# 5.1 for my PC



## RaZzZz (Feb 1, 2012)

Right lads,

Here's the story, I'm looking to get a fairly basic 5.1 setup to connect to my PC, as I've NO idea whatsoever about Audio stuff I will indeed need help ;p

Here are the two systems I've come across,

http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/...cat_19780832|Home+cinema+systems|14419691.htm

http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/...cat_19780832|Home+cinema+systems|14419691.htm

I'd prefer the Second one as it has a few extra features and it looks nicer ;p

My question is simple.. can I connect these to my PC??  

Any comments will go a long way to helping me out ^^

Cheers in advance.


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## OnePostWonder (Feb 1, 2012)

Dear chap,

I've nothing to constructive to contribute to your post, so I'll take this time to inquire about something else; how many women in Ireland look like Janet Devlin and/or Dominique McElligott?

Sincerely,
       A chap


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## RaZzZz (Feb 1, 2012)

Lol well they do exist but they are rare and usually far up their own arses to really consider.. especially McElligott types


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## OnePostWonder (Feb 1, 2012)

RaZzZz said:


> Lol well they do exist but they are rare and usually far up their own arses to really consider.. especially McElligott types



To quote the late Peter Cook..."fahking cahnts".

Oh...I see.

They likely weren't so far up their arses prior to second wave feminism.  The sexual liberation of second wave feminism also allowed women to fully exercise their mate choice and, if you've done any research in the area of mate choice, you know exactly what they looks like.

WHAT THE HELL AM I ON ABOUT?


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## m1dg3t (Feb 1, 2012)

My uncle has the Samsung but Bluray, it isn't half bad, make sure your PC can connect to it though. Never really been a fan of anything LG


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## THRiLL KiLL (Feb 1, 2012)

what does your pc have for a sound card or motherboard?

Does it have optical or digital out?

depending on your awnser will determine if you should use home audio vs computer audio


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## RaZzZz (Feb 1, 2012)

I have the Xonar D2 and it has those S/PDIF input and output ports,  although I could probably use my graphics card and connect via HDMI without much fuss I'd assume??


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## jpierce55 (Feb 1, 2012)

I have 5.1, but to be honest 3.1 is just as good unless you have a place to mount the rear speakers and not get in the way.


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## RaZzZz (Feb 1, 2012)

I've a small room so those rears will have a lovely home


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## m1dg3t (Feb 1, 2012)

Xonar would have better sound quality i think but HDMi is easy 1 wire connection, you could always try both and see what sound's better


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## jpierce55 (Feb 2, 2012)

RaZzZz said:


> I've a small room so those rears will have a lovely home



I wish I could recommend you the system I have, but unfortunately they don't make these anymore. You can buy the surround speakers for a home that are ~the same, but they cost more than this entire setup used to cost ..... let alone getting a sub and amp.


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## RaZzZz (Feb 2, 2012)

I'm looking at buying this one:
http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/...cat_19780832|Home+cinema+systems|14419691.htm

It's dolby digital decoder, does this mean I can play normal MP3 stereo files and still use the pro logic to use all the speakers?
I do want a system that will be able to play anything and everything and all of the speakers are being used!!


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## m1dg3t (Feb 2, 2012)

If you use your Xonar it should emmulate 5.1 from stereo source, i think


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## THRiLL KiLL (Feb 2, 2012)

so here is what you need to do. 

If you buy the home audio gear, sell the xonar and get some higher end gear, the hdmi will pass the digital audio to the home receiver and it will do the processing of the surround sound. 

If you are going to keep the soundcard, then drop the idea of home audio and get a 5.1 or 7.1 computer speaker set. Im sure you could get some really good recomendations on here


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## RaZzZz (Feb 2, 2012)

An interesting idea actually..

What 5.1 setup could I get for the PC?? can you give me one example and then I can go off and do my research ^^


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## THRiLL KiLL (Feb 2, 2012)

hehe thats dangerous

Logitech Z906 500W 5.1 Speakers


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## RaZzZz (Feb 2, 2012)

Thanks for the link, I'll root through it there ;p the THX certificate is already impressing me :L


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## m1dg3t (Feb 2, 2012)

RaZzZz said:


> the THX certificate is already impressing me :L



Isn't marketing great! The 906 look's good aesthetically, never heard 1 so can't comment on it's sound quality. A stand alone speaker setup is a good suggestion provided your PC can play whatever media you want. I still think the Xonar has the SQ edge compared to the HDMI out on the GFX card.

