Anyone using onboard and audigy cards together?

[Lethagized]

Has anyone got both creative and realtek drivers and sound cards installed? Ive got an audigy4 installed and working but it hasnt got a coax or spdif out. I want to use the spdif on the z5500's but only the realtek has that feature which makes the audigy a bit pants imo. My onboard realtek which ive never used has got a spdif and id like to try this on my z5500's. Is spdif much better quality than the normal green, orange and black analogue plugs? Ive tried installing the realtek drivers and they installed ok, but the onboard realtek isnt being recognised at all.I've also enabled the Azalia codec in the integrated perhipherals section of the bios but still not working. It would be nice to select the audigy or realtek as a default device in control panel. Im running xp pro sp2 btw.

 

[Lethagized]

Oh bugger it, i give up. After messing about with the bios, for some reason ive had to reactivate windows again. Microsoft must think i've changed a load of hardware. All i did was disable the onboard ide/sata device by mistake, oh well. The realtek isnt being recognised at all, not even on device manager. The software has installed ok. Ive never had a problem like this before, just installed the drivers and away it goes Looks like im just have to get a X-fi card

The main thing i wanna know now is...is it really worth upgrading to a x-fi card with optical/coax out? Id really like to try the optical function on the Z5500's but i dont want to be dissapointed with the optical, is it really that much better than the analoge plugs?

 

[Lethagized]

Right. Just ignore me ive sussed it out now. Ive used the white socket on the audigy4 using a 3.5mm jack to rca adaptor plugged into the coax on the z5500 control tower and the dts logo has appeared on the z5500. Sounds amazing on the king authur dvd, just like the cinemas. The flying arrows feel like they're wizzing past me it's great!