need help with 5.1 please

moomoomoo · 14 Mar 2009 at 10:45

I got me a set of logitech z 5500's a few weeks ago.

The sound from the rear speakers is weird compared with the front speakers. They only seem to play some of the sounds and don't seem as loud as the front speakers. Are they supposed to be like this?

the rear speakers work the same as the front when i switch the effect to stero x2 but then the center speaker doesn't work.

I googled the problem and it came back with the with lack of support from programs using 5.1 and downloading SRS audio sound box would help (which it hasn't)

So any one got any ideas . I'm using the optical input for the sound (through my mobo) I also have a sound card that i have my 5.1 headset pluged into. I'm on xp 64 bit if that helps.

So any ideas or advice?

wonko · 14 Mar 2009 at 11:02

Sounds like you're only outputting a 2 channel signal to them, and have been using dolby prologic effect to generate centre and (weird) rear output. The 'stereo x2' mode does what it says on the tin and makes left back = left front and right back = right front. There is no centre channel so that speaker is quiet.
This is how mine work anyway when listening to a 2-channel source.
HTH

moomoomoo · 14 Mar 2009 at 11:13

I tried connecting it through direct input and its still doing the same thing as digital.

Any way i can play music as 5.1 ?

wonko · 14 Mar 2009 at 11:43

Not with the speakers themselves afaik (other than using stereox2 or the Dolby prologic music effects mode).
If the soundcard/driver doesn't give you an option for it, you'd need to find some software that can upmix stereo to 5.1 that would work with whatever you're playing the music with.
Maybe something like http://matrix-mixer.sourceforge.net/? (I've not tried this, by the way!)