Will SB-Live 5.1 work *well* with DTT-2500 speakers?

[VBboy]

I was wondering if I can use the digital-out connector of the Sound Blaster 5.1 Gamer to connect it to the DTT-2500 Cambridge speaker system. Or do I have to have the PLATINUM version of the sound card to take advantage of the digital connection to speakers?

I don't want to do a dual-stereo output - that's not as good.. So I am trying to find out about this digital connection.

Thank you!

 

[Adrian Tung]

I have no problems with my SB Live 5.1 Digital Entertainment and my DTT3500. I reckon there shouldn't be any problems with the DTT2500 too, since they are both almost similar.


atwl

 

[spanner]

the ddt 2500 can use the digital din but you will only get 4 not 5.1 surround sound as the ddt2500's were designed for the original live, not the 5.1s. you can connect via sp-dif but you will only get stereo or prologic output.

 

[Euripides]

VBboy and Spanner, go into your Creative speaker set up. Choose the 5.1 setup and then go into advanced settings. In there turn off the Dolby Digital decoding. With this off the signal will now be decoded by the receiver of the DTT2500 instead of the soundcard. I am getting Dolby Digital 5.1 on the DVDs and it sounds great considering I only paid $150 for the Cambridge system.

 

[Caiwyn]

At last, something I know about enough to talk about...

The only difference between the SoundBlaster Live! family and the Live! 5.1 family of sound cards is that the 5.1 line has built-in Dolby 5.1 decoding. The regular Live! does not. This is basically because not everyone has a set of speakers with built-in decoding.

Put simply, the 5.1 is meant to be used with the DTT2200 speakers, not the 2500 or 3500 models, because the 2200 doesn't have built-in decoding - the sound card does that. The DTT2500 and DTT3500 speakers are meant to be used with cards that don't have 5.1 decoding, such as the regular SB Live!

Make sense?

 

[Caiwyn]

D'oh! I realize I never gave you the quick and dirty answer...

Yes, the DTT2500 will work just fine with the Live! 5.1. But it's overkill - you can get the DTT2200 for cheaper and use that with the 5.1 - they're the same speakers, just without Dolby decoding.

 

[BChico]

I use a 5.1 plat with the dtt2500 and it sounds great...

 

[VBboy]

I wonder if the Klipsch 4.1 would sound better even though it doesn't have the central speaker (whatever you call it)...

 

[spanner]

Euripides: I know that but it only works for DVD's or pro-logic for games(3 point surround sound). No true 5.1 for games!!!

 

[bigbootydaddy]

<< the ddt 2500 can use the digital din but you will only get 4 not 5.1 surround sound as the ddt2500's were designed for the original live, not the 5.1s. you can connect via sp-dif but you will only get stereo or prologic output. >>


this doesnt sound right

i have a dtt2500 and an xgamer (got rid of ti for the herc GTXP) and i had to order that digital din to spdif cable from creative, and the cabl has a spdif on one side (minijack) and digital AND coaxial rca on the other. plug in the digital din and the other rca to the back of the dtt2500.

now select 4 speaker (third light from the left) ont the dtt2500 and make the 5 ligth from the left light also (forgot what it was called, im at work)

it might not be TRUE 5.1, but you will get sound out of all 5 channel and of course the sub.

 

[spanner]

The 5th channel is an upmix, not an independant channel, the ddt2500 does not have a 5th channel input digital or analog. the only time you get 5.1 is when it is decoded via a dolby digital stream i.e DVD stream. Trust me, you are better off with analog 5.1(ddt2200) or the digital 3500's.

 

[parikh26]

I just bought a tb santa cruz (the 64ish deal from dell--hope it's not oem, that's what the sales rep told me). Anway, since the card supports 5.1 and has digital decoding, should i buy digital or analog speakers? I don't game, and the speaks would be mostly for music, tv tuner, and the occational dvd. I have $150 budget, so anyone have advice/recommendations? I would go for klipsch if i have more dough...

Thanks.