IMHO HDMI audio is only really necessary if wanting DTS master audio (Bluray) or you REALLY want 1 wire hook-up. For anything else analogue/SPDIF connection is just fine


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## CJCerny (Feb 2, 2012)

You can pass the digital 5.1 or greater soundtracks from your PC via either a recent video card with a HDMI output or a soundcard, either on the motherboard or an add-in, with a optical or coax output. If you want to send a digital 5.1 game soundtrack from your PC, you need a soundcard with the Dolby Digital Live feature. Without this feature, you will only be able to send a stereo soundtrack from your PC to the surround sound system. The surround sound system will then use a Dolby Pro Logic feature (if it has it) to simulate 5.1 from the stereo sound you are feeding it from your PC. You can send 5.1 analog sound for both movies and games from your PC just by using the analog jacks, but you will not have control over the levels and delays unless you have software that gives you such control.


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## m1dg3t (Feb 2, 2012)

The O/P is running a Xonar D2 so the card is QUITE capable


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## RaZzZz (Feb 2, 2012)

I use COWAN MEdia Centre which will allow for certain control, my brother use it for his proper HiFi setup and tells me to use COWAN + HDMI to get the best results.

Very useful information I'm getting from this lads ;p but as you mentioned earlier I can just text Analog and HDMI and see for myself which is best ^^


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## m1dg3t (Feb 2, 2012)

I was gonna suggest taking a look at the z5500's but i see the price has doubled/trippled in the last 18 month's!! I don't think the z906 has HDMI capability i think you would need something like in your first post or a stand alone AVR (audio video receiver) and separate speak's to use HDMI

I'd stick with the Xonar, it's designed specifically for sound and has a low SNR i think 118db. Let the GFX do the GFX and the audio do the audio, just my $0.02 

SPDIF over optical is a clean signal and has great SQ, it is also 1 wire connection


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## RaZzZz (Feb 2, 2012)

Agreed ^^ no point wasting my sound card I suppose ;p 

An Optical connection would've been lovely but I'll make do without it this time ^^ I have my 5.1 headset for such things anyway  :L


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## m1dg3t (Feb 2, 2012)

You could connect SPDIF over coax to that Sammy using your Xonar but i'd see about maybe finding those z906's (seem's like they are reviewed well) locally and if the price is the same or close i'd go with those. You could always add a BDrom to your PC if you wanted to go that route.

One thing i just thought of was that Sammy does upconverting of standard DVD's i think, but you would need to connect HDMI for that i think so audio card become's null. I'm not a fan of upconverting but that's just me  I could be wrong.


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## THRiLL KiLL (Feb 2, 2012)

programs like powerdvd can upconvert dvd.. so no loss there


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## RaZzZz (Feb 2, 2012)

AHh yeah I already have a BDrom! sweet  and I use PowerDVD to upconvert DVD already so again I'm sorted there,  everything is falling right into place now


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## CJCerny (Feb 2, 2012)

You're not going to be able to send games in digital 5.1 over the HDMI. You'll need to use the DD Live or DTS Interactive feature on the Xonar to send games in 5.1 to an external device. Unfortunately, you won't be able to send hi def DD or DTS sound tracks from Blu-ray movies through the Xonar--those will need to go through HDMI. The simpliest solution is the send 5.1 for both movies and games through the coax output of the Xonar but you will need to find a HT system that still has a coax digital sound input on it.


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## RaZzZz (Feb 2, 2012)

Well I will use my PS3 for Blu-ray movies so I'll be fine there I think, and tbh I'm only looking for something simple here so the hi def audio is in my mind.. out of reach for now until I invest in a proper sound system ^^ all I'm looking for is a simple 5.1 setup


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## m1dg3t (Feb 2, 2012)

CJCerny said:


> Unfortunately, you won't be able to send hi def DD or DTS sound tracks from Blu-ray movies through the Xonar--those will need to go through HDMI.



Pretty sure this is untrue unless you are reffering to Dolby true HD and Dolby Master Audio in which case yes you need HDMI, and if going that route any of the sytem's described in this thread untill this point would be a waste anyways (not sure if they would even be able to decode it) because you need some pretty decent gear for that stuff. But DD and DTS via SPDIF is still lossless and sound's quite good, especially coming from a 118db SNR audio card, 24bit/192Khz is still doable AFAIK


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## RaZzZz (Feb 2, 2012)

Ah yeah Dolby true HD and Master Audio are WAY out of my league for now anyway :L I'm sure me sound card will do a fair job with a cheap arsed system anyway ^^


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## m1dg3t (Feb 2, 2012)

I think you'll be pleasantly surprised


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## RaZzZz (Feb 2, 2012)

In a good way I hope lad?


