5.1 for PC Gaming Setup

markwilliams82

markwilliams82

markwilliams82

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In the new year I'm going to complete a 5.1 set up on my gaming setup that has a PC and PS5 hooked up currently.

I believe nvidia RTX cards dont output 5.1 audio via HDMI so will utilise my Creative Sound Blaster Z SE souncard.

I'm planning on buying a Marantz Cinema 70s AVR to power it and setting up as:

PS5 to AVR via HDMI
PC to AVR via HDMI / optical
AVR to Monitor via HDMI

Speakers will be Edifier P12's or some compact Cambridge MIN12's with an Edifier amp and centre I already own

Should this all work?

Its a small room so doesn't need anything too powerful
 
shouldn't see why not, but I found HDMI to be a paint in the backside for PC-AVR, as it sees the AVR as a display device so display is needed- and therefore mirror/extended or something has to be used, even when you have a single monitor.

Try HDMI but if you run into same problem as me, then shift over to optical.

I run a 2.1 AVR system on the PC setup.

Also a center might get in the way, and if the L/R aren't that far apart, adding a center is pointless...another option is 4.1
 
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I did just wonder about a centre speaker so thanks
Presume that’s set the system up as 5.1 but leave off the centre

I’ll give it a try with HDMI but appreciate your feedback. So you’d run the hdmi from pc to monitor but output audio via optical?
 
markwilliams82 said:
I did just wonder about a centre speaker so thanks
Presume that’s set the system up as 5.1 but leave off the centre

I’ll give it a try with HDMI but appreciate your feedback. So you’d run the hdmi from pc to monitor but output audio via optical?
Click to expand...

I'd use display port to monitor
Then try hdmi to avr
Or optical to avr

Display port has more advantages than hdmi
 
5.1 over optical can be an absolute pain to get working. It doesnt have the bandwidth for uncompressed so you're reliant on DTS, which in turn relies on Creative's drivers and software behaving.

I got it sorted eventually with my Soundblaster X4, but it was a very frustrating experience.

This is a couple of years ago now, but I'm sure I did have 5.1 over HDMI from the RTX 3080. Unfortunately my receiver's too old to do 4k properly (passthrough limited to 24Hz!) so that wasnt an option.
 
Just thinking but the TV in my living room has all hdmi cables connected to it and then a hdmi to my AVR to supply sound and works well for Apple TV and PS5 - I’ll test this with my PC tonight

Just wondering if I could do similar with a monitor

Could I plug my pc and ps5 into the monitor via DP and HDMI and then HDMI to AVR?

Alternatively, both as HDMI to monitor and then optical from monitor to AVR?
 
Try it sort of thing need to test yourself all depends on gear.

I just had issues...even if my avr was hdmi 2.1 it'll be seen as a display therefore some display mode is needed

Hdmi is stupid. You'd think pcs would have option to do audio only on hdmi disable video display check
 
markwilliams82 said:
Just thinking but the TV in my living room has all hdmi cables connected to it and then a hdmi to my AVR to supply sound and works well for Apple TV and PS5 - I’ll test this with my PC tonight

Just wondering if I could do similar with a monitor
Click to expand...

That's using ARC (Audio Return Channel) to output the PS5 audio to the receiver. It'll only work if the monitor also supports it.

Think I'm right in saying it will only work with uncompressed 5.1 audio (which is what your PC outputs over HDMI) if it's actually eARC, which is a newer version.
 
Tried moving my PC downstairs tonight - hooked up my PC via HDMI to my Denon AVR-X2700H AVR my LG OLED TV with Q Acoustic 5.1 speakers

Booted up my PC and Windows found and displayed the Denon AVR with the various audio types DTS, Dolby etc.
Configured to 5.1 and tried the Indiana Jones game

5.1 came through perfectly!

I need a slimline amp for the office (aka gaming room) so looking at the Marantz Cinema 70s. Presume Windows would find that in the same way?

That being the case, will just need to find some suitable and not too expensive speakers.
The ones I have at the moment are active so need to swap over to passive I believe but hope the Edifier T5 sub should still work OK
 
I've been using 5.1 out over nvidia hdmi for a while - honestly the biggest pain is that windows is always in 5.1 mode and doesn't really have any built in stereo upmixing - so a lot of stuff will just come out of 2 speakers instead of 5.1
 
Got the marantz AVR and some passive speakers. Set up with some spare speakers for 5.1 and working a treat across both pc and ps5

Thanks all

Now selling my sound card as no longer needed
 
markwilliams82 said:
Got the marantz AVR and some passive speakers. Set up with some spare speakers for 5.1 and working a treat across both pc and ps5

Thanks all

Now selling my sound card as no longer needed
Click to expand...

Are you using Atmos (or DTS X) in Windows? If you do then you get the "Atmos" showing up on your Cinema 70 which makes the sound in games that support it even more immersive.
 
markwilliams82 said:
I enabled Dolby Atmos for Home Theatre in the sound settings, is there any thing I need to do?
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For MPC HD enable the options your AVR supports, and you need to go into windows sound setting and the diagram where it shows speaker selection choose the number of speakers you have. Then select bitstream digital output.

Test for Dolby Digital, DTS, DTS HD, DTS X, and Atmos tracks and your AVR should light up correctly. If it just says "PCM" for any or all of those, or Digital 5.1 when you're playing Dolby HD or Atmos movie, then it's not setup correctly

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Thanks, I've been into sound settings, enabled home theatre and configured my speakers to match my set up for and its showing Dolby Atmos everwhere in Windows

I checked the info from my AVR in Windows and it shows PCM, started up Indiana Jones and The Great Circle, and info shows as Dolby Atmos
 
markwilliams82 said:
Thanks, I've been into sound settings, enabled home theatre and configured my speakers to match my set up for and its showing Dolby Atmos everwhere in Windows

I checked the info from my AVR in Windows and it shows PCM, started up Indiana Jones and The Great Circle, and info shows as Dolby Atmos
Click to expand...

no clue about gaming audio from my knowledge it just seems to be stereo.
 
Quick question - is there any reason why sound settings in windows 11 keep resetting? I set the speakers to 5.1 but every now and again, they reset to the default 7.1
 
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