Is my thinking right regarding DD Live / sound card

nightmare99 · 8 Feb 2012 at 21:09

I have recently aquired a new set of speakers (a fairly old set of creative inspire 5700) which are 5.1 but only have 2x 3.5mm analogue stereo inputs am I correct in thinking that to get 5.1 from the computer to these speakers I am going to need to use coxial or optical digital in with a DD Live capable sound card?

If so what is the cheapest soundcard that will do the job? I was thinking something like a xonar but I'm not sure which cards support DD Live or if that is the exact feature I require?

dewi · 8 Feb 2012 at 22:59

I was in exactly the same boat with a set of DTT 3500 speakers. You're right. You need a sound card that does Dolby Digital Live, then connect the digital out on the card to the digital in on the Inspire 5700. I think the cheapest card that'll do it in the Asus line up is the Xonar DX.

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=SC-002-AS

nightmare99 · 15 Feb 2012 at 13:19

Thanks for confirming my thinking.

Can somebody confirm which is the cheapest Xonar (can be PCI or PCI-EX) that supports DD Live as I cannot tell from some of the product specs and want to be 100% sure.

Uriel · 15 Feb 2012 at 13:33

Xonar D1 or DX for Dolby Digital Live.

Xonar DS for DTS connect. I think you can use DTS on those speakers? Used to have a set of 5700s but my memory is rusty.

wazza300 · 15 Feb 2012 at 13:35

dont you need speakers with an optical in port? otherwise it wont be digital sound?

Uriel · 15 Feb 2012 at 14:16

They do have an optical in port.

DarkBahamut · 15 Feb 2012 at 14:18

Inspire 5700 have both Optical and Coax inputs. As mentioned above you'll either need a DD Live capable card, or a card with the Creative proprietary digital out connector (I used an Audigy 2 when I had mine). This was removed on the later x-fi cards though.

nightmare99 · 15 Feb 2012 at 16:52

Ok cool I guess I better start saving for a xonar dx

Cheers guys

dewi · 15 Feb 2012 at 17:29

DarkBahamut said:
Inspire 5700 have both Optical and Coax inputs. As mentioned above you'll either need a DD Live capable card, or a card with the Creative proprietary digital out connector (I used an Audigy 2 when I had mine). This was removed on the later x-fi cards though.

This was the same situation I found myself in. I'd originally bought a PC with a Creative Sound Blaster Live! 5.1 with their proprietary multi-channel digital out, and a matching set of Creative DTT3500 speakers. When I built a new PC, I found that Creative no longer made audio cards with that connector, so I could no longer use the digital DIN input on my DTT3500. I ended up buying an Asus Xonar DX so that I could use Dolby Digital Live.