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## m1dg3t (Feb 2, 2012)

Aye! Aye!


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## techguy31 (Feb 2, 2012)

DIGITAL = DIGITAL.  You just get a straight digital sound.  If you plan on using the Line Out with the 3.5mm plugs then you will get the High Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR).

Edit: Negative, Please be warned that the Home Theater you listed does not have a HDMI In nor does it have SPDIF IN.


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## RaZzZz (Feb 2, 2012)

no HDMI in.. so does that mean I cannot connect a device VIA HDMI into the receiver thingy? ;p jesus I'm clueless!


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## CJCerny (Feb 2, 2012)

OP: You have to make some decisions. If you want a Dolby Digital 5.1 stream coming from your PC for both games and movies, you need to connect the digital output of your Xonar to the digital input of a home theater speaker system. Many inexpensive home theater systems do not have a digital input of any kind. Some have optical. Some have coax. I believe the Xonar has a coax digital output so you would need to buy a home theater system with a digital coax input.

If you cannot find a home theater system with a coax digital input, you can sell the Xonar and just connect your PC via its HDMI output to a home theater system with a HDMI input, if you can find one of those. You will then get true 5.1 from DVD and Blu-ray soundtracks but only 2.0 from games, which can then be turned into pseudo 5.1 by the home theater system.


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## RaZzZz (Feb 2, 2012)

SO you're saying that this..
http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/...cat_19780832|Home+cinema+systems|14419691.htm
Will be no good if I'm looking for Dolby Digital? even with a HDMI connection??

How about this system..
http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/...cat_19780832|Home+cinema+systems|14419691.htm
Any better??


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## CJCerny (Feb 2, 2012)

RaZzZz said:


> SO you're saying that this..
> http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/...cat_19780832|Home+cinema+systems|14419691.htm
> Will be no good if I'm looking for Dolby Digital? even with a HDMI connection??
> 
> ...



Can't tell anything from those links. We need to know if those systems have any inputs and what they are. All the specs that are listed have to do with what they can do when playing discs that you put in them. We need to know what kind of connectivity they have to external devices, if any. I suspect both those systems have zero or very limited connectivity to an external device--a PC in this case. Either way, can't tell that from the specs. Need to see the back of them to see what inputs they have, if any.


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## RaZzZz (Feb 2, 2012)

True that, I can't find any pictures showing the back of either, which is disappointing and leads me to believe that they are hiding something ^^


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## RaZzZz (Feb 2, 2012)

Aha! Youtube has unboxing videos from users.. this'll no doubt help ^^

Blah useless..

Although I came across these..

Rear Connections: AUX IN 1, 
Composite video (CVBS) output,
 Digital coaxial in, Digital optical in,
 Easy-Fit Speaker Jacks, Ethernet,
 FM Antenna Socket, HDMI 1.4 output (ARC)


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## CJCerny (Feb 2, 2012)

If your Xonar has digital coax out, then you are looking for a digital coax in on the home theater system. Sounds like you found one with a digital coax in.


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## RaZzZz (Feb 2, 2012)

The Xonar has both digital coax in and out so it looks like I have indeed found the right one ^^


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## CJCerny (Feb 2, 2012)

All you should need to do is connect the digital coax out of the Xonar to the digital coax in of the home theater system. You will also need to tell Windows you have a 5.1 speaker system and enable the Dolby Digital Live! feature in the Xonar software. That should get you Dolby Digital 5.1 playback from DVDs, Blu-ray discs (if you have Blu-ray playback software, of course) and all games, assuming the games are also set to use 5.1 sound.


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## RaZzZz (Feb 2, 2012)

Ah yeah I am used to these things as I have a dolby digital 5.1 headset so I know how to tell the PC what to use properly   and I do have software for blu-ray playback etc, I'm sure I'll have no trouble here


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## CJCerny (Feb 2, 2012)

Why didn't you just get one of the Logitech 5.1 speaker sets that has a digital input?


