USB Soundcard with SPDIF and analogue outputs

superplay · 26 Dec 2007 at 12:56

Hi

I am looking for a USB soundcard that Works with Vista which supports both SPDIF and standard analogue out (3.5mm Jack). The other requimrent is that both outputs can be used without having to switch anything in the driver etc.

Any recomendations

Cheers

superplay · 26 Dec 2007 at 19:50

I have seen the Creative Soundblaster connect.

Even though it is not fully automatic, there is a manual switch on the top so as far as I can tell you do not have to change anything in windows to switch output from SPDIF to Analogue. which will do what I want it for.

http://uk.europe.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=1&subcategory=207&product=15911

Any one got one of these who can comment?

superplay · 30 Dec 2007 at 12:44

Ahhhhhhhhhh! :mad:

Back to the drawing board.

Purchased one of the creative sound cards thinking it would solve my issue. No joy. There is a switch on the device that does indeed change how the card works. However it still installs it as 2 sound cards in Vista :mad:

so you still have to manually change the default device there.

So my choice at the moment is to leave the switch on mixed mode and be able to liten to music on my amp and have movies in pro logic. Or have it on digital and have mocies in Digital/DTS and listen to music on my 5500s, which sounds terriable compared to my arcam!

Why do M$ have to break stuff that has worked well for years! All I want is one sound card for Mediaplayer muic output going to my Arcam Amp and all TV/DVD output going to my Logitec 5500s!

superplay · 3 Jan 2008 at 14:04

Well here is the outcome.

After playing around with the Creative Connect I have found that if you set the default audio drive in Vista to the Creative SPDIF (And ignore the Creative Speaker output) the switch will work (For the most part!)

When the switch is in DIGITAL only I get proper digital output to my 5500 and as expected noting to my amp,

When the switch is set to Digital/Analogue I get only Prologic via SPDIF to my 5500s and Analoge to my amp.

However in the driver when setting the analoge output in shared mode to 44.1 khz to get bit perfect output, it only produces dodgy sound! So I will have to put up with it being upscaled to 48 khz.

Not perfect but a workaround for the moment.