Can I get surround sound from S/pdif?

[minofifa]

Hello,

I'm planning on getting this soundcard in the near future
http://www.echoaudio.com/Products/PCI/Layla3G/layla3g_both_big.jpg

Since i have no digital equipment (mixers etc) i was hoping that i could put the s/pdif out to some good use. Can i hook some speakers up to it that would be surround sound? I understand that s/pdif is a digital format but i don't understand its protocols. Does it just carry a 2 channel stereo signal, or is it 5.1? If it is 5.1, is it dolby digital or DTS? Can somebody recommend some speakers that would work with s/pdif? I thimk my dad's logitech's might btu i'm not usre.

thanks for any help

 

[CreativeTom]

Yeppers it will do 5.1 without a problem, and it will also be able to carry any Dolby or DTS that the soundcard can produce.

I am sure your Dad's logitech's would work, what model??

 

[minofifa]

cool that is good to know...

so my next question is:

When i put in a DVD for example, there is information that is sent to the soundcard (5.1 dolby or DTS). Is that information decoded at the soundcard and the sound is passed through the s/pdif to speakers where it is heard OR is the info from the DVD passed, unchanged, through the soundcard's s/pdif to a decoder in the speakers where it is turned into sound and heard.

thanks

 

[CreativeTom]

Originally posted by: minofifa
cool that is good to know...

so my next question is:

When i put in a DVD for example, there is information that is sent to the soundcard (5.1 dolby or DTS). Is that information decoded at the soundcard and the sound is passed through the s/pdif to speakers where it is heard OR is the info from the DVD passed, unchanged, through the soundcard's s/pdif to a decoder in the speakers where it is turned into sound and heard.

thanks

Don't know, good question though.....

The DVD will decode the sound from the actual DVD that is playing.

I mean if you are playing a DVD with DTS, the DVD player will decode that, and then send the signal down to whatever device is hooked to it, so you would need your soundcard to be DTS capable in order to then decode the signal to each speaker or out of the SPDIF to a central location where it will then be sent to the speakers.

I don't know if that makes sense, I think I am confusing myself now.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Wherever you have the conversion from Digital to Analog is there the decoding is happening.

I'm not familiar with that soundcard, so I can't give you any specifics on it.
Is there a reason you picked that one specifically? If you don't even know what speakers you're hooking up to it, maybe you should hold off one your soundcard choice. How much is that one? In general I think it's a good decision to spend more than twice the amount on your speakers as you do on your soundcard.

If it has a decoder in it, it will output decoded DD or DTS via analog to your speakers. If it doesn't, you're just using it to pass the encoded signal to your speakers which will have their own decoder (like the z-5500s). If that's your plan, I don't see the point. If it does decode AC3 streams, then that's cool.

Note: you're not going to get surround sound in games from this card via digital afaik.

 

[minofifa]

The soundcard is $600 CAD (I should spend $1200 on speakers? :Q). It is for recording but i will also want to watch movies and stuff. I just figured since it has s/pdif out not being used anyways, it woudl just make sense. here is a link to its specs:


http://www.echoaudio.com/Products/PCI/Layla3G/index.php

it quotes this:
Software console for monitoring, metering, and setting levels
Low-latency drivers support all major pro audio software:
Low Latency ASIO 2.0
GSIF 2.0 (Gigastudio 3 w/ low latency MIDI)
WDM kernel streaming mode
CoreAudio & CoreMIDI
Surround sound support:
5.1 & 7.1 output w/ delay management
AC3, DTS, & WMA9 output over S/PDIF
SuperChannel? resource sharing:
Split I/O between multiple applications
PureWave? mode for bit accurate digital I/O

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: minofifa
The soundcard is $600 CAD (I should spend $1200 on speakers? :Q). It is for recording but i will also want to watch movies and stuff. I just figured since it has s/pdif out not being used anyways, it woudl just make sense. here is a link to its specs:


http://www.echoaudio.com/Products/PCI/Layla3G/index.php

it quotes this:
Software console for monitoring, metering, and setting levels
Low-latency drivers support all major pro audio software:
Low Latency ASIO 2.0
GSIF 2.0 (Gigastudio 3 w/ low latency MIDI)
WDM kernel streaming mode
CoreAudio & CoreMIDI
Surround sound support:
5.1 & 7.1 output w/ delay management
AC3, DTS, & WMA9 output over S/PDIF
SuperChannel? resource sharing:
Split I/O between multiple applications
PureWave? mode for bit accurate digital I/O

I have a $99US soundcard and speakers were $1920 (not including sub/receiver). I don't feel my soundcard is holding me back for audio quality (It's probably my receiver). Would have been the case if I still had my AV710 for $30 too...

I didn't know you were using it for recording though, I just though you wanted a card for digital out etc. I don't really know anything about recording hardware.

 

[JME Fidelity]

uh yea you really dont need that soundcard. An audigy 2 would do fine.

BTW Jello, fellow audiophile, do you have an AIM screenname? You seem to be into audio, something kind of hard to find around here

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: JME Fidelity
uh yea you really dont need that soundcard. An audigy 2 would do fine.

BTW Jello, fellow audiophile, do you have an AIM screenname? You seem to be into audio, something kind of hard to find around here

Oh, there are plenty of guys around here that are into audio, they just don't seem to talk about it much. I wouldn't call myself an audiophile really, I really only got this system for movie watching. I use it for music too, but I'm not a big music guy.

"nbkmarauder" if you still want it. (and anyone else I guess now )

 

[minofifa]

Originally posted by: JME Fidelity
uh yea you really dont need that soundcard. An audigy 2 would do fine.

BTW Jello, fellow audiophile, do you have an AIM screenname? You seem to be into audio, something kind of hard to find around here

i don't see how an audigy is even remotely close to the soundcard i'm getting. For recording, audigy's are a terrable choice compared to other cards in that price range. I feel bad for the beginner that takes advice form people like you and throws away 300 bucks.

 

[JME Fidelity]

Originally posted by: minofifa

Originally posted by: JME Fidelity
uh yea you really dont need that soundcard. An audigy 2 would do fine.

BTW Jello, fellow audiophile, do you have an AIM screenname? You seem to be into audio, something kind of hard to find around here

i don't see how an audigy is even remotely close to the soundcard i'm getting. For recording, audigy's are a terrable choice compared to other cards in that price range. I feel bad for the beginner that takes advice form people like you and throws away 300 bucks.

Didnt know you wanted to record audio. Sorry.
Must have missed that