Can't get 5.1 sound working between PC and AV receiver

King Mustard · 27 Nov 2016 at 12:44

Soundcard: Asus Xonar DSX
AV receiver: Pioneer VSX-324-K-P

I've connected the two together via. an optical cable.

On the AV receiver, I've followed the instructions on pages 15 and 20 of the manual above to switch to optical input.

In Windows, I've right-clicked on "S/PDIF Pass-through Device" in Sound and chosen "Set as Default Device".

In the "Xonar DSX Audio Center" program, I've used the following:

Audio Channel: 6 Channels
Sample Rate: PCM 96 KHz
Analog Out: 5.1 Speakers
SPDIF: PCM (though I've also tried DTS Interactive)

Using the settings above, if I click on the front left or front right speakers, they both come out of the correct speakers that are connected to the AV receiver.

However, if I click on the rear, center or sub speakers, I hear nothing.

Any ideas?

NexusK · 27 Nov 2016 at 13:32

Have you set windows to 5.1 too?

You could always just skip the sound card and use hdmi between the amp and the GPU, you won't be limited to non HD sound by the optical then too.

pete910 · 27 Nov 2016 at 15:37

As suggested, just do HDMI to the receiver. Let the receiver do it's job rather than a sound card that's crap in comparison

Marsman · 27 Nov 2016 at 17:47

Concurring with above replies; just use HDMI if you can.

If there's some reason you have to use optical, then DTS Connect, or whatever it's now called should work though.

PCM is just stereo, but DTS Connect/Interactive, should be encoding whatever audio with DTS for the receiver to decode as 5.1.

King Mustard · 27 Nov 2016 at 21:28

NexusK said:
Have you set windows to 5.1 too?

You could always just skip the sound card and use hdmi between the amp and the GPU, you won't be limited to non HD sound by the optical then too.

pete910 said:
As suggested, just do HDMI to the receiver. Let the receiver do it's job rather than a sound card that's crap in comparison

Marsman said:
Concurring with above replies; just use HDMI if you can.

If there's some reason you have to use optical, then DTS Connect, or whatever it's now called should work though.

PCM is just stereo, but DTS Connect/Interactive, should be encoding whatever audio with DTS for the receiver to decode as 5.1.

When I connect the PC to the AV receiver via. HDMI, I can only get 4k/30 output to my 4K TV because that's all the AV receiver can handle.

ARC doesn't work, either.

So I am left with HDMI from the PC straight into the TV to get 4k/60, and an optical cable from my PC to the AV receiver for sound.

On-board Realtek motherboard hardware rarely allows DTS Interactive due to drivers unless you use hacked drivers, which are often outdated, so I bought the Asus Xonar DSX for its DTS Interactive etc. capabilities.

Marsman, I think your directions are what I used in the screenshot above but the rear, center or sub speakers do nothing

More screenshots:

hornetstinger · 27 Nov 2016 at 21:36

make sure you have DD/DTS enabled in MPC-HC. Options, internal filter, audio decoder.

That should sort of DD/DTS audio in videos, for games you want to use the live encoding. I've got a Asus DX card.

King Mustard · 27 Nov 2016 at 21:39

hornetstinger said:
make sure you have DD/DTS enabled in MPC-HC. Options, internal filter, audio decoder.

That should sort of DD/DTS audio in videos, for games you want to use the live encoding. I've got a Asus DX card.

It's games that I want to play in 5.1.

james.miller · 27 Nov 2016 at 21:44

displayport to hdmi dongle, use the amp as a 2nd extended display?

as for the xonar, try setting speakers as the default audio device and then try, everythign else looks set correctly. if you still get no audio on from the xonar driver test tones, try the built in windows one instead. Sound >> Playback >> right click speakers >> Test.

hornetstinger · 27 Nov 2016 at 21:49

make sure "speakers" asus xonair is default sound card, NOT SPIF pass through. Working right now DD in Doom 4

King Mustard · 27 Nov 2016 at 21:51

james.miller said:
displayport to hdmi dongle, use the amp as a 2nd extended display?

as for the xonar, try setting speakers as the default audio device and then try, everythign else looks set correctly. if you still get no audio on from the xonar driver test tones, try the built in windows one instead. Sound >> Playback >> right click speakers >> Test.

