Point me in the right direction please

ChrisD. · 8 Aug 2011 at 15:12

I currently have a X-Fi Fatal1ty and a Turtle Beach headset. I have some Logitech 5.1 speakers, but due to current room/flat layout, I only use them in 2.1. 80% of the time when I play games, I'll have my headset on as my lass is in the same room and will be watching the TV. The only times the 2.1 speakers get used are listening to music and gaming when she's at work and I'm on my off shifts.

The speakers are wired to my soundcard and the headset is connected with optical from the SPDIF out on my motherboard, this means I have to switch sound device when I open a game. This tbh annoys me and I want it all running off the same device.

I don't have the ribbon cable, so I was thinking of using SPDIF out to some form of discreet amp or set of speakers, which can output to a new set of 2.1 speakers (something like Bose Companion 3) and then simply hit a button that would allow me to use the headset.

Is the audio quality coming from SPDIF out on par with the soundcard? If not I guess I could buy a ribbon cable and then mute the speakers and use the headset from the front panel. Though in saying that I don't like front panels on my case. :confused:

Ideas? Basically I want the best way of using 2.1 speakers and switching to my headset when I game, without sacrificing quality.

DarkBahamut · 8 Aug 2011 at 16:14

As you will need to press some button at some point to change them, just use a sound switching application on your PC to change the outputs for you. I use this one:

https://github.com/therms/soundswitch/downloads

This will allow you to swap output source (and speaker config if required) from a keyboard shortcut.

ChrisD. · 8 Aug 2011 at 18:59

Would I get better sound running the headset from the card?

DarkBahamut · 8 Aug 2011 at 22:18

If it's using Optical then no, as the headset itself will be doing all the decoding thus sound quality won't be changed by the source.

ChrisD. · 9 Aug 2011 at 08:13

So if I bought a new card with SPDIF out on it, I wouldn't notice a difference? I was considering getting the ribbon cable for mine but I don't I have the front panel so it's not worth it lol.