Sound Blaster Live 24-bit 5.1 Spkr question

[synbios1978]

Hi all,

For my birthday, I just got a set of Klipsch GMX 5.1 set of speakers for my computer. Then I checked my sound card (a sound blaster live value), and realized it could only handle 4 audio channels. So, I decided to get a new sound card. Not wanting to break the bank too bad, I just picked up a Sound Blaster Live 24-bit, which I thought supported digital audio out. I came home last night, hooked everything up, all drivers installed (I'm using XP Pro), and plugged in the speakers using a minijack to RCA adapter, which is plugged into a digital coax in on the speakers. I thought everything was going great, but when I tested it using creative's software it only put sound out of the front left and front right speakers. Since the speakers have their own Dolby decoder, I thought I'd just try to play something and see what it did. So, I get a emulated Dobly Surround sound, but nothing comes out of my sub. If I run a speaker test on the sub using the controller that comes with the speakers, the sub works great. If I turn off all the emulation on the speaker controller, I only get sound out of the front two speakers.

I guess my question is, do I need a different sound card than the Sound Blaster Live 24-bit so I can get a full digital signal out that will send to all speakers all the time (including sub). I checked around, but I didn't know if the entertainer from maddog 7.1 would be a better fit for what I wanted or not or if I would have the same problems.

(and I did have everything set to use only the digital output).

Thanks in advance,

-Synbios1978

 

[bendixG15]

ttt

 

[synbios1978]

what does ttt mean???

 

[bendixG15]

Originally posted by: synbios1978
what does ttt mean???

ttt=To The Top
Gets your post to the top of the pile instead of sinking into never never land on page 14or so

 

[DaveSimmons]

A normal coax digital out is only stereo for games unless you have an nforce2 board with soundstorm.

For everything else, to get 5.1 game audio you either need Creative's non-standard digital conector with extra pins, or to use the 3 x 2 analog outs.

 

[JBDan]

hmmm the always tricky 5.1 and games. What is your source (game, DVD, cd) when you are not hearing the sub? With a 5.1 DVD you should hear all 6 speakers (.1 being the sub) As far as games its a whole different story. Only game I know of that supports "true" 5.1 DD is Far-Cry. As far as your connections the mini to RCA is correct into your coax digital input on the Klipsch. There is a setting in DVD software players (media plyer, power dvd, DVD5 etc...) in the audio properties that will say something like this " Digital [S/PDIF] out to external processor" This is what you want to select if you are using an external DD decoder which you are. Hope this helps

 

[w00t]

get the es

 

[synbios1978]

Here's what I did. I picked up the Mad Dog Entertainer card and figured out why I wasn't getting any bass. Apparently the speakers have to be up pretty loud in order to get any kick out of them. After reading some reviews for other speakers (Logitech Z-680's), I found I wasn't the only one with this issue. I'm thinking about sticking with the Mad Dog sound card which has optical audio out and the 3 minijacks out. I'm also thinking about getting the Z-680 speakers from Logitech, which has both optical in and the 3 minijacks in. My question is for PC use (mp3's, older games, some newer games, etc. which would be the better connection to use?

Thanks for all the info on 5.1 as well!!!!

-Synbios1978

 

[JBDan]

I say direct connections (minijacks) for older stuff as this can sometimes (depending on your settings) simulate 4 channel surround. With the fibre optic connection you will only have stereo sound on most games, but the sound quality(with music cd's and 5.1/DTS DVD's) with optic is superior to the direct connections.

 

[masteraleph]

The better connection on pretty much any computer is always the analog. The DACs in all computer speakers that support digital input are inferior to what you'll get on even a halfway decent soundcard.

Using a digital output on a computer soundcard is really not worth it unless you're outputting to a decent receiver.

 

[synbios1978]

Thank you both very much for the info. I'll be hooking up the speakers via analog cables then, and since I have the digital, I may do both, just to check out the difference (digital cable came with the sound card, analog with the speakers).

Thanks again!!!

-Synbios1978