5.1 sound through an amp

[Sane]

I'm trying to find a way to hook up my pc to my amplifier and get it to send a proper digital 5.1 signal. So far, I'm not having much luck. I tried a Creative External soundblaster surround, which has optical out, but unfortunately while it does send a digital signal to my amp it does not in fact support 5.1 over optical for some reason.

Preferable I'd use an external option since I hate opening my pc, it's a mess of cables in there and I just know I'll mess something up if I try to change things in there. My PC currently has a SB Audigy 2 SE soundcard which is pretty good but it doesn't have optical or coaxical out.

Anybody have any suggestions?

[AaronBekir]

Ive got a bog standard cheapy soundcard, it plugs via a 3.5mm jack that splits into the red/white cables into my "amp", this is then plugged into my 5.1 speakers and it runs genuine 5.1. i dont know whether its the amp or sound card, but something processes the signal and makes it 5.1. I have no idea if this helps, but its what my set up is currently and 5.1 works fine even though through my logic it shouldnt!!

aaron

[charlesr]

It would be pro logic II if it is surround. Good enough. But not true DD5.1. Sorry can't help original poster. Not really up on this stuff. I would have thought if the card supports 5.1 and has an optical output, it would work. New driver?

[Sane]

Nah, it just doesn't support 5.1 over optical for some reason, looked up some info on it.

[Matt]

Basically, I think you'll find that in order to listen to games in 5.1, you'll need to use individual cables from the standard sound card outputs direct to the amp - so L/R, SL/SR, and F/S. 3 standard jack to stereo leads. Games don't output Dolby Digital or DTS, they don't encode the sound to those standards on the fly, so that's the only way to do it - that is if the game outputs 5.1 channels of course.

For films, you can use an Optical out if your mobo or soundcard supports it. Get ACFilter for films, you set it up there.

If you go Optical, you'll only ever get stereo or DPL in games.

[Sane]

Basically, I think you'll find that in order to listen to games in 5.1, you'll need to use individual cables from the standard sound card outputs direct to the amp - so L/R, SL/SR, and F/S. 3 standard jack to stereo leads. Games don't output Dolby Digital or DTS, they don't encode the sound to those standards on the fly, so that's the only way to do it - that is if the game outputs 5.1 channels of course.

For films, you can use an Optical out if your mobo or soundcard supports it. Get ACFilter for films, you set it up there.

If you go Optical, you'll only ever get stereo or DPL in games.

I don't need 5.1 for games, never really play any games on the PC, it's only for watching movies, mainly AC3 sound. Can you recommend some cards that you know can do this? Because I've been looking at some and even the more expensive ones don't seem to support 5.1 through the optical output, or maybe I'm just confused? It always says 5.1 SPDIF or something, which I think a normal amp can't handle, just those PC speaker sets. Am I right in assuming that?

[Matt]

5.1 SPDIF is optical output, just a standard optical lead to the amp. You'll be fine with any soundcard or mobo that does that

Note you should install AC3Filter and set that in your media player to handle the sound. It does a great job of DD and DTS

[Sane]

Ah ok, thanks for clearing that up . So basically, any decent card with optical out should support 5.1 through it then?

Note you should install AC3Filter and set that in your media player to handle the sound. It does a great job of DD and DTS

Yeah I know, I have it installed already, use it for most of the HD stuff I download.

[Matt]

Yes. FWIW it also took me a bit of reading to realise SPDIF is exactly the same bloody thing as optical