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## RaZzZz (Feb 2, 2012)

I'm not sure what these all mean, does this mean that there is a digital input of some sort? blah!
this is for a cheaper model anyway,

AV I/O
HDMI Out:Yes
Composite Output:Yes
Component Output:Yes
SCART Out:Yes (adaptor)
# of HDMI Input:No
# of Audio Input:Yes
# of Optical Input:Yes
# of Coaxial Input:No
Headphone Jack:No
MIC Jack:No


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## RaZzZz (Feb 2, 2012)

You mean just the speakers without anything else like??


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## CJCerny (Feb 2, 2012)

Look at the # of Coaxial Inputs.

Why bother with all the home theater system silliness if all you are really after is a 5.1 speaker set with a digital input? You aren't going to use the home theater system to play DVDs or anything like that, right? You are watching all these games/movies on the screen of your PC, correct?


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## RaZzZz (Feb 2, 2012)

Correct.. ok you're making alot of sense, I'll take a look around for such speakers.


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## CJCerny (Feb 2, 2012)

Since you already have the Xonar, which already has all the 5.1 controls built into it, you don't even need a speaker set with a digital input. All you need is a basic 5.1 speaker set with analog inputs. You can then use the Xonar's software to control everything else. Leverage your Xonar.


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## RaZzZz (Feb 2, 2012)

I don't know how I overlooked this obvious option.. silly me ^^ that Logitech 5.1 setup is fair expensive though :\ unless I bought the cheap one but that'd be poor imo!


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## RaZzZz (Feb 2, 2012)

http://www.komplett.ie/Komplett/pro...5_1_PC_Speaker_System/980_000468/default.aspx

Surely this'll do the job fairly well? xD


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## CJCerny (Feb 2, 2012)

I heard good things about those speakers...and you can sell your Xonar if you already have an optical out from the sound card on your motherboard.


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## RaZzZz (Feb 2, 2012)

I've checked some reviews on YouTube and they look the job ^^
 I'll keep the sound card as I will continue using my 5.1 headset for when I need to keep it down


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## RaZzZz (Feb 2, 2012)

On a side note.. I'd prefer to find better cable for these speakers,

Tripp Lite A102-04M 13ft. Toslink Digital Optical ...

I'm sure something like this would do the job perfectly?


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## CJCerny (Feb 2, 2012)

RaZzZz said:


> On a side note.. I'd prefer to find better cable for these speakers,
> 
> Tripp Lite A102-04M 13ft. Toslink Digital Optical ...
> 
> I'm sure something like this would do the job perfectly?



It's digital. It either works or it doesn't. Cable quality has no bearing on sound quality for digital cables. As long as you have a cable that is long enough, you can buy the least expensive cable you can find.


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## BumbleBee (Feb 2, 2012)

you don't need a $17 toslink cable. you're not running a HiFi system.


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## RaZzZz (Feb 2, 2012)

Fair enough  

I've a friend who told me that the included wires are poor quality, he told me  that he replaced the Optical out cable with a better one and changed the wires to the speakers and the sound was far better, is he talking out of his arse? or is there truth in there??


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## CJCerny (Feb 2, 2012)

RaZzZz said:


> Fair enough
> 
> I've a friend who told me that the included wires are poor quality, he told me  that he replaced the Optical out cable with a better one and changed the wires to the speakers and the sound was far better, is he talking out of his arse? or is there truth in there??



Not a lot of science in that statement. Speaker wire can make a tiny difference, but you would have a very, very hard time detecting it in a blind listening test.


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## BumbleBee (Feb 2, 2012)

RaZzZz said:


> Fair enough
> 
> I've a friend who told me that the included wires are poor quality, he told me  that he replaced the Optical out cable with a better one and changed the wires to the speakers and the sound was far better, is he talking out of his arse? or is there truth in there??



there is truth to it but it's still a Logitech PC speaker system.

this will do

http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10229&cs_id=1022901&p_id=1448&seq=1&format=2


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## BumbleBee (Feb 2, 2012)

if you want to learn about cables see here

http://www.clearcables.com/learn.php


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## m1dg3t (Feb 2, 2012)

I must say i think you are making thing's harder than neccessary, ANY system with SPDIF (either coax or optical toslink) input is what you want/need. That Sammy you first linked to or that Logitech z906 support those connection's. If you decide on something else you need to look for SPDIF via coax or optical input, this give's you the best SQ for your budget. For your usage quality of cable' is really a non-issue, get what you need plug n' play  But apples to apples the optical will sound better than the coax, even if they both cost $5. Not trying to sound rude but just trying to keep you "focussed".

