HTPC Sound Question

Apem · 17 May 2011 at 20:26

Hi guys thinking of doing a HTPC / Gaming pc and im unsure on a couple of things hope you can help.

I wont be using the TV speakers I will be replacing them with a 2.1 set which I will hook up to the TV and im unsure if I will need a sound card in the build or not? The speakers im thinking of using are Acoustic Energy Aego M 2.1 Speaker System.

If im not using the sound card as I have the speakers hooked up to the TV will the game / movies sound ect play through said speakers via the HDMI cable hooked up to the GPU?

Thanks guys

Auraomega · 17 May 2011 at 20:50

Depends on the GPU, but most modern GPUs do audio passthrough via HDMI, in which case as long as your TV can output the audio to the speakers then there should be no need for a sound card.

TALON1973 · 17 May 2011 at 21:26

the mobo wil ahve the correct conenction to conenct teh speakers .. you can set the hdmi to just do the picture

memyselfandi · 17 May 2011 at 21:32

TALON1973 said:
the mobo wil ahve the correct conenction to conenct teh speakers .. you can set the hdmi to just do the picture

Depends on what the OP wants to do .... if he connects the speakers directly to the TV it means that he gets the benefit of them even when he is using the TV directly, or any other devices connected to it, instead of just when he is using the HTPC. If he just connects them to the HTPC then he doesn't get that.

I've gone both ways in the past with various HTPCs but at the moment am tending to just use audio over the HDMI link (mostly just of ease of use as I'm using headphones instead of the OPs speakers so don't want to have to re-plug them all the time.

TALON1973 · 17 May 2011 at 21:50

yeah i do the same ... but then again i do have a graham slee solo srg 2 headphone amp and senn hd 600 headphones with a mf v-dac .... so for me its a no brainer ..

but i have owned ( still got them in storage )the aego's . good little system for the money

Apem · 18 May 2011 at 00:07

Hi thanks guys yeah I am wanting the speakers to run through the TV so the ps3 can use them as well, then when I turn the HTPC on it will run the game sound through them speakers attached to the TV as well. Im thinking of using a GTX 570 in the HTPC so using the HDMI shouldnt be a problem using that card I dont think.

ishamy · 18 May 2011 at 09:35

The other way he could connect would be TV headphone socket to line in on PC, then 2.1 system to speakers. Bit of a backward way to do it but I find on my system I get better sound quality from the HTPC when speaker are direct from the HTPC, there seems to been quality loss when its going through TV.

Participant · 18 May 2011 at 09:49

But then he'd have to have the HTPC on even if he was just watching TV.

Marsman · 18 May 2011 at 10:56

I'd use HDMI to pass sound to the TV, then connect the speakers to the TV. Connecting the speakers to the PC, creates more hassle when you want to use them with other device connected to the TV, console etc.

Two ways to connect them to the TV, if the TV has audio out. You could connect them to the headphone socket, assuming it has one. This will allow you to control the volume of the speakers with the TV remote. The downside is, the sound quality output of headphone sockets on TV's, is not as good as the audio out on the rear. I tried connecting my stereo amp to my TV's headphone out, just to see what the differences were, and the sound quality was not as good as when I have the amp connected to the audio out on the ear. Downside of using the audio out, that's assuming the TV has that, is that the TV's volume control applies only to the headphone out and it's own speakers. Meaning you would have to alter the sound on the speakers directly. You can use which ever connection you wish of course, but if it were me, I'd take better sound quality over the convenience of being able to alter the volume with the TV remote.

Apem · 18 May 2011 at 14:01

This is the best pic I could find of the TVs back panel hope this helps. The TV in question is the LG 32LD490 32" Full HD 1080p.

Marsman · 18 May 2011 at 15:46

Looks like the TV has no RCA/phono audio out, but it does have a headphone socket on the side, with some other connections. I've noticed a few LED TV's do not have audio out, I guess it is to do with removing certain features in a certain price bracket.

Just connect the speakers to the headphone socket, and have the sound come though the HDMI from your GFX card.

Apem · 18 May 2011 at 16:12

From the specs of the TV it says it has Digital Audio Out (coaxial/optical) what ever that means

Luke_Bowman · 18 May 2011 at 16:50

That means you should be able to run an optical cable from your tv to your hifi, aslong as its only 2.1 theres no need for a soundcard

TALON1973 · 18 May 2011 at 19:33

Luke_Bowman said:
That means you should be able to run an optical cable from your tv to your hifi, aslong as its only 2.1 theres no need for a soundcard

hes got the aegos ... it doesn't have a digital input ,so that's a non starter

Apem · 18 May 2011 at 19:44

so it would have to be headphone socket then thats cool then and just to confim games ect will run through them speakers if I use a HDMI connection from my gpu?

Apem · 29 May 2011 at 16:12

Just thought of another question sorry.

To enable sound to go from the gpu to the tv would the included sound drivers with the mobo need to be installed even though I wont be adding speakers to the mobo?

Apem · 30 May 2011 at 13:03

anyone please?

Apem · 31 May 2011 at 14:43

anyone please?

Auraomega · 31 May 2011 at 15:49

Don't know and I suspect the lack of replies means no one else does either. Try it and find out.

Marsman · 31 May 2011 at 20:17

Apem said:
Just thought of another question sorry.

To enable sound to go from the gpu to the tv would the included sound drivers with the mobo need to be installed even though I wont be adding speakers to the mobo?

No need to the install the motherboard on-board sound drivers, but then installing them will do no harm. Doesn't matter either way really.

As for the previous question. Selecting HDMI as the default audio, will output any audio to the TV. Just connect speakers to the headphone socket on the TV.