphone out to one of the analog audio inputs on your receiver. In most cases that would be a cable like this -> https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=5597 Simple, inexpensive, easy to use.

If you really need optical audio, then either an HDMI splitter or a Thunderbolt dock that has optical audio output should work. Here are two examples:

• Monoprice Blackbird HDMI switch
• OWC 14-port Thunderbolt dock

There are USB sound cards that have optical audio outputs. Possibly Thunderbolt ones that would have them, too, though those would be more specialized and expensive pieces of equipment if they existed.

There may also be some Thunderbolt docks with optical digital output, though I wouldn't advise purchasing a dock just to use a single audio port.

I"m not sure why you think you need an adapter that has both optical audio output and HDMI. If your Mac Studio works like mine, you can select one sound output at a time, and it doesn't have to be the one built in to the monitor.