A/V Studio Monitors with xbox one and PC?

I bought an xbox one recently and want to have the sound play through my studio monitors (jbl lsr308) through my sound card (ASUS Xonar Essence ST).

Not quite sure how to go about this:

Speaker Inputs (per speaker): 1 x XLR, 1 x TRS Balanced

xbox one outputs: hdmi, optical

Sound card
Line In: Yes
Line Out: Front R / Front L, Headphone out
SPDIF Out: High-bandwidth Coaxial/TOS-Link combo port
MIC In: Yes

 

Just wondering - why do you want to run via your sound card? Wouldn't it be easier just to go direct into the monitors?

You'd probably be best trying to locate a cheap optical -> RCA converter (I know CYP make them, like this, and then just going from RCA to 6.5mm jack (unbalanced).

Of course - you can go all out and get a balanced out DAC, but that depends on budget

 

Perhaps you might find a cheap little receiver which you can use as an input switcher and preamp.
Otherwise I suppose the easiest/cheapest solution would to buy a basic dac with optical in and rca out. Plug the analogue out to your soundcard line in and place it in listen mode.

 

Wouldn't the sound quality be much better through the card?

 

I do have a receiver I can use. I think it is fairly recent with hdmi, optical, etc but it uses speaker wire and not the plugs.

 

Buy a spare cable and hack the end off of it so you can use it on terminals?

 

No dice here, as the monitors are active.

Does the receiver have pre-outs? If it does, there's your winner. XBOX -> HDMI -> Receiver -> Pre-out L&R -> RCA -> Unbalanced 6.5mm jack -> monitors

In answer to your other question, running through the sound card is a bit redundant in terms of improving sound quality, to my mind.