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XFI Digital output - Please help!

S

Skimpy6

Junior Member
I'm about to build a new system using Creative Lab's XFI Fatal1ty sound card and Logitech's Z5500 THX certified speakers.

Now, the speakers are high-end and boast Dolby Digital 5.1 THX decoding and have 3 x 3.5mm analogue inputs for front/rear/centre&sub. They also accept digital optical and digital coax inputs.... I assume the Dolby Digital and THX is to with decoding a purely digital signal from a PS2/XBOX/PC.

However, the XFI soundcard's manual states that "digital output is only concerend with 2.1 channel"! According to their manual "all PC soundcards (and other consumer DVD players) are obliged to limit their DVD Audio to 2.1"!

Is this correct?
Do I have to use the XFI's on-board decoder, and not pass the DVD sound to my Z5500?
Are they talking about DVD movies or the new future DVD Audio standard?

Please can someone answer these question!
Thanks in advance.

S
 
DVD audio cannot be fully enjoyed through a digital interface.

Dolby digital and DTS can.

Games will not be in surround sound with a digital connection
 
As I answered in your crosspost : General Hardware

Movies: they have pre-encoded 5.1 dolby digital that the soundcard can pass through as-is to the decoder for the speakers

Games, other: the XFI does not do real-time dolby digital encoding, it only encodes as PCM stereo (2.0).

> "all PC soundcards (and other consumer DVD players) are obliged to limit their DVD Audio to 2.1"!

That only applies to DVD audio discs not games. The X-Mystique and Turtle Beach Montego DDL use Dolby Digital Live to software encode 5.1, and nforce2 motherboards with SoundStorm also encoded 5.1. Creative is just too cheap and lazy to offer this option for you.

Dolby Digital Live does load the CPU though, so you might as well get the Creative card and use analog cables.
 
Welcome to AT.

Looks like you're pretty well covered here. If you're planning an X-Fi, just use the analog connections and you should be in good shape.
 
According to Logitech:
If you are listening to music, which is made in only 2 channels, you can up-mix your music to simulate surround sound. To do so, press the effect button until you reach the desired feature.

Stereo ? This setting plays your audio as it was made to be, through 2 speakers plus the subwoofer.

Stereo 2x - This setting splits the audio signal to the rear speakers giving you 4.1 channel sound.

Dolby Digital PL2 Music ? up-mixes your audio to all the speakers, applying a simulated surround sound effect for the most enjoyable music experience.
Click to expand...

You can simply upscale your 2 channel output from games/DVD audio/etc into surround. This is what is done by the sound card/drivers when you use the analog outputs.
 
The DVD-A interface of analog-interconnects-only was something Sony and Philips set up as a copyright protection scheme back in the old days. Some newer DVD players can rip optical data to wav files in real time and then pass the signal digitally. Unless you listen to DVD-A consistently it doesn't really apply to you.

Surround gaming and digital will, so you'll need analog interconnects for that.
 
Im dying to build my new PC, but still can't!!! Why? Because I'm still waiting for the 'Plextor PX-755SA" (BLACK) Serial ATA DVD Re-Writer!!! Aaaaggghhhhh!!! Ordered it from Dabs.com and they keep saying it will be avialable soon, but i'm still waiting!! Everything else is here (see below)! So i'm sure you can understand my frustration!!!
So close.... yet so far :-(

I don't suppose anyone knows which retailer in the UK (or Europe for that matter) has these in stock??

System i'm going to build is:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4800
Asus A8N32-SLI Deluxe
2GB DDR (Corsair XMS2500LLPro matched pair)
Asus Radeon X1900XT 512MB GDD3 AVIVO
TWIN Dell Ultrasharp 2405FPW 24" Widescreen monitors!
Thermaltake Armor SuperTower (black)
HiperPower 580W PSU
2 X WD Caviar 250GB 300MB/s, 16MB, NCQ
1 X WD Raptor 74GB 150MB/s, 8MB, NCQ
2 X Plextor PX755SA Dula layer DVD-ReWriters (black)
Creative XFI Fatal1ty FPS Edition
Logitech QuickCam Fusion (black/silver)
Logitech Gaming Grade G15 illuminated Keyboard (black/silver)
Logitech MX1000 Laser mouse
Logitech Z5500 5.1 DTS
Hauppauge WinTv PVRUSB2
Freecom 160GB NAS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
I just got the z5500s and an audigy2 snd card last month. there's no need to go higher than an audigy 2 if you're going to go coax out to the 5500's decoder. spdif passthrough will not use any decoding abilities on the snd card. however, it's best for many games to use 6 channel direct (i.e. the 3 analog inputs that most lower end speakers use). this is because most games are written for the audigy chip's decoding, and using 6 channel direct uses your snd card rather than the logitech decoder. if you're a gamer, go higher than audigy2 if games are supporting features the aud2 doesn't have, since most use the analog 6chan direct input.

keep in mind the digital output on the audigy cards is a 3.5mm minijack so you'll need to get a minijack to rca adapter. i picked up a gold plated mono one from radio shack for 3 bucks, and a decent rca audio/video rca cable w/ gold plated connectors for around $15.

i've been using coax input (i.e. spdif passtrhough on the card) since I got it (havne't tried many games yet) and it's phenominal. these speakers are configured soooo well, positioning is perfect. the sub is f'n crazy. I grabbed a couple thx digital/dts demo DVDs and godddaammnn i was blown away. the decoder does dts, dolby digital, as well as having dolby pl2 music and pl2 movie modes. the music mode does an amazing job at putting the vocals in the centre while keeping instruments on the left and right. same thing for the movie mode, stereo encoded divx movies sound awesome using this!

not only would i recommend these speakers to anyone wanting the craziest computer sound setup, i'd grab these in a heartbeat for a home theatre setup in a medium sized room. for under 300cdn, these would be the most incxredible value speaker setup!

anyone thinking of grabbing the 5500's, do it.
 
I would suggest getting stands for home theater to get the drive units to ear level as one-way designs like the Logitech beam foward like a laser and the soundstage is very narrow. Stands aren't cheap however, so stacking various objects like tuperware would work for that purpose.
 
actually I picked up a pair of speaker stands at wallmart for around 30cdn for the pair. they're adjustible for height, but the mounting brackets won't easily mount to the logitechs they way they are. 2 small pieces of plywood should fix that though

 
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