Do cable's really make a difference? I'll answer that and say yes they do, they all do. But you need to have the equipment that will allow the difference's to be heard. I have tried many cable's in my system and found what fit's my budget/expectation's and called it a day! You could literally spend more time finding the "right" or "best" cable than actually listening to your media. That being said, i will re-iterate my previous comment of get what you & need plug n' play 

I've gone through speaker cable's, HDMI cable's, RCA cable's, optical cable's hell i've even swapped power cord's! Every damn cable! I just want to watch/listen to my media


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## RaZzZz (Feb 2, 2012)

Thanks BumbleBee I'll definitely take a look and educate meself 

Yeah I was thinking that shexy cables and wires wont make a different to a cheap system like the z906, I'll definitely just use what I'm given and maybe invest in getting stronger cables for future proofing, I will eventually invest in a proper mid-range system someday  this is just the beginning


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## MilkyWay (Feb 2, 2012)

Logitechs x540s/x530s are decent cheap 5.1 speakers for PCs. Logitech Z906 are okay too much better than the x540s i have.
Ideally a good separate receiver and then buy speakers.
I also heard edifier make some decent speakers.

I dont think with the Z906s new wires will make a difference. I dont think build quality will be a problem either.


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## RaZzZz (Feb 2, 2012)

I don't know anything about the 540 or the 530's but I would wager that the 906 has more thump over them, they'd wanna with the price gap between them :L
Ah yeah I'll definitely buy everything separate someday, once I have a steady income to invest but not atm :\  Onkyo 609.. oh well 

Yeah I'd say the z906 can only do so much, ah sure it'll do for the year, if I survive 2012 then time to invest in 2013


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## m1dg3t (Feb 3, 2012)

RaZzZz do you have the Onkyo? If you do don't bother with any PC speaker's at all! Get some reg speak's and rock that biznitch! The Onkyo is a pretty decent AVR and will handle both HDMI and SPDIF IIRC and have SUPERIOR SQ to anything PC specific. That being said i'd still stick with the Xonar as the "source"


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## RaZzZz (Feb 3, 2012)

m1dg3t said:


> RaZzZz do you have the Onkyo? If you do don't bother with any PC speaker's at all! Get some reg speak's and rock that biznitch! The Onkyo is a pretty decent AVR and will handle both HDMI and SPDIF IIRC and have SUPERIOR SQ to anything PC specific. That being said i'd still stick with the Xonar as the "source"




AH nooo I don't :L but I was looking at the new Onkyo receivers and dreaming.. but someday.. someday..


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## RaZzZz (Feb 3, 2012)

Anyways I've bought the Logitech z906, my room is very small so these will certainly do the job


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## m1dg3t (Feb 4, 2012)

Right on! Im sure you'll be pleased, it doesnt take much to fill a small space


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## RaZzZz (Feb 4, 2012)

Amen sister 

Now just to hold out on Skyrim and wait.. no problem.. ^^


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## m1dg3t (Feb 4, 2012)

RaZzZz said:


> Amen sister



Sister! What you talkin' 'bout Willis? Last I checked I was packin' lol

Yep! Still there


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## BumbleBee (Feb 4, 2012)

i'm the sister and I don't need anymore brothers.


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## m1dg3t (Feb 4, 2012)

BumbleBee said:


> i'm the sister



Wait! What? A female!?! On a tech site!  Pic's or it didn't happen lol


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## BumbleBee (Feb 4, 2012)

there are a couple.

I posted some in general nonsense.


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## Kwod (Feb 7, 2012)

Logitech 550/906 are a huge upgrade over any cheaper 2.1/5.1's, including the z230's.


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## RaZzZz (Feb 7, 2012)

I hope you're right! ;p I should be getting a box in a mail any morning now..! the wait is kinda like torture :L


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## RaZzZz (Feb 10, 2012)

Well lads, I got the Logitech z906 this morning, all setup went grand, however I just noticed that the speakers are not using the Soundcard to output sound at all, but it's using the control panel, the speakers won't work without it so it seems,

How do I use the soundcard over the control panel?! please help ^^


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## mikek75 (Feb 10, 2012)

try right-clicking on the volume icon in the system tray. Click on playback devices and select your soundcard there. You can also set it as the default device whilst you are there.


