# Help getting surround sound from xbox 360 to 5.1 speaker kit



## jonathan1107 (Nov 9, 2011)

Hey guys, just a technical question about surround sound for xbox 360...

I think I've found my solution, but I just wanted to post it here to make sure it's gonna work before goin ahead and buyin the optical cable...

My xbox 360 is connected to my PC monitor thru an HDMI cable... The monitor in question has built-in speakers but they suck (and they are not 5.1 of course...)

I have my own 5.1 speaker kit that I use with my PC... and I got this right: My sound card has an SPDIF in and another SPDIF out hole...

Logically, I figured... maybe I can buy an optical cable to link the Xbox 360 surround sound to my PC's soundcard which in turn should play the sound thru my 5.1 speakers like anything else my PC plays right???


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## KingPing (Nov 9, 2011)

jonathan1107 said:


> maybe I can buy an optical cable to link the Xbox 360 surround sound to my PC's soundcard which in turn should play the sound thru my 5.1 speakers like anything else my PC plays right???



 I do that but with my Ps3, video trough HDMI and Audio trough optical cable to opt in in my Soundcard then to the 5.1.
 I guess you can do the same with the 360, not sure cause i don´t own one though.


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## jonathan1107 (Nov 10, 2011)

I got the wires I need... got the optical cable and I'm trying to send it into my sound card... but I can't seem to find the SPDIF "in" at the back of my PC... what do I do? There seems to be a hole for the SPDIF in... but it looks like an analog hole...

Or is there a way to connect an optical cable on the sound card itself? inside the pc...


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## KingPing (Nov 10, 2011)

Is this your sound card? -->  http://www.asus.com/Multimedia/Audio_Cards/Xonar_DX/#specifications


because this one only has optical out, you need opt in to connect your 360 to the sound card


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## jonathan1107 (Nov 10, 2011)

Yes it is... and yes ... I just came to realize I don't have an opt in with this sound card... Is there another solution ?

Like using a receiver?... and if I do use a receiver, how will that receiver send it's "decoded audio" (or whatever U wanna call that) to the 5.1 speakers?

Will I have to unplug the analog wires from the sound card and plug em into the receiver? And if so, is there a way to avoid having to do that?


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## KingPing (Nov 10, 2011)

No idea, i have never used a receiver. But wouldn't be cheaper to buy another sound card (no idea how much a receiver would cost). The only receiver i have is from the 70s, so up to 1970 i know how they work


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## slyfox2151 (Nov 10, 2011)

what speakers do you have?


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## jonathan1107 (Nov 10, 2011)

Cyber acoustic CA-5001 (5.1 speakers)

PLS u guys, I NEED help... If you can't help me with this, pls find me someone who can, or refer me to a person or place who will Rescue me from this Complicated situation :O(


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## slyfox2151 (Nov 10, 2011)

you have 2 options.... buy a new sound card... or buy new speakers that support HDMI or Optical.


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## CJCerny (Nov 10, 2011)

If I had a 360 and a PC and I wanted both to have 5.1 sound via speakers, I would buy a receiver, connect both the 360 and the PC to the receiver via HDMI and then connect the monitor to the HDMI out of the receiver and use the receiver for all audio decoding and video switching. Receiver will set you back at least $200. Regular speakers (ones that are not amplified and don't have RCA cables on them) will set you back a few hundred more. In your PC, you can ditch your soundcard and go with a modern video card that has both video and audio output on the HDMI.


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## Dent1 (Nov 10, 2011)

jonathan1107 said:


> I have my own 5.1 speaker kit that I use with my PC... and I got this right: My sound card has an SPDIF in and another SPDIF out hole...
> 
> Logically, I figured... maybe I can buy an optical cable to link the Xbox 360 surround sound to my PC's soundcard which in turn should play the sound thru my 5.1 speakers like anything else my PC plays right???



Very few soundcards will retain the bitstream audio via SPDIF-IN. Either way your PC speakers don't have built in receiver the Dolby Digital/DTS will be loss.

You need to invest in a homecinema system with receiver and connect the 360 to it directly via HDMI or SPDIF.


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## CJCerny (Nov 10, 2011)

Another option might be to track down a different speaker system that has multiple inputs, like more than one digital input, either optical or coax, or one digital input and one analog input. The speaker system would likely also need to have DD/DTS decoding, especially if your soundcard has a DD Live encoding capability.


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## jonathan1107 (Nov 10, 2011)

wow... so basically Xbox 360 surround sound is for RICH people right?...

Isn't there an external sound card or a cheap receiver which can take the surround sound from the xbox 360, decode it into analog?...

I can see how someone installing his Xbox 360 can get surround sound when he's got his xbox 360 in the lounge with his big Speaker + receiver system... but how about people wanting to play with their 5.1 speakers in their office...

And when you say there might be 5.1 PC speaker kits out there that have an opt input, can you link me one of those... and if I do can one of those, will it be able to interprete the sound coming from the optical cable and output it to the speakers properly???


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## CJCerny (Nov 10, 2011)

You don't have to be rich to get surround sound from a 360. You just need to find a speaker system that can accept surround sound from 2 sources (360 and PC) using the connectors you have available for each. Start at the Logitech site. They make stuff like that.


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## jonathan1107 (Nov 10, 2011)

Thx CJcerny, I'll be looking into that, altho a link would be greatly appreciated...

Kinda helps to prove your point...


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## Dent1 (Nov 10, 2011)

jonathan1107 said:


> wow... so basically Xbox 360 surround sound is for RICH people right?...



lol. Educated people.




jonathan1107 said:


> Isn't there an external sound card or a cheap receiver which can take the surround sound from the xbox 360, decode it into analog?...




1st things first. You need to be educated on a few things before we can advise you correctly.

When you say surround sound. You mean Dolby Digital or DTS sound.

Dolby Digital and DTS can only be passed through a digital cable. Coaxial, fibre (SPDIF), or HDMI.

Analogue cable can not carry Dolby Digital or DTS, hence whether it's on a Xbox, PS3, or PC. The surround sound on your PC is not true surround sound, its more of a emulated upmix. 

Just because all 5.1 speakers make doesnt mean its Dolby Digital or DTS. 



jonathan1107 said:


> I can see how someone installing his Xbox 360 can get surround sound when he's got his xbox 360 in the lounge with his big Speaker + receiver system... but how about people wanting to play with their 5.1 speakers in their office...



Office environment isnt the best for gaming. You have to decide whether surround sound is important to you when you should be at work!




jonathan1107 said:


> And when you say there might be 5.1 PC speaker kits out there that have an opt input, can you link me one of those... and if I do can one of those, will it be able to interprete the sound coming from the optical cable and output it to the speakers properly???



Forget about the optical input stuff. You need a receiver. Maybe new speakers too.

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882115339


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