Lite-on 52x audio cable question on new build

[Lioness]

I'm building a PC and would only like to use a CD-RW drive, in place of the usual CD-ROM. I have XP and p4C800 mobo and will be using the onboard soundcard. I'm not sure where to connect the audio cable on the CD-RW. I thought it would be the same as connecting a CD-ROM audio cable. Unfortunately, it isn't. Apparently the audio cables and where they connect to CD-RW are different.

So my question is where do I connect the audio cable to the CD-RW? And will it make any difference which end of that audio cable is connected to the CD IN on my mobo?

thanks for your help

 

[DaveSimmons]

You sure? Every CD-RW I've owned has had the same analog auido 4-pin connector on the back as on a CD-ROM. (edit) and the Newegg picture shows the 4 pins as the third set of pins, just left of the master/slave jumper pins.

Cable end doesn't matter, just don't connect it upside-down.

^ cable "to" the CD-RW, for cable "from" the CD-RW see below

 

[sharq]

After checking the manual for the ASUS P4C800 Deluxe (correct me if your mobo is something else, I don't have this one) the audio connector for the cd is right underneath the 3rd PCI slot. That is the 3rd PCI slot from the CPU, and there are 2 connectors there, it should be the one that is to the right of those 2.
The manual I checked:
http://www.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/sock478/P4C800/e1224_p4c800.pdf (Sorry I don't know how to do the link thing)
Image on page 2-2. Detailed description on page 2-30.

 

[mechBgon]

It would be unusual for the CDRW drive to not have a place for the audio cable. Looking at Newegg's photo of the rear of the CDRW, I see the four-pin jack for the audio cable just to the left of the jumper set that has the blue jumper on it.

On the motherboard, plug the cable into the place shown here. HTH The cable will work either way.

 

[Lioness]

The 4 pin audio cable is the same, but where it connects on the Cd-ROM and CD-RW seem to be different. For example if you look at this pic newegg of the lite-on my audio connection is immediately to the left on the jumper. This is where I'm plugging it on, I'm not sure if I'm doing this correctly. In the past I've always connected a CD-ROM to the first pins way on the left.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Oh, the location of the 4 pins on the back does vary between brands and models, especially after CD drives started adding the digital audio out pins. Nothing to worry about, the signal from the pins hasn't ever changed.

If you plug it in and don't get audio (or audio is reversed) then one end of the cable is upside-down. Either that or the audio volume control has the signal from those pins set to "mute" or 0.