5.1 dolby digital output

Trifid

Trifid

Trifid

Soldato
Joined
18 Feb 2006
Posts
9,775
For a start, is there any that can do this? Send a Dolby Digital signal to my 5.1 home theatre surround sound via opticle, that will work with games that have 5.1 output like CS:S and BF2?

I think that the HDA Digital X-Mystique 7.1 does it, but slightly pricey (looking at one in the 'you know place'.) Can you confirm this will do it? Is it any good?

Thanks, Trif.
 
Cards that will do DDLive are:

HDA X-Mystique
HDA X-Plosion
Turtle Beach Montego DDL
Soundstorm (integrated in NForce 2Ultra mobos only)

And maybe one or two others based on the C-Media 8768+

To be honest you're better off getting a proper gaming card with EAX (e.g. Audigy 2, 4, X-Fi) if gaming is going to be your main use as the DDLive cards can only do EAX1 and 2, and I think only the Soundstorm has a hardware audio processor.
 
As well as gaming it will be used for listening to music (Everything is converted from iTunes format to MP3 via a burnt disk, as well as CD's that have been imported into MP3) but I have wanted 5.1 for a while for games.

Do you think it will be a bad idea getting the HDA X-Mystique for gaming?

(I am not too clued up on the EAX, how much of a difference will it make?)
 
Well I bought a HDA X-Mystique card, Only used it for about 1 month, mainly cos the pc and the card didnt get on 100% cos of the drivers. I sold my card on ebay, and went back to my sb live card.. Ive ordered a X-Fi Xtreme Music card now, so hopefully it should be much better then the HDA X-Mystique and sb live card

Games do sound dull with the HDA X-Mystique. Stick with analog and buy a X-FI card with 5.1 speakers
 
Well i'm using an hda-d with optical out and i find it ok with everything.

I do have another pc with xfi music and the test track i used sounded much worse on the x-fi but i didnt spend much time setting it up.

I much prefer using optical to analogue because of the neatmess apart from anything else. TBH people who recommend analogue probably dont have a separate 5.1 decoder.
 
:( I can not live with dull sound.

It seems kind of stupid to have a second 5.1 system in the room, but I know the Creatives are better cards. It will have to wait to get a 5.1 and a nice sound card till late/after summer. I suppose it is the better thing to do though...
 
Creative as a company are not doing very well but did mention that the 'high margin' pc sound card market was a bright spot. This did concern me slightlt ie rip off?
I dont think you'll find many audiophiles recommending creative but i dont know maybe somebody will. I'm still not convinced its possible to get decent sound out of a pc.


I've never particularly noticed eax (i do have an audigy 2 in another pc and play bf2 on both))
 
Well, what is the best sound card, for say £60? Will it be noticeably better than intergrated on a NF4 board? Otherwise I will spend the money on better speakers than I would have done.
 
Slam62 said:
I've never particularly noticed eax (i do have an audigy 2 in another pc and play bf2 on both))
Click to expand...

Play BF2 on Hardware - High/Ultra High quality (EAX) sound and then use your onboard sound at about Software - Medium (no EAX) levels.

The difference in quality is immense, the standard sound is very dull compared to the high quality settings.
 
I agree theres better soundcards out there for playing music, but creative are tops when it comes to games, and a nice all round card. The only thing wrong with creative is no dolby digital output.

But to be really honnest the sound quality of the HDA Digital X-Mystique is nothing to get excited about. I couldn't really tell much diff going from a sb live 5.1 card, and I have the z680 speakers. The only thing going for the X-Mystique is the dolby digital live, with coaxial and optical connection.
 
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