creative x-fi help

[hapooh]

i no i read this question a few dayz ago but i forgot to bookmark it and now i cant find it at all nemore...

so here is the repeat...

im running the x-fi fatal1ty through my receiver...how do i get true 5.1 sound?
because right now im its set at 2.1 and im only using 1 headphone jack from soundcard to the audio wires on my receiver.

i remember it someone saying to use 3 pairs of those or something like that?

ne help would b much appreciated!!

thanks

 

[krotchy]

If your going analog, you should have a front, rear and center as your 3 wire channels. Also you typically need a Mini to RCA Y adapter, since the headphone jacks contain 3 wires (L+R+Ground), and a typical stereo reciever takes in L and R as seperate RCA connectors.

However if you have a reciever with Optical or Coaxial SPD/IF that might be your best and easiest solution.

 

[darkswordsman17]

If you want surround sound for games you have to do the 6 channel analog direct connection.

You'll need this

Actually I would recommend a different cable than that one as those look like pretty thin wires and I'm sure you could get better quality ones for about the same price.

If you just want to be able pass a Dolby Digital 5.1 or DTS signal, then you just need a mini-pin to RCA adapter cable. Plug that into the multi-out port of the X-Fi and then have an RCA cable to plug into it and the digital coax input of your reciever.

Hmm, I see you have the fatality version so you could just get an optical cable and output from the front bay to your reciever. This will only work for pass-through, so for games you'd only get 2 channel surround.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Welcome to AT.

Yeah, we need a bit more information to give you a straight answer.

If you're just looking for surround sound from movies, then you can go for a digital connection.

If you want surround sound in games, then you'll need a 5.1 analog input on your receiver. If your receiver does not have that type of connection, then you're kind of out of luck. Creative has a DTS encoder but that's not a very good solution and it's going to add extra expense. There are also cards that will encode DD / DTS in real time allowing you to get surround sound through digital from games.

Random use of my Digital Audio Thread

 

[hapooh]

thanks guyz...i think i was lookin for something like what darkswordsman said...the creative home theater cable...

i wanted full 5.1 on games. bf2 is the only game i really play. movies r secondary for the sound i guess

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: hapooh
thanks guyz...i think i was lookin for something like what darkswordsman said...the creative home theater cable...

i wanted full 5.1 on games. bf2 is the only game i really play. movies r secondary for the sound i guess

That will work as long as you have a 5.1 analog (or 6.1/7.1) input on your receiver.

I'm not sure how much they charge for that cable, but three of these along with some RCA cables of the length you need will do the same job for 5.1

For 7.1 creative used some special connectors via three 3.5mm outputs (with 3 channels each on two of the outputs) rather than four 3.5mm outputs like some other cards. If you have a 7.1 system and a 7.1 analog input, you should get creative's cable... or you can try to get some cables that are compatable. I think Two camcorder cables and then one stereo adapter and an RCA cable would work.

 

[Oyeve]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: hapooh
thanks guyz...i think i was lookin for something like what darkswordsman said...the creative home theater cable...

i wanted full 5.1 on games. bf2 is the only game i really play. movies r secondary for the sound i guess

That will work as long as you have a 5.1 analog (or 6.1/7.1) input on your receiver.

I'm not sure how much they charge for that cable, but three of these along with some RCA cables of the length you need will do the same job for 5.1

For 7.1 creative used some special connectors via three 3.5mm outputs (with 3 channels each on two of the outputs) rather than four 3.5mm outputs like some other cards. If you have a 7.1 system and a 7.1 analog input, you should get creative's cable... or you can try to get some cables that are compatable. I think Two camcorder cables and then one stereo adapter and an RCA cable would work.

QFT. For dvds the digital (coax or optical) from the X-fi will decode on your receiver. For 5.1 from games you have to go analog from the x-fi into the 5.1 direct input on your receiver (if it has it). Those are standard 3.5. Like YoYo says, for 7.1 you will need the special cable as it has 4 parts on the jack.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

hapooh, what kind of receiver do you have?

(and for my own personal interest, speakers/sub? )

 

[scroller52]

i'm not home as of now, but i'll check when i get bak. its only a 5.1 so 7.1 is not an option, i'm pretty sure it has separate inputs for the center, front and surround speakers

 

[scroller52]

i'm supposed to be the orginator of this thread, but somehow i got logged on as hapooh. i have no idea who hapooh is, and i am the only person to use this computer...pretty weird

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: scroller52
i'm supposed to be the orginator of this thread, but somehow i got logged on as hapooh. i have no idea who hapooh is, and i am the only person to use this computer...pretty weird

It happened to a lot of people. It was a bug or something yesterday.
http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=38&threadid=1940923&enterthread=y
http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=42&threadid=1940904&enterthread=y

 

[Slammy1]

Actually, unless you're upconverting you'd be best allowing the sound card to perform the DD/DTS conversion and ouput through the analog channels (I'm assuming you're receiver doesn't have near the quality of DACs as the X-Fi, seeing how you have to look and see what it is). I'm also assuming you have a somewhat beefy computer, doesn't have to be C2D or even dual core but something fairly modern. The same is true of music, you're better running it analog vs digital. As everyone mentioned, you need 3x 1/8" stereo miniplug to RCA cables running into the External Decoder of your receiver.