# Realtek ALC1150 DTS Connect question?



## Frag_Maniac (Sep 19, 2014)

In perusing the new DDR4 MBs, I noticed ALC1150 with DTS Connect support is common. Not sure I want to bite on DDR4 since it may be some time before CAS latency gets lower or it shows up on more affordable platforms than 2011-v3, but I DID find some Z97 MBs have ALC1150, and I was originally thinking of going i5 this time anyway.

Now to my question. I suppose it's too much to hope an ALC1150 equipped MB would send a DTS encoded signal to my AVR to decode as DTS if I'm just using an audio passthrough via optical or coaxial out? Would I have to run analog out straight to speakers to get the DTS encoding?

I'm currently using passthrough to my AVR, but it IS labeled as Realtek in Audio Playback devices, so.

(EDITED)
Just called a local high end PC build shop and the guy there says it should actually encode DTS via passthrough. In fact regarding Dolby support, he says pass through is the only way it's usually done.

If that is the case, my only other concern would be the actual audio quality vs using say an ASUS Xonar DS, which also has DTS Connect support.

Due note that this is not just a money matter, as I can get a Xonar DS for around $38. I'm worried more about ongoing driver support and/or potential game conflicts.

Keep in mind too that the sound card would only be used for pass through too, so even if it has great DACs and such, it seems they wouldn't come into play.

I really like that Realtek has finally stepped up and offered DTS support, and I've generally had no driver issues with their chips. This chip also supports Dolby PCEE, but I'm not sure my pre software calibration era Yamaha AVR supports it.


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## Dac09 (Sep 22, 2014)

You won't find any difference in quality between mobo and Xonar when using DTS Connect - last and crucial part of converting that digital stream to analog audio is done in your AV receiver.

DTS Connect is great, I'm happy to have it modded and working. It used to be a normal thing quite a while ago, lately was missing from most models and now it's some kind of a comeback. I'm guessing the patent royalties are cheaper now because of new technologies via HDMI.


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## Frag_Maniac (Sep 23, 2014)

Dac09 said:


> You won't find any difference in quality between mobo and Xonar when using DTS Connect - last and crucial part of converting that digital stream to analog audio is done in your AV receiver.



Good to know, thanks. My next MB will def have ALC1150!


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## Dac09 (Sep 23, 2014)

Just be sure that it has all the options available out of the box. Because much older Realtek chips are able to do it all the same, but it is not enabled in drivers. To make it cheaper, or to make difference between low end, mainstream and high end, I don't know. As you can see in that *Unlocked Realtek HD Audio Drivers* thread it can be activated, although life is much simpler when you buy it and it just works


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## ArthurianX (Feb 16, 2015)

I'm having the same conundrum , I've bought this MOBO http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4953#ov 

My first reaction was "WHY NO DTS?!!" - I mean the movies and such can playback DTS, but the raw PCM from games needed to be converted to DTS for my receiver.
I'm trying to output through my optical out but to no avail..

I saw that it has Creative X-Fi MB3, and I researched that I need "Dolby Digital Live and DTS Connect Pack" from Creative to be able to play DTS for my games.

Being a lazy ass and not wanting to meddle to much with custom drivers, "disable drivers enforce... " I decided to pay the piper, 4.75USD to the guys at Creative and to my surprise "I HAVE NO SUPPORTED DEVICE" during the installation of Dolby Digital Live and DTS Connect Pack, then I see on the Gigabyte page above that there is ONLY "Support for Support for Sound Blaster X-Fi MB3"


Long story short, I'm a dumbass, I have the same chipset ALC1150, how could I enable DTS for my games on this chipset? I am at a loss here.




P.S. - In reality I am a very technical person, not a dumbass ,  I'm a developer for pete's sake, but I have really little free time on my hands to start and waste hours upon hours to try and make something work when I can pay 4.75USD to get it ... capitalism at work.


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