PC to home stereo

[Casey712]

I have onboard 5.1 sound. I want to connect my pc to my stereo system. I've done a lot of research but still don't feel confident about which cable to buy to accomplish this. Can I use just one of the speaker outputs in the back of my computer and plug in two RCA plugs into the stereo receiver? Do I need to buy a sound card?

TIA

 

[PurdueRy]

If your receiver only has stereo inputs, you have detailed the best option for yourself right there.

 

[zig3695]

yup. i only use rca jacks and i get wonderful results. while optical or digital will always be better (plus you can get true channel seperation that way) i have found that a good soundcard outputting to a good stereo via rca jacks will get you great results. and, you do still get dolby 5.1 from it, as thats what analog dolby is (taking a two channel stereo signal and separating it out to 5.1 channels.) most movies and tv shows are recorded in such a way that dolby recievers can recognize different tone levels in the audio stream and therefore the receiver knows what sound to throw on the back speakers and whatnot. at least thats my poor laymans attempt at explaining it!

 

[PurdueRy]

Originally posted by: zig3695
yup. i only use rca jacks and i get wonderful results. while optical or digital will always be better (plus you can get true channel seperation that way) i have found that a good soundcard outputting to a good stereo via rca jacks will get you great results. and, you do still get dolby 5.1 from it, as thats what analog dolby is (taking a two channel stereo signal and separating it out to 5.1 channels.) most movies and tv shows are recorded in such a way that dolby recievers can recognize different tone levels in the audio stream and therefore the receiver knows what sound to throw on the back speakers and whatnot. at least thats my poor laymans attempt at explaining it!

That's not Dolby 5.1 That's matrix modes such as Pro Logic II or plain ol' Pro Logic

 

[Casey712]

Thanks. That's good info. This sounds so easy for such a great concept! I really can't wait to try it.

I guess my confusion lies in the fact there are three outputs for my onboard 5.1, but only one output plug on the cable. Does it matter which output I use? Center/Subwoofer? Front Speaker Out? Rear Speaker Out?

 

[PurdueRy]

Originally posted by: Casey712
Thanks. That's good info. This sounds so easy for such a great concept! I really can't wait to try it.

I guess my confusion lies in the fact there are three outputs for my onboard 5.1, but only one output plug on the cable. Does it matter which output I use? Center/Subwoofer? Front Speaker Out? Rear Speaker Out?

You will use front speaker.

 

[zig3695]

yeah im an idiot. pro logic it is but it does still use all 5.1 channels if your receiver supports it.

 

[montypythizzle]

Which receiver do you have, that will help us the most.
PurdueRy has the correct info, but a link or picture of the inputs would be greatly appreciated, and may lead to more sound advancements
(shit, sometimes I sound like I am translating Chinese manuals....)

 

[The J]

If you're just connecting your computer to your stereo receiver, you just need one of these cables. Connect this from the "Front" speaker output (usually lime green) on your computer to a stereo input on your receiver.

If you are connecting this to a 5.1 system, then you'll need two more of those cables. This assumes that your receiver has 5.1 analog inputs. You will get full 5.1 audio in analog sources, like games, and some soundcards (like the Audigy 2 ZS and X-Fi) and most software DVD players support decoding DTS and Dolby Digital signals, so you can still get full surround sound in movies. This is what I do with my speaker system and it works very well.

 

[montypythizzle]

Originally posted by: The J
If you're just connecting your computer to your stereo receiver, you just need one of these cables. Connect this from the "Front" speaker output (usually lime green) on your computer to a stereo input on your receiver.

If you are connecting this to a 5.1 system, then you'll need two more of those cables. This assumes that your receiver has 5.1 analog inputs. You will get full 5.1 audio in analog sources, like games, and some soundcards (like the Audigy 2 ZS and X-Fi) and most software DVD players support decoding DTS and Dolby Digital signals, so you can still get full surround sound in movies. This is what I do with my speaker system and it works very well.

That is what I was going to suggest if he had the correct inputs on his receiver.

 

[Peter]

If you're using a 5.1 receiver there not a stereo amplifier, do check whether your mainboard supports digital out S/PDIF copper or optical cable. The slot brackets for this are typically $10 or less, and let you run six channels through a single cable. Digital audio passthrough also lets you run DVD audio, DTS and whatever else your receiver understands through it, even with 'brainless' onboard audio.