Originally posted by: seawolf21
I'm thinking of getting a set of Z680. I currently have the Audigy 2. What are the inputs on the speakers? Thanks.
Originally posted by: NicColt
>It is a digital coax cable with RCA on one side
>I switch the control pod of speakers to coax - but it does not detect anything..
Only digital feeds will play through the digital coax - games on the other hand that are 'analog' will only play through on the RCA side. You can thank Creative Labs for this one.
Originally posted by: Jadow
well, with my audigy 2 (and Creative 4 point surround speakers) the mini jack (headphone type) digitla out on the SB Audigy goes to the digital in on the 4 point speakers, and everything plays.
I think he's wrong
Only digital feeds will play through the digital coax - games on the other hand that are 'analog' will only play through on the RCA side. You can thank Creative Labs for this one.
Now I have purchased this cable:
http://www.cobaltcable.com/product/digital_coax_cable.htm
It is a digital coax cable with RCA on one side (Z-680'd pod digital coax in side) and 3.5 mini on the other side (into digital out on SB Audigy card)..
Originally posted by: NicColt
>Creative cards can transmit any audio either through analog or digital unless the standard doesn't allow it.
OK this was beaten to death in previous threads and in other forums, who here will stand up and say that the A2 will play digital and analog through digital coax to the Z680's please raise your hand.
With DRM for Creative soundcards, it means that if you for some reason, happen to acquire a DRM protected file, it will actually play properly. While for other soundcards which do not have DRM, then it won't play at all. And no, the A2 will easily pass through DD or DTS streams from a DVD to a receiver for decoding. What it won't do is pass through the digital signal for DVD-Audio, but this is a part of the DVD-Audio specification. Nearly all of the consumer DVD-Audio players will not output a digital signal either.Originally posted by: JonTom
I thought I read somewhere the A2 wouldn't pass a digital signal from a DVD due to DRM BS... However, that makes no sense and I can't find anything about it on creative's site. Can anyone elaborate?
What it won't do is pass through the digital signal for DVD-Audio, but this is a part of the DVD-Audio specification. Nearly all of the consumer DVD-Audio players will not output a digital signal either.
SPDIF by its nature is only 2 channels. DD and DTS uses compression to fit more channels but there is no way to send 5.1 channels of uncompressed digital audio over 1 SPDIF cable.
Originally posted by: NicColt
and yes with digital coax you can get winamp for example to work but it won't be 5.1 you may hear it on all speakers but it won't be 5.1 if you switch it to the analog or digital din then you will get the 5.1 source. If you want 5.1 from the SPDIF with digital coax then the source must be DD/AC-3 and the player must be capable of playing DD/AC-3 failure to meat this requirement it will default to a 2 channel stereo even if you have 4 or 5 speakers connected.
Don't you mean the Audigy /2 are not capable of this?Originally posted by: lameaway
There is no sound card that can process analog audio... thats silly. Everything is of course digital up to the output stage, at which it can either be packaged up into a digital protocol like Dolby and sent across a cable or sent directly to DACs. The reason some soundcards are incapable of sending multichannel output from games to the digital out is simply because they are incapable of encoding 5 or 6 raw_digital_ channels into a serial protocol like Dolby Digital. I'm rather sure the Audigy is capable of this...
EDIT: And when I say protocol, I really mean format.![]()
Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
Yes, it was already a flaw in the Live 5.1 cards, you'd think that two generations later they'd get it right.