Question 1

Will this allow me to connect my headphones with RCA jacks to my Panasoic flat panel plasma TV with optical audio output without need for an amplifier?

Accepted Answer

The line output of the Gefen device is not designed to power headphones, however it just might squeak a tiny bit of volume into very efficient headphones.  You really should have a few watts of power at least for most headphones.  I highly recommend the Denon DA-300USB headphone amplifier, which can take the Gefen output and deliver perfect power for your headphones, or the optical output of the TV directly.  Nice!

Question 2

Will this unit decode a 5.1 Digital Audio Signal & convert it to an Analog LR Audio Signal?

Accepted Answer

Yes, this one does 5.1 to analog stereo.  The model that has the letters "DIGAUD" in its name does not, but costs less.  I recommend the one you selected as the most flexible and able to handle surround to stereo conversion.

Questions & Answers