It is true that many users have a good sound system at home, they were a bit "with the fly behind their ears" when they saw that the new Apple TV did not have an optical output. For a few moments it seemed strange to us that Apple dispensed with this port in the fourth generation Apple TV and more considering that many users have devices that support digital audio. It is possible that the lack of space inside the team caused his disappearance but there is no clear reason for this and the Cupertino boys have not argued anything either. What is evident is that this connection no longer exists in the new Apple TVs and if we want to use our external equipment for audio we have to resort to third-party accessories.
Apple has the advantage that accessory manufacturers are very focused on their products and the Kanex brand is one of them. So they have released a digital audio adapter to supply the Apple TV 4 with optical output that connects to the HDMI of the Apple TV and makes the device compatible with sound equipment. The Kanex digital audio adapter for Apple Tv requires a power adapter to work and although it is true it will occupy more space next to the television and we will need an extra plug, it is the only way to obtain this digital audio.
This company has several very good products to accompany our Apple devices, in soy de Mac we have seen some Keyboards and quality hubs. On the other hand and before finishing we go with the price of this adapter that is not very economical to say, shipping costs up to 60 euros separately. If you need more information about the product or want to get one for your Apple Tv 4, you can find it in the own website of the company.