S/P-DIF help....

[wildwolf]

I've got a SB Live MP3+ sound card. It's rear outputs consist of: line1, line2, and a s/p-dif which appears to be a fiber optic? optical out.

I just purchased some awesome speakers. Altec Lansing's ADA880R. The back of the sub-woofer has a "S/P-DIF Digital" input, yet the cable theys supplied, looks like a standard RCA cable, only slimmer.

There anyway I can get all channels from the digital out of the SB Live! card to the digital in of these speakers?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

wildwolf

 

[superbaby]

The optical out is what I think is called a "TOSlink" connector, basically for stuff like MiniDiscs, DAT drives etc, but it can also function as a SPDIF optical out which can be used to carry Dolby Digital AC3 streams.

However your Altec Lansing speakers take coaxial SPDIF input, which is not physically compatible with the TOSlink connector. I'm not sure if such a thing exists as a TOSlink <-> coaxial converter.

To get digital sound you'll have to find speakers which accept optical input or somehow get coaxial output on your sound card.

 

[ArkAoss]

an sblive 5.1 has optical digital now???? hmm m i think i know of a web site that offers stuff for mini discs that might help called www.minidisco.com, or is it a smaller stereo type jack, if you can post a pic of the speakers digital in cable and the sblives digital out connector, I'm pretty sure I might know of a way to help.

EDIT
I cant find any good screen shots of the new live mp3+ 5.1, if that's what you have can you post a good screen shot of it? I cant find any documentation saying that the live cards have on them the optical out, the live I have has the spdif coax out, and the cambridge fps 2000, they have good connections, if you can find pics, lemme know, I'm really sure i can help you out here

 

[CigarSmokedByClinton]

Hi,

Friend of mine has the MP3+ card too, and we called creative regarding the supposed digital out. They said that we needed a dongle that converted the card' output ( a mini-DIN much like a headphone jack) to a RCA (Coax). In this way, you can output Digital sound to your speakers, or to an external Dolby Digital Reciever. If you bought your sound card retail, you may even be able to call creative up and ask them to send you the dongle free of charge( It shoulda been in the box)

cheers

cigar

 

[JaiKnight]

I think the Live 5.1 Platinum has an optical out on the Live Drive, but I don't think it has the output connection on the back of the card. If you've got a normal Live 5.1 you can get the Optical Out connection with an add-on card for something like $25.

 

[bigjon]

The so-called &quot;Coax&quot; connector you have on your sub works with a normal RCA phono plug, so if you can grab a dongle you'll be set.

 

[superbaby]

Ahhh yes that little thing that Creative calls a mini-DIN which requires you to buy an external dongle for it to actually work... I think you can pick them up at Radio Shack, I have the same jack on my SB Live! Platinum 5.1 but since I have the Live Drive IR I have the SPDIF coaxial out already. It's a mini-DIN to RCA (single jack RCA) cable.

Optical out can be added to any SB Live! card with the addition of an Optical I/O card from either Creative or Hoontech, although the Hoontech addon cards are more featurered than the Creative ones.

 

[ArkAoss]

i have an add on card that came with my creative speakers that will has the mini din connector, does you speaks have the mini din or is that off the card?, if the speakers have the mini din type cable and the sound card doesnt, yeah you oughta be able to get the converter to the connector on the mp3+ from creative, i got a converter with my creative speakers, ir the speakers have actual rca connection for digital. . . and not the mini din thing then I am pretty sure radio shack doesnt have a converter to the other type of small jack thing that creative uses