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Topic: Sound card fit for 5.1 surround sound (Read 4037 times) previous topic - next topic
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Sound card fit for 5.1 surround sound

Hey guys! First time here, go easy on me.

So I've been trying to set up 5.1 surround sound on my computer recently, specs go here:
Win 7 Ultimate x64
6 gigs ram
ASUS P6T Deluxe v2 with SoundMAX drivers
i7 Core

After researching, I found that the onboard sound from the motherboard does not fully support the 5.1 surround, I am now looking for a decent sound card for my PC. Willing to pay $100-200-ish but I found a Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer for like $40 on tigerdirect.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Sound card fit for 5.1 surround sound

Reply #1 –
What do you mean by not fully supporting 5.1 sound?  That motherboard has enough analog outputs for 5.1 sound.  It also has SPDIF outputs for passing through AC3/DTS audio.

Sound card fit for 5.1 surround sound

Reply #2 –
What I'm saying is, the SPDIF output plays nothing and doesn't go though the DTS audio, it does if I test the sound through the SoundMAX setup, but not through any other music program

Sound card fit for 5.1 surround sound

Reply #3 –
Make sure your output is set to SPDIF in the sound control panel and make sure your playback program is configured to pass through DTS and AC3.

Sound card fit for 5.1 surround sound

Reply #4 –
Quote from: washu on
Make sure your output is set to SPDIF in the sound control panel and make sure your playback program is configured to pass through DTS and AC3.


I have it set as default in sound control panel, but how would I get iTunes to pass through DTS/AC3?

EDIT: Actually, how would I get DTS/AC3 set up?
I play it through SPDIF in sound control panel, but get no sound.

Sound card fit for 5.1 surround sound

Reply #5 –
Quote from: derpin on
I have it set as default in sound control panel, but how would I get iTunes to pass through DTS/AC3?

EDIT: Actually, how would I get DTS/AC3 set up?
I play it through SPDIF in sound control panel, but get no sound.


To be honest I have no idea how or even if iTunes supports SPDIF output.  However, if it doesn't work on your on board sound then it is quite unlikely that a different card would change that.

Sound card fit for 5.1 surround sound

Reply #6 –
All I'm saying is, other people have got it working, when I was googling answers. I'm going to try and set it up with AC3/DTS, help would once again be appriciated

Sound card fit for 5.1 surround sound

Reply #7 –
What speakers do you have?

From what you're saying it seems you don't want to use the analog connections, so SPDIF is your other option. Most video players will let you use SPDIF to pass through 5.1 DD or up to 6.1 DTS(ES) to your decoder, but your content has to have one of these formats (such as DVD content). iTunes doesn't fall under this criterion that I know of, so iTunes (or any other program including games) will not give you 5.1 over SPDIF you'll have to use the method below.

Your audio device has to support either DTS Connect (which includes "DTS Interactive" which is what you want), or Dolby Digital Live. These will convert all 5.1 PCM audio from your system and pass it through the SPDIF output in DTS or DD form. Unfortunately, I think most Gigabyte boards come with one of these, and very few of Asus'. No harm in double checking.

There are some players and DirectShow filters that will let you do this at the player level, like with MPC-HC and ReClock or ffdshow, but they won't encode to DD Windows sounds, only whatever they're playing.

Without any of these solutions, you'll pretty much only be able to pass stereo PCM through the SPDIF output.

Sound card fit for 5.1 surround sound

Reply #8 –
Logitech x530 speakers

ADI® AD2000B 8 -Channel High Definition Audio CODEC
- Support Jack-Detection, Multi-Streaming, and Front Panel Jack-Retasking
- Coaxial / Optical S/PDIF out ports at back I/O

That's directly from asus' website. Do let me know if that is acceptable or not, I really don't know that much about audio, as you can tell.

EDIT: it's fully supported in foobar2000 with a channel mixer, but I would love to get this set up for movies/television that I have on dvd

Sound card fit for 5.1 surround sound

Reply #9 –
Quote from: derpin on
Logitech x530 speakers


Unless I missed something in the specs, those speakers don't support AC3/DTS decode or even SPDIF at all.  Trying to get pass-through working is moot, you need a video player that will decode AC3/DTS on the computer then send the 5.1 over the analog connections.  Don't pick SPDIF in the sound control panel, use speakers.  Click configure and make sure they are set to 5.1.  You can test right in the sound control panel if they are connected correctly.

I'd suggest trying some alternate video players instead of iTunes.
 

Sound card fit for 5.1 surround sound

Reply #10 –
Usually only use iTunes cuz music, just recently got a new ipod.

Using VLC for movies, gunna figure it out.

Thanks tons guys