Soundcard upgrade...

[Slammer044]

Okay...I still have the old Creative Audigy 2 ZS. Why you ask? Because I also have a set of Cambridge Soundworks Four Point Surround Speaker systems. The speakers have a single 1/4 plug that plugs into the digital out on the ZS. Still sounds good to me, but its a pain in the a$$ to load all the ancient drivers and software for the soundcard. The question is: is there a newer card that sounds at least as good, easy to install/keep updated, under a hundred bucks, AND connect to my old speaker set up (4.1)? This may sound like a really dumb question, but I really have no idea, based on how old my sound card is...thanks.

 

[birthdaymonkey]

The speakers have a single 1/4 plug that plugs into the digital out on the ZS. .

1/4" TRS connector to digital out? I've never heard of an interface like that. Do you mean coax S/PDIF?

 

[richaron]

The question is: is there a newer card that sounds at least as good, easy to install/keep updated, under a hundred bucks, AND connect to my old speaker set up

If you do in fact mean a coaxial s/pdif cable, any soundcard should sound as good as the next. Just find the cheapest one (from a name brand) which has the correct connection: rca coaxial s/pdif.

 

[billyb0b]

check out Auzentech. I have a Forte with PAX custom drivers and the thing is very nice!

 

[Slammer044]

All four speakers plug into the sub, which in turn has an in that says Digital DIN. Looks like a S-video cable. It also came with an adapter to plug to convert that to a 1/4 minijack to plug into the digital out on the ZS.

 

[birthdaymonkey]

Hmm... What does the plug that goes into the ZS look like? 1/4", 3.5mm, or RCA?

 

[mfenn]

Okay...I still have the old Creative Audigy 2 ZS. Why you ask? Because I also have a set of Cambridge Soundworks Four Point Surround Speaker systems. The speakers have a single 1/4 plug that plugs into the digital out on the ZS. Still sounds good to me, but its a pain in the a$$ to load all the ancient drivers and software for the soundcard. The question is: is there a newer card that sounds at least as good, easy to install/keep updated, under a hundred bucks, AND connect to my old speaker set up (4.1)? This may sound like a really dumb question, but I really have no idea, based on how old my sound card is...thanks.

I've seen something like that before. Basically there is a mono TRS mini-jack connector instead of the RCA connector. Electrically, the signal is the same as Coax S/PDIF, so a simple plug adapter should work.

 

[Slammer044]

Jesus, i'm such a moron. It's just a 3.5 mm. The adapter converts the Digital DIN (s-video lookin plug) to a 3.5 that then plugs into the digital out on the ZS. Sorry guys, my terminology just sucks. i suppose this would be easier for you guys to help if i knew what the hell i was talkin about first.