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## CJCerny (Feb 10, 2012)

RaZzZz said:


> Well lads, I got the Logitech z906 this morning, all setup went grand, however I just noticed that the speakers are not using the Soundcard to output sound at all, but it's using the control panel, the speakers won't work without it so it seems,
> 
> How do I use the soundcard over the control panel?! please help ^^



Try explaining what you are experiencing in a different way. I don't understand what you are saying. First, tell us how you have the speakers connected to your PC. Are you using the analog cables from your soundcard or the optical cable from your soundcard?


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## RaZzZz (Feb 10, 2012)

Thanks for the replies lads, 

I think I'm alright now, it's connected optically to the sound card of course, after doing some tests it appears as if I'm sorted, although I don't understand why I need the control console to as it's connected optically to my sound card, any reason for this??


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## CJCerny (Feb 10, 2012)

RaZzZz said:


> Thanks for the replies lads,
> 
> I think I'm alright now, it's connected optically to the sound card of course, after doing some tests it appears as if I'm sorted, although I don't understand why I need the control console to as it's connected optically to my sound card, any reason for this??



What do you mean by "control console"? Are you talking about the external box that came with the speakers?


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## RaZzZz (Feb 10, 2012)

Yes of course ^^ I was told that I wouldn't need this box but it would appear as though I must use it in order to do anything, I'm just unsure about this whole thing tbh :L


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## CJCerny (Feb 10, 2012)

RaZzZz said:


> Yes of course ^^ I was told that I wouldn't need this box but it would appear as though I must use it in order to do anything, I'm just unsure about this whole thing tbh :L



Unfortunately, you were misled about not needing the box. If you are connected optically, you need to use the box for everything. If you did not want a box, you would need an analog only speaker set like the less expensive Logitech set that you passed on.


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## RaZzZz (Feb 10, 2012)

Gotcha ^^ ah sure it's not much of a problem using the box tbh, I'll make do with it ^^ those feckin LED lights are a distraction which will be a pain come movietime! ah well ^^

Thanks for the info tho lad ^^


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## m1dg3t (Feb 10, 2012)

How are you liking the setup so far? That box is hard wired to the speak's so you can't run without it, it add's more adjustability anyways doesn't it?


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## THRiLL KiLL (Feb 10, 2012)

RaZzZz said:


> Yes of course ^^ I was told that I wouldn't need this box but it would appear as though I must use it in order to do anything, I'm just unsure about this whole thing tbh :L



If you connect optically you are by passing the sound card 


in a nutshell the sound card converts the audio signal to analog so it can be played on your speakers.

When you connect opticaly, you are still sending a digital signal, and now the speaker system is doing the conversion. 

as i said before, if you are going to go the optical route, then sell the sound card


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## CJCerny (Feb 10, 2012)

THRiLL KiLL said:


> If you connect optically you are by passing the sound card
> 
> 
> in a nutshell the sound card converts the audio signal to analog so it can be played on your speakers.
> ...



Can't sell the sound card if he wants true 5.1 for his games. The sound card creates that on the fly. Onboard sound will not do this.


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## m1dg3t (Feb 10, 2012)

Why would the control box decode a signal that is already decoded? The box would be just a pass through


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## CJCerny (Feb 10, 2012)

m1dg3t said:


> Why would the control box decode a signal that is already decoded? The box would be just a pass through



I'm not 100% sure I understand what you are asking, but I'll take a stab at it anyway. According to the Z906 manual, the Z906 only understands Dolby Digital and DTS on its optical inputs. It does not understand PCM. That means that everything sent to the Z906 has to be either in DD or DTS. The only way to get everything (music, games, and movies) into DD is with a sound card that has the DD Live! feature like the OP's Xonar. His onboard soundcard will send music and games in PCM and the Z906 will simply not play that kind of content, at least according to the manual.


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## m1dg3t (Feb 10, 2012)

My question was directed @ THRiLL KiLL since he said the card would become useless if using optical out. I know the card is fully featured, i run a XOnar HDAV 1.3 myself 

Pretty sure if i connect my Xonar via optical to my AVR the PCM light light's up


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## RaZzZz (Feb 11, 2012)

Well after a day of use.. everything appears alright, all speakers sound good, running in DTS Interactive whenever using 5.1, switching to PCM plays through 2 speakers which is handy when needed, BF3 sounds class along with Skyrim, music is fairly good while using Jetaudio ^^ on the movie front I only watched the latest Indiana Jones and it sounded grand enough, will try a better movie once I can think of a good surround sounding movie.. 

Actually.. what would you guys suggest ?? which movie do ye like in surround sound??


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