Logitech 680s + Audigy = compatible?

[Logan8252]

I am going to link to a post I made on another forum because I am able to imbed images in the post, which I think is necessary to get what I am saying.

Click here please.

 

[Viper96720]

Just hook up the digital rca cable. You'll have digital out going to the receiver.
I would use the dtt2500 receiver with the logitech speakers

 

[Accord99]

Using the digital connection for this setup, you will only get 5.1 sound if you pass-through Dolby Digital or DTS tracks. For games, you will only get the front channels. You would need to use the analog connections to get surround audio with games.

 

[Logan8252]

Originally posted by: Accord99
Using the digital connection for this setup, you will only get 5.1 sound if you pass-through Dolby Digital or DTS tracks. For games, you will only get the front channels. You would need to use the analog connections to get surround audio with games.

That's what I was afraid of. I don't know when you happened to visit the link, but someone posted that if you have a sound card that encodes Dolby Digital then you can have it in every application. Is that correct?

EDIT: If so, what is a good (and cheap) PCI sound card that can do this?

 

[Accord99]

The only current option is the NForce 1 and 2 motherboards that have the Dolby encoder built-in. Only CMI has licensed a software version of the Dolby encoder and may incorporate it into future cards but that's not certain. However, given that:
DD is a lossy compression scheme to begin with
the NForce usesis a cheap real-time encoder
the source audio usually isn't of that high quality
and you're connecting to a computer speaker system and not a high-end home theater receiver,

I think that using the analog connections with the Audigy will sound no worse than using the NForce Dolby encoder.

 

[Logan8252]

One last question. On the Audigy, the digital out (red circle on the bracket) doubles as the center/subwoofer channel for analog 5.1. Could I use a splitter and have the coaxial cable connected with the cable above and have the analog cable as well for 5.1 at the same time (then just switch between analog and digital in software)? Or would I have to switch the cables every time I wanted to have the digital output? Thanks.

 

[Viper96720]

Audigy will output analog if digital out isn't selected

 

[BennyD]

Originally posted by: Logan8252
One last question. On the Audigy, the digital out (red circle on the bracket) doubles as the center/subwoofer channel for analog 5.1. Could I use a splitter and have the coaxial cable connected with the cable above and have the analog cable as well for 5.1 at the same time (then just switch between analog and digital in software)? Or would I have to switch the cables every time I wanted to have the digital output? Thanks.

not sure how an analogue devise will react to a digital signal, might get some noise over the channel

the analogue should beignored by the digital devise though

edit: why do you need to use digital anyway, analogue would probably sound just as good if not better. and you can just let the Audigy do the decoding.

 

[jacktesterson]

I think they're compatible in the sense that one is a sound card and one is speakers, and when you plug one into the other a sound is supposed to be heard. However, since global warming has come into affect, I feel electromagnetic interferance will affect the quality of sound eminate.

 

[Logan8252]

Originally posted by: BennyD

edit: why do you need to use digital anyway, analogue would probably sound just as good if not better. and you can just let the Audigy do the decoding.

I thought I have to use the coaxial to get Dolby Digital in movies? If I use only the analog connections and let the Audigy do the decoding, in PowerDVD if I select "use S/PDIF" will I get Dolby Digital?

 

[Accord99]

Logan, Dolby Digital is just a compression scheme for multichannel audio. It can be decoded at any location, either by PowerDVD, the Audigy software drivers or the hardware decoder on the Z-680, and the resulting audio should be virtually identical.

 

[BennyD]

Originally posted by: Logan8252

Originally posted by: BennyD

edit: why do you need to use digital anyway, analogue would probably sound just as good if not better. and you can just let the Audigy do the decoding.

I thought I have to use the coaxial to get Dolby Digital in movies? If I use only the analog connections and let the Audigy do the decoding, in PowerDVD if I select "use S/PDIF" will I get Dolby Digital?

Accord is right.
"Dolby Digital" is just a buzzword used to sell systems.

it's a method of encoding 5.1 audio onto the space of a single stereo track, it is used simply to save space.
the only difference between using DD and analogue on your card is the location of the decoding, if you use digital, the decoding is done by the 680's decoder, otherwise it is done on the card.
the only real difference might be if one decoder is better than the other, but since neither are high end then there is really no advantage to either, other than convenience.

i think that boards like the nforce are not very good for audio as the "on the fly" technique does not compare to the tracks encoded at the sound studios on the expensive equipment.
also, games cannot really be in DD, they can run on hardware thats encoding to DD but they can't have a DD soundtrack like movies.

 

[Logan8252]

One question about the z680s (if any of you guys own them). I read a few reviews and some say that there is white noise that comes from the center channel, even if there is nothing playing. Is this true in your experience if you own this set? Thanks.