Realtek and Logitech 5.1 Z906 = crap. Advice needed

[tami]

3D. You said further up that you weren't. I really don't think you want to be using that speaker effect. At least not until you get things working correctly. No effect would be my suggestion. I wonder if it would be worth getting a cheap 5.1 sound card for the task if you still can't get things working right.

Right, that's why I had my eye on the Audigy. I'd want something with non-Realtek drivers.

Also, I mentioned 3D in the first post. 3D on this set only means that it uses all 5 speakers.

 

[Ketchup]

Right, that's why I had my eye on the Audigy. I'd want something with non-Realtek drivers.

Also, I mentioned 3D in the first post. 3D on this set only means that it uses all 5 speakers.

The 3D effects I see in the speaker manual are for stereo only. That could mean that the unit is ignoring the input from the other connections on the sound card/input cable. Remember, in your configuration all sound processing is done on the sound card, not the speakers. The only thing the speakers should be doing for your configuration is sending the signal to the speaker the sound card is specifying (with amplification of course).

 

[tami]

Ah so I was wrong. I actually have it configured for 4.1.

I probably *should* try 3D, though....

 

[tami]

I tried to uninstall Realtek and Windows just reinstalled it again. I wish I could let Windows take over on this.

 

[tami]

bump for anything else I should try save for investing more $ in this thing

 

[Ketchup]

Like I said, "no effects" on the speakers should work for the setup you specify on the computer. That is probably going to be 2.1 unless you select something different from the Realtek menu.

 

[tami]

@ketchup - there's no "no effects" - there's 2.1, 4.1, and 3D. 3D just means it uses all 5 speakers. 4.1 means it uses 4 (not the center). 2.1 means it uses two side speakers. I didn't buy a $399 speaker system to get 2.1 out of it..

I guess I'll have to buy a soundcard. If not the Audigy and if I'm not going with the Xonar since it's out of my price range, what should I get between $40-60?

 

[Ketchup]

@ketchup - there's no "no effects" - there's 2.1, 4.1, and 3D. ...

Well that is strange. I downloaded the manual from here:

http://support.logitech.com/en_us/product/7929

And page 8 mentions what is available when only a stereo source is present (this is where the options you mentioned will show).

Page 11 mentions No Effect for letting the computer control the sound output.

So maybe you need to change the input selection to 6-channel direct. What do you have it set now? Are you using the three connections on the top of the sub?

 

[tami]

AHA. So this was Logitech all along. They didn't do basic troubleshooting with me. I see what you mean and I didn't realize there was even an option to turn off "effects."

I'm good now. I had to disable them all, plug the black jack into my line in, keep my green one in line out, and stick the orange one into the center one directly below the green one.

In Realtek, the black is configured for side speaker out, the green took its defaults, and the orange, too, took its defaults as center/subwoofer speaker out.

Looks like you are a real serious problem solver, ketchup79. You rock!

(p.s. I'm so angry at Logitech right now that I'm opening another ticket to the one they closed with my specific request NOT TO so that I can complain about the tech support person.)

 

[Ketchup]

Good to hear! It can be hard to show a process over the internet at times.

 

[tami]

Good to hear! It can be hard to show a process over the internet at times.

Indeed. Thank you again.

 

[Paul98]

Can you get it to play music on all the speakers using the test, but have the sound just coming out of the incorrect speakers?

 

[tami]

Can you get it to play music on all the speakers using the test, but have the sound just coming out of the incorrect speakers?

Problem is solved, Paul. It wasn't performing the test properly until I removed the "effects" on the speakers. I incorrectly understood the lights as referring to which speakers were powered on. Thanks for your help though! I can't edit my subject to reflect that it's fixed.

 

[bleucube]

Tami,
I stumbled across this post as I have had a z97 gaming 5 motherboard and purchased the same speakers. I was having the same issue you originally posted about. I disabled all sound effects and have setup the cables as you posted. I can now get the center channel, front left and right and sub working! Thanks so much! However I cannot get the rear left or right to work. Did you get yours working?

 

[Aikouka]

Tami,
I stumbled across this post as I have had a z97 gaming 5 motherboard and purchased the same speakers. I was having the same issue you originally posted about. I disabled all sound effects and have setup the cables as you posted. I can now get the center channel, front left and right and sub working! Thanks so much! However I cannot get the rear left or right to work. Did you get yours working?

I have a Z906 hooked up to my desktop (mine's an ASUS Maximus VI Formula though), and it works fine. However, the big difference is that the OP and you both use the standard 3.5mm jacks and I'm using optical/TOSLINK. I do have to make sure the speaker setup is set to 3D though as the only other options don't include the center channel (the highest is 4.1).

 

[bleucube]

Thanks for the reply. The motherboard nor the z506 has toslink or optical audio.

So it looks like I can either change out my motherboard z97 MSI Gaming 5 with something that support 5.1 out of the box, get soundcard, or get new speakers?

Was really hoping the original OP would come back and tell me out he/she got the rear's to work... seeing we have the same configuration.