Where's my Sound!?

[ebirtel]

Hello all,

I have had great luck here with answers and help... so am back . Here are my media center specs -

MSI K8NGM2-NBP Motherboard
AMD 4000+ CPU
2 gigs ram
MSI NX8600GTS Video Card with DVI and HDMI output
LG Super Multi Blue (Blu Ray, HD DVD, DVD, CD)
Western Digital 120 gig Hard Drive
Sony 40" Bravia XBR4 120 mhz LCD Digital Color TV (HD 1080p)
TurtleBeach Montego DDL Sound Card
Logitech Z-5500 Speakers

I can only hear sound from 2 speakers, nothing from the center or sub. I am using an optical cable for my TV and the included 3 pin cable for the media center. I have checked the sound options but see nothing, unless I missed it, to make any changes. Also, I heard that there are better drivers than the inlcuded Monetgo ones. Any info on that would also be appreciated.

Any thoughts or ideas please?

 

[PurdueRy]

Originally posted by: ebirtel
Hello all,

I have had great luck here with answers and help... so am back . Here are my media center specs -

MSI K8NGM2-NBP Motherboard
AMD 4000+ CPU
2 gigs ram
MSI NX8600GTS Video Card with DVI and HDMI output
LG Super Multi Blue (Blu Ray, HD DVD, DVD, CD)
Western Digital 120 gig Hard Drive
Sony 40" Bravia XBR4 120 mhz LCD Digital Color TV (HD 1080p)
TurtleBeach Montego DDL Sound Card
Logitech Z-5500 Speakers

I can only hear sound from 2 speakers, nothing from the center or sub. I am using an optical cable for my TV and the included 3 pin cable for the media center. I have checked the sound options but see nothing, unless I missed it, to make any changes. Also, I heard that there are better drivers than the inlcuded Monetgo ones. Any info on that would also be appreciated.

Any thoughts or ideas please?

What are you listening to that you are expecting 6 channel surround sound?

And if your answer is music...enable Dolby digital live in the drivers if you really want to hear music out all 6.

 

[ebirtel]

It's not just the 6 channel. Only 2 out of the 4 speakers actually produce sound. Also the center and sub do not have anything coming out.

 

[PurdueRy]

I can't help you if you don't answer my questions

 

[ebirtel]

Listening to TV, DVD, XBox, anything that media center will play.

 

[PurdueRy]

Originally posted by: ebirtel
Listening to TV, DVD, XBox, anything that media center will play.

Well TV is stereo so that's to be expected. You need to enable spdif passthrough in the program you are using to get surround sound off DVD's. XBOX would have to be connected to the speakers by its own optical cable to have surround sound.

 

[TC91]

you could also use the upmixing feature on the speakers (on the control pod, use the effect button and toggle to the PL II Music / Movie) themselves but it may not sound as good. using analog connections on my z-5500's atm, so im not sure if the PL II thing would work with your digital setup, but you could try it out.

 

[geno]

I'd like to chime in with the same problem. I'm using the sound from my motherboard (Realtek ALC889a) which supposedly supports "HD Audio". My speakers are Logitech Z-5450 which has two optical inputs and supports Prologic II and DTS 96/24. I connected my optical cable and opened the sound software to specify SPDIF output. I get sound to my two fronts and nothing else. I even use the onboard sound's software to test individual speakers and it sends nothing to the rears/center/sub (this is a 5.1 setup, BTW). Sorry if I'm threadjacking, but it seems I'm having the same problem as the OP

 

[PurdueRy]

Originally posted by: geno
I'd like to chime in with the same problem. I'm using the sound from my motherboard (Realtek ALC889a) which supposedly supports "HD Audio". My speakers are Logitech Z-5450 which has two optical inputs and supports Prologic II and DTS 96/24. I connected my optical cable and opened the sound software to specify SPDIF output. I get sound to my two fronts and nothing else. I even use the onboard sound's software to test individual speakers and it sends nothing to the rears/center/sub (this is a 5.1 setup, BTW). Sorry if I'm threadjacking, but it seems I'm having the same problem as the OP

What motherboard do you have?

 

[geno]

Gigabyte P35 DS3R

 

[PurdueRy]

Originally posted by: geno
Gigabyte P35 DS3R

Your motherboard doesn't have Dolby digital live or DTS connect. Using the digital connection, you will only get surround sound from preencoded sources which are typically DVD's but also can be video files.

Here's a hint, if you want surround sound, connect via analog.

 

[driftwood07]

yea what purdue said is rite . if you want 5.1 you need to use the green/orange/black clips for stuff like games and music and anything that isnt pre-encoded for 5.1, like a retail dvd or rip encoded with ac3