Some programs cannot use my rear speakers....what gives?

[markjs]

I have an Epox EP-8RDA+, with Nvidia onboard sound (very nice as onboard sound goes). Trouble is both Winamp and Yahoo Messenger cannot access the rear channel of the speakers (plugged into the line in). Is it a setting on the soundcard side or on the individual program side? Can it be remedied? How?

 

[Andyman53]

Yahoo messenger wouldn't benefit from it, basically go into control panel and check sounds / multimedia settings to make sure windows recognizes you have a big speaker setup and not just two. I'd check the same thing in winamp if it has the options and if you have speakrs that came with software, check that too. some programs will not utilize ALL speakers.

 

[Nebor]

I realize you've grown up in a world where "stereo" and "surround" and "digital" are thrown around every 5 seconds, but you have to realize that "stereo" is by definition 2 channel sound. All music that isn't DVD-Audio will use 2 of your speakers unless you use software or hardware to "upmix" the sound to all 4 channels. I've yet to hear any kind of upmixing (even the vaunted CMSS 2) that doesn't sound like crap. So make your own decision.

 

[markjs]

"I realize you've grown up in a world where "stereo" and "surround" and "digital" are thrown around every 5 seconds"


Not so LOL....I remember Hi Fi. Still for all I know about the way the sound channels sort out I thought that during ordinary stereo playback that the front and rears mirrored each other.

 

[Erasmus-X]

Not so LOL....I remember Hi Fi. Still for all I know about the way the sound channels sort out I thought that during ordinary stereo playback that the front and rears mirrored each other.

That term was actually more accurately coined "Quadraphonic" sound, which died an early death in the 70's. Like Beta, the format didn't fare well with consumer distribution channels (the bulk of profits for ANY record company or motion picture studio).

Speaking of DVD Audio (and its closest competitor, SACD), look how much "ground" those technologies have broken. It's a wonder they're still around. Just about every classic I've seen re-engineered for these formats have sounded like utter crap (with the exception of a few 2-channel, read NOT multichannel SACD recordings I've heard). They also require you to buy special playback hardware whose technology is only licensed to a small handful of manufacturers. Bah...

 

[markjs]

No it wasn't quadraphonic....I am talking Hi Fi.....High Fidelity mono.....

 

[Nebor]

I enjoy DVD audio on my Audigy 2 w/ Creative Gigaworks speakers.... While the 2 channel DVDs do have more punch, they are few and far between, and I can appreciate the surround ones too. It's kinda neat how the instruments seem to echo from behind you, like you're in the room w/ the artist. Even the Surround version is higher quality than the stereo CD version though. 92khz vs. 44khz.