Audigy 2 Owners

[Nebor]

So... I've been thinking for a while about replacing my speakers, which are 4.1 altec lansing. They are connected to a retail Audigy 2 (which I paid $120 for like 3 or 4 months ago.... 50 bucks now. grrrr)

Anyways, if you've watched any DVDs on your computer, you'll notice you can turn on the special, Audigy 2 only 24-bit DVD audio... I don't know that it sounds worlds better, but I'd like to think it does. Anyways, it says in the manual that you cannot listen to DVD audio through digital playback... Anyone know why??

Does that mean I won't be able to turn that option on if I have digital speakers?

Do digital speakers actually sound better? Or is it just the 'neatness' factor?

 

[Pariah]

I don't know that it sounds worlds better, but I'd like to think it does.

It won't if it works at all.

Anyways, it says in the manual that you cannot listen to DVD audio through digital playback... Anyone know why??

The DVD-Audio spec does not allow for unencryted digital transfers of the medium which means no current method of digital output for soundcards.

Does that mean I won't be able to turn that option on if I have digital speakers?

If you have digital speakers you can throw your soundcard out because it isn't being used.

Do digital speakers actually sound better? Or is it just the 'neatness' factor?

No, and practically no one makes them anymore anyway, so it's not even a topic worth discussing.

 

[Nebor]

I know my soundcard CAN connect to digital speakers, it has the extra jacks and stuff.

I'm thinking about the new creative 5.1s...UltraWorks or Megaworks or whatever they are.

EDIT: And I found that turning on 24 bit audio DID work, and very easily w/ WinDVD5. I was going through to options and saw "Enable 24-bit Audio" I checked the box, and then on the main screen it came up w/ the creative Audigy 2 logo w/ 24bit dvd audio.

 

[Pariah]

You're confusing digital speakers with an external digital decoder. Digital speaker don't use a sound card. That's what makes them digital speakers. The Audigy can connect digitally to an external decoder like the Logitech Z-680's have.

And I found that turning on 24 bit audio DID work, and very easily w/ WinDVD5. I was going through to options and saw "Enable 24-bit Audio" I checked the box, and then on the main screen it came up w/ the creative Audigy 2 logo w/ 24bit dvd audio.

Just because the checkbox is checked doesn't mean it is working properly. Even if it is, you still won't notice the difference, and you can't play DVD-A discs without the DVD-A addon for WinDVD anyway. Makes more sense to use the application that comes with the Audigy 2 which is free.

 

[Nebor]

Originally posted by: Pariah
You're confusing digital speakers with an external digital decoder. Digital speaker don't use a sound card. That's what makes them digital speakers. The Audigy can connect digitally to an external decoder like the Logitech Z-680's have.

And I found that turning on 24 bit audio DID work, and very easily w/ WinDVD5. I was going through to options and saw "Enable 24-bit Audio" I checked the box, and then on the main screen it came up w/ the creative Audigy 2 logo w/ 24bit dvd audio.

Just because the checkbox is checked doesn't mean it is working properly. Even if it is, you still won't notice the difference, and you can't play DVD-A discs without the DVD-A addon for WinDVD anyway. Makes more sense to use the application that comes with the Audigy 2 which is free.

Ah, yeah, I didn't know that decoder\speaker stuff. Hrmm. Anyways, I don't think I need digital sound, especially if it messes up my DVD sound. I did make sure to get the special DVD-A thing when I downloaded WinDVD, I remember that. I didn't realize there was DVD software w/ the Audigy 2? Like all sensible people, I fear any software made by creative.

 

[Pariah]

There is no DVD video player with Creative soundcards. There is a DVD-Audio player which has nothing to do with video and until the WinDVD addon was the only way to listen to DVD-A high fidelity tracks on a PC.

 

[Nebor]

Originally posted by: Pariah
There is no DVD video player with Creative soundcards. There is a DVD-Audio player which has nothing to do with video and until the WinDVD addon was the only way to listen to DVD-A high fidelity tracks on a PC.

Ah, well then, indeed the only useful thing in the box was the card itself.