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Question about digital out for those that own an SB Live X-Gamer (regular or 5.1)

C

cvlegion

Senior member
Right now I own a Sound Blaster Live Value, bought it when the Live series first came out, so I do not have the digital out. Anyways, I just bought a Denon 3300 A/V receiver, which has a digital input as well as optical. So, I am planning on just getting a new sound card probably X-Gamer or X-Gamer (this is all that I am interested in, the digital out). I am wanting to make sure, the digital out is coax RCA, right, not minijack. Thanks in advance.
 
So, is it a miniplug on the regular version? Do I have to get a miniplug to female RCA cable to hook up? Is the 5.1 the same way? I am hoping that it is not this way because then I have to find a good converter cable to maintain the quality of the connection. I really am hoping that one of these cards is RCA not miniplug.
 
So is there anyone with an X-Gamer, MP3+ or Platinum who can tell me whether the 5th plug on the card is an RCA or miniplug. Is it difference in this digital out (SPDIF) for the second-generation Lives and the 5.1 Lives? Or another thing that would be helpful, if you happened to stumble across a clear, large picture of the back of one of the Live's with a digital out.

Thanks in advance
 
I have X-gamer 5.1, it has a digital din, but it is a mini jack needed, so if you are asking, if there is a rca or coxial, no there is not, just stereo inputs(or minijacks whatever they called).
 
if you hook the live 5.1 series up to a 5.1 set of speakers ie. digitheatre, midiland, can you get more than stereo in non dvd applications?
 
I doubt it. It would be in the software if it were to do so. I wouldn't count on it. However if you use a good receiver, like my Denon, then it has a Stereo 5.1 mode and will play stereo in 5.1 stereo. The only way you will be able to play in 5.1 is if the surround is encoded in ac-3 (DVD and otherwise), unless you have a receiver or they have this feature in the software.
 
It doesnt have RCA jacks built in, but you can buy an adapter to run from the tiny plugs (1/8??) to RCA and the plug that into your line out, then to the RCA plugs on your receiver. If I remember right, it comes with just such a plug....Or maybe I had an extra lyin around I used....I cant remember, I had so many damned wires layin around tryin to remove my Live!Value and video capture cartd and install new Live!X-Gamer and DTT3500 speakers....It was a mess.....
 
You need a cable like THISto make the minijack a RCA style jack.

You can buy the Platinum and use the optical output, though, I do not think there is any difference in quality between optical and coax.
 
Dirext X 8 supports AC-3, but I do not know what for.

Also, Music DVDs with DD 5.1 should be avalibale soon
 
Thanks everyone for the help.

Replying to what mosdef said, I was using a blanket statement. DVDs will not or are not the only media with soundtracks encoded in ac-3. There are DTS CDs already out, but then you need a DTS decoder, Dolby Digital will not work.

Replying to what AMB said, I think that you are referring to the DVD audio disks. They are already out, you can buy a very limited selection of music (growing) and there are like 4 players out (JVC, Panasonic (another by Technic), Denon and Onkyo). However, I am sorry to disappoint, but first thing, DVD audio (in 5.1) is not compatible with regular DVD players/DVD drives. Now most of these DVD audio disks have both a 5.1 and a stereo soundtrack. I have heard that the stereo is readable by DVD players (do not know if they are compatible with DVD drives). I haven't heard of any DVD-audio drives though. I have heard of car DVD-audio head sets, but no computer solutions. You have to think that the Recording industry has a great disdain for the computer at this time because of the MP3, and they probably are not interested in having pirated versions of the 5.1 (96kHz sampling rate, 24 bit) or stereo (192kHz sampling rate, 24 bit) being let out. I will clarify though, I am not saying and I would be a fool to believe that there will never be a computer solution because I think that computer solutions are considered essential, however I do not see any of these solutions on the horizon right at this point. If anything, they will wait until they feel secure about releasing it.

So as far as I can see, the only way to at least play 5.1 right now is to buy a receiver with 6-external inputs ($500-4000) plus speaker set ($800+) and a DVD-audio player ($500-$1500). I will clarify for the 6-external input jacks, these DVD audio player have onboard decoders and they send the 6 discrete decoded channels to the receiver so you need at least 6.
 
cvlegion,

A cheaper way to get DD5.1 or DTS is the Videologic range.

They have the Videologic DigiTheatre £205 ($300) and the DigiTheatre DTS £370 ($500), my non-dts one works very well.
 
I am sorry I meant playing DVD-audio, not 5.1. My bad. But yes you are right the Videologic guys have a DTS system, pretty cool for DTS movies. Unfortunately it will not play DVD-audio, since that doesn't effect the drive issue. Sucks!!! I just chose a receiver system because I had the money and want to play DVD audio in the near future. 🙂 Besides, you can't get a system at 500W RMS (for just high and mid) + 300W+ RMS for the bass. Also, I think that everyone would agree that these micro-systems that you connect to computers are not audiophile systems. They were never designed to be so. For their price, they are great (especially the Klipsch, I just mention them since they are a professional speaker designer also as well and the fact that I have actually listened to it). I have seen some mud-slinging over which computer audio system to get, but realize I by no means denigrated any of the other systems. Also it is the only one that I heard, but the fact that they as well as Boston Acoustics make professional audio systems and are well known for them makes their systems more credible. Just my 2 cents though.
 
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