5.1 Analog Output
- Thread starter Huntsman1
- Start date
Suspended
- Joined
- 6 Sep 2016
- Posts
- 12,780
Digital optical out, from a Asus PCI-E soundcard into a AVR, and quality standmount speakers and subwoofer.
AVR decodes Dolby Digital & DTS. Although I don't get the HD codecs.
AVR decodes Dolby Digital & DTS. Although I don't get the HD codecs.
A sound card seems an option, since I would like to keep my old, but fully functioning Logitech X-540 system with remove volume control.
There seem a lot of comments about driver problems and I'm wondering if sound cards are supported in windows 11 and modern games/simulators?
There seem a lot of comments about driver problems and I'm wondering if sound cards are supported in windows 11 and modern games/simulators?
Suspended
- Joined
- 6 Sep 2016
- Posts
- 12,780
I output PCM so works fine, although the era of games with EAX is dedicated game Live! surround sound seems to have died off.
If I want surround sound I just use DD Live encoding in the soundcard or use a surround mode on the AVR, although this doesn't replicate EAX
Soundcards are supported in Windows I'm using Windows 10 driver as Asus never updated drivers once.
If I want surround sound I just use DD Live encoding in the soundcard or use a surround mode on the AVR, although this doesn't replicate EAX
Soundcards are supported in Windows I'm using Windows 10 driver as Asus never updated drivers once.
I'm pondering on one of these...
StarTech.com 7.1 USB Sound Card. It is not a sound card it is an external usb box that plugs into a usb socket and should give me the outputs I need for my Logitech X-540 Multimedia Speaker System. I'm hoping that since it is a USB gizmo windows 11 will know what to do with it.
Any particular motherboard you’ve found?
Almost all motherboards I’ve seen and used for the past few years come with the 3 audio jacks the Logitech speakers would use and have onboard audio. I’ve always disabled the onboard audio in the bios as I use hdmi to my Avr.
Motherboards integrating the hd audio chips and 3 mini jacks for surround was one of the main causes for the soundcard market to shrink so quickly.
Suspended
- Joined
- 6 Sep 2016
- Posts
- 12,780
I noticed some are losing the 5.1 analogue out- they do use a lot of space on the backplate
HDMI passes 5.1 and higher but I've found it a pain to use. I prefer the "always on" optical/coaxial side.
My issues with HDMI is that it requires multi screen even though I don't have multi screen (which causes problems) then limitation of HDMI port on GPU, or monitor where it doesn't support everything.
With optical it's just the digital audio, and will pass upto 24bit 192khz or thereabouts
HDMI passes 5.1 and higher but I've found it a pain to use. I prefer the "always on" optical/coaxial side.
My issues with HDMI is that it requires multi screen even though I don't have multi screen (which causes problems) then limitation of HDMI port on GPU, or monitor where it doesn't support everything.
With optical it's just the digital audio, and will pass upto 24bit 192khz or thereabouts
I guess that comes down to where/how the PC is attached to other devices. My gaming PC is plugged into my AVR which is plugged into my TV, so a single large 4K display. All 3 devices have hdmi 2.1 support with the optional vrr, allm, etc features, so all audio codecs and video features are supported under Windows
I agree it is a pain with monitors, with HDMI being for video+audio it requires the video to add audio to the data stream and doesn’t support audio only. I’ve been down the wanting multi-channel audio only to separate device route with hdmi before and there is pretty much nothing in the consumer market, even the pro av market has very few products that will inject audio onto a dummy hdmi image.
Whereas consoles come with hdmi and multichannel as base features, it does feel like the PC market generally still views home PCs as devices for a separate room with small displays and stereo audio
Last edited:
Suspended
- Joined
- 6 Sep 2016
- Posts
- 12,780
yeah I thought with modern PC, either onboard HDMI and or HDMI from GPU I could have dedicated "audio only" from that, then use DP just for video. Nope.
It would mean buying a new AVR and monitor to have HDMI 2.1 support.
Instead had to go back to old PCI-E just to get optical out, as my motherboard lacks it, the steel legend 650E has it, but the Riptide was available. And sods law a week or so I put the system together the Steel Legend came into stock.
Problem is I don't get HD audio codecs
At least for my home cinema I get 4K 60hz, my av pre is HDMI 2.0 spec TV is 2.1 (think) so if I had PC or PS5/Xbox X I'd need to connect it to the TV directly then use E-ARC out...instead of going through the AV pre
It would mean buying a new AVR and monitor to have HDMI 2.1 support.
Instead had to go back to old PCI-E just to get optical out, as my motherboard lacks it, the steel legend 650E has it, but the Riptide was available. And sods law a week or so I put the system together the Steel Legend came into stock.
Problem is I don't get HD audio codecs
At least for my home cinema I get 4K 60hz, my av pre is HDMI 2.0 spec TV is 2.1 (think) so if I had PC or PS5/Xbox X I'd need to connect it to the TV directly then use E-ARC out...instead of going through the AV pre
I just posted about this on the MB forum.
So, if I want to connect my old analogue 5.1 system to a new build PC, I'll need either an external adapter or a sound card? I don't quite get how HDMI would work - I know it carries a sound signal, but surely that only goes to your monitor (unless you're using a Smart TV)?
So, if I want to connect my old analogue 5.1 system to a new build PC, I'll need either an external adapter or a sound card? I don't quite get how HDMI would work - I know it carries a sound signal, but surely that only goes to your monitor (unless you're using a Smart TV)?