Digital Output with Z-5500s and Audigy 2 ZS

[d2arcturus]

When I eventually get a new comp, I will be getting Logitech Z-5500s and hooking them up to the Audigy 2 ZS that I'm saving from my old rig.

I know that I obviously need to run digital cable from the digital output on the ZS to the digital input on the Z-5500, but that's it. What kind of cable do I need to use for this? Can someone give me an example?

Also, is there anything else I should know about using digital output with the ZS?

Thanks.

 

[daftpunkit]

if i remember right there is no digi out on the ZS...

you wouldn't notice any difference really I think from digital vs analog using S/PDIF.
Also the audigy's decoder and the decoder in the 5500s conflict I think.

 

[RanDum72]

There is a digital out on the ZS. Its actually a coax digital out but its in a mini plug format so you need to have a mini plug to RCA adapter or just a regular cable with mono mini plug in one end and an RCA male plug on the other.

 

[Paludis]

Originally posted by: RanDum72
There is a digital out on the ZS. Its actually a coax digital out but its in a mini plug format so you need to have a mini plug to RCA adapter or just a regular cable with mono mini plug in one end and an RCA male plug on the other.

yeah

Also you need to download the latest soundcard driver and change decoder to "SPDIF Passthrough"

 

[d2arcturus]

Argh! See this is so confusing for me. WTF is SPDIF?
Can someone point me to a website that tells me all this stuff?

So this kind of cable? And then an adapter like this? Or does the adapter have to be digital too?

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: d2arcturus
Argh! See this is so confusing for me. WTF is SPDIF?
Can someone point me to a website that tells me all this stuff?

So this kind of cable? And then an adapter like this? Or does the adapter have to be digital too?

Looks right to me.

I don't have a website for you, but how about this thread?

SPDIF is how digital sound is transmitted around.
I've seen it standing for either " Sony/Philips Digital Interconnect Format" or "Sony/Philips Digital Interface" depending on what you're reading.

What I would consider a big drawback from using the digital connection on your z-5500s: you wont get surround sound in games using the A2 digital out.

By passing a digital signal to your speakers, you're just having the control pod on the z-5500s do all the digital to analog conversions instead of your Audigy2. Is the z-5500 better at doing that than your A2?... I doubt it.

Your A2 can do everything your control pod can do. If you want to have your soundcard to all the decoding and conversions etc., then you can just use three analog 1/8" cables to connect the z-5500s.

You'd want to do this at least for gaming. For music and movies, you can decide if it's worth the effort to get digital out working and then decide what sounds better to you.

You'll get surround sound in movies through the digital connection if you set it up as Paludis stated by selecting SPDIF Passthrough. Movies are encoded in DD or DTS and this signal needs to be decoded somewhere along the way before the signal gets to the speakers. By selecting SPDIF passthrough, you're telling your soundcard to not mess with the signal from the DVD and send it to the control pod on your speakers. At this point your control pod will decode the stream and send an analog signal to your speakers. If you don't do passthrough, the digital stream will be decoded by your soundcard and then transmitted already separated to your speakers via analog cables.

Which is better? You'll have to see what you like better.

 

[Excelsior]

What Jello said.