"S/PDIF Pass-through device" was set to Set as Default Device, and audio did work, though only in stereo.

hornetstinger said:
make sure "speakers" asus xonair is default sound card, NOT SPIF pass through. Working right now DD in Doom 4

My PC speakers are in the jacks, so I won't be setting "Speakers" as the default device.

I want, when I want to output to my AV receiver, the S/PDIF to be the default device.

hornetstinger · 27 Nov 2016 at 21:52

I'm using optical out from soundcard to AVR. Games and movies work fine in DD live encoding.

King Mustard · 27 Nov 2016 at 21:53

hornetstinger said:
I'm using optical out from soundcard to AVR. Games and movies work fine in DD live encoding.

Thanks for that, knowing that that solved the issue I am having with my setup

james.miller · 27 Nov 2016 at 21:58

King Mustard said:
You didn't read my first post

It was set to Set as Default Device and audio did work, though only in stereo

you said nothing about trying speakers as the default in your first post. It's what ive had to do to get multi channel DDLive/DTS Interactive out of my xonar d2 since i bought the card 9 years ago.

hornetstinger · 27 Nov 2016 at 21:58

https://www.************.co.uk/foru...gital-5-1-via-Spdif-optical-with-an-ASUS-Card

King Mustard · 27 Nov 2016 at 22:06

hornetstinger said:
https://www.************.co.uk/foru...gital-5-1-via-Spdif-optical-with-an-ASUS-Card

That worked, thank you!

So basically, as the guy in that link said, you continue to keep "Speakers" as the default device and not "S/PDIF Pass-through Device", as stupid as it sounds.

Then, to switch between my PC speakers that are connected to the jacks on the sound card and the optical cable that is connected to my AV receiver, you simply click on the tick box next to "DTS Interactive" in Xonar DSX Audio Center (and, of course, change the channels if you only had 2 PC speakers, for example).

Then to switch back to the PC speakers, untick the box.

So basically, the only real mistake was setting "S/PDIF Pass-through Device" as the default device, even though you'd expect to have to do that.

Complicated until you know how!

james.miller · 27 Nov 2016 at 22:33

Enabling the spdif output doesnt disable the analgoue outputs on the card, it only affects the spdif outputs. Enabling spdif in the drivers will have both analogue and spdif spitting out audio at the same time, though as you will find the spdif output will lag behind the analgoue by a fraction, especially with DDLive/DTSi enabled.

The av amp will only play audio from the pc if that source is selected, so you just need to figure out the best way for you to stop the speakers playing audio when you want the av amp on. I have seperate amps on my desk for my speakers and my headphones, for example. When i want to listen to my headphones, i just switch the stereo amp off. Least effort.

King Mustard said:
So basically, as the guy in that link said,

Yes, that guy was right ....

hornetstinger · 27 Nov 2016 at 22:34

King Mustard said:
That worked, thank you!

So basically, as the guy in that link said, you continue to keep "Speakers" as the default device and not "S/PDIF Pass-through Device", as stupid as it sounds.

Then, to switch between my PC speakers that are connected to the jacks on the sound card and the optical cable that is connected to my AV receiver, you simply click on the tick box next to "DTS Interactive" in Xonar DSX Audio Center (and, of course, change the channels if you only had 2 PC speakers, for example).

Then to switch back to the PC speakers, untick the box.

So basically, the only real mistake was setting "S/PDIF Pass-through Device" as the default device, even though you'd expect to have to do that.

Complicated until you know how!

Of course I was right. I know everything.