A/V Dolby Digital S/Pdif Output from sound card?

Please help, I am looking for a sound card whoich will be able to output 5.1 or above surround sound to my reciever through s/pdif either optical or through a normal rca cable. The current sound card I have I bought for this purpose, but it only outputs stereo (ugh) through s/pdif, leaving me with 5 unused speakers in my 7.1 capable reciever/speaker setup.

In short, I need a sound card which outputs surround s/pdif.

I looked at the Audigy2 models, but it does not seem to specify the exact s/pdif capabilities, so I would be really grateful if someone here has had experience with a card that can play through a reciever in surround sound.

 

I have the Audigy2 zs model. It can do up to 24-bit/96khz on the SPDIF. I think this card will do all you want and more.

 

S/PDIF is not what you want

what you need is coaxial digital out, which IS NOT on the Audigy2 ZS. you can build a lil gizmo that'll let you use a S/PDIF connector as a proper digital coaxial connection, but it's just a lot of hassle, really.

buy an M-Audio card. pretty much all their consumer level cards have a coaxial out connector on them

 

It uses software resampling. There is a big difference there.

*n

 

To Fod,

You are correct about the Audigy2 not having a phono type connector for the digital out but it does have a 3.5mm plug that can be tied to an adapter cable with a phono end. It also has optical in and out connections.

 

the audigy2 ZS has an optical connector!?

:O

i didn't know that, and i have one!

 

Well let me be specific here. The model I have is the Platinum Pro version. There may be others that have different connections. I am not real up on all the different versions and I know there are at least several of them.

If I remember correctly, Creative had a good spec sheet page to view for specs on the cards.

 

It seems that a lot of cards have a connector for s/pdif, usually a 3.5mm jack in my experience.

As previously mentioned, there are adapters avalible that work like a treat (or you can be a cheap ass and use a regular 3.5 to rca adapter and find the correct channel ).

I prefer optical tbh. Complete electrical isolation, insures that you don't get any ac buzz picked up between your system and the amp (I have an live ac cord wrapped around my optical cable just to piss off a friend).

Creative cards are ok, but I'd look at M-Audio. Creative is way over priced and over rated. Several of their claims have been proven false (in fact they got sued over false advertising, check the news forum), and I have personally had problems with their cards hating me, windows, my computers, the world, etc.

 

i got a audigy2 zs and i have a optical out

 

I currently have a card which does optical or s/pdif, but the problem is that with whichever connection I use it will not put surround sound to my reciever. I am trying to use it to play HL2 in surround sound from my reciever, but the card I have says it can do surround sound but it WILL NOT.

I need to find a card that has either s/pdif or optical that will play SURROUND SOUND in my reciever.

Coaxial digital? is this the same thing a coaxial TV cable? My reciever does not have input for one of those, only coax TV in.

I do not need an adapter or anything, I need a card which will play 5.1 in dolby encoding or anything that can make use of the surround sound in my receiver.

 

The coax cable for S/PDIF is somewhat similar to a TV coax line. They both should have a nominal impedence of 75 ohms and are shielded lines. The normal terminations for TV cable is 'F' connectors and the digital cable uses phono, or RCA connectors as they are called also.

 

Thanks, but that doesn't help me find out whether an Audigy or other sound card will make the "Dolby Digital" Light on my reciever light up and run sound to all 6 speakers in my room.

 

what is your receiver? make/model?

 

kenwood vr-806s

 

I have the Creative Extigy...it works great...so

 

ok that thing has " 2 Coaxial Digital Audio Inputs"

so you definitely should be able to use a card that has a coaxial digital out. ie, pretty much all the M-audio cards.

pretty damned sweet receiver too

 

the platinum version (front panel thing) does.

unfortunately I don't yet have the z5500's I want, so oh well. But it's there.

 

So the audigy puts 5.1 through the coaxial digital cable alone? Great, because this POS Chaintech AV-710 will only put stereo through a coax digital connection, no matter what drivers or settings I use.

 

you have to understand, it will only output a dolby digital bitstream IF THERE IS ONE, I.E if you are watching a DVD or playing a game that supports it. windows won't do it by default, as it can't encode a bitstream without hardware to back it up, which is thin on the ground.

if you want that, you'll have to use a sound adapter that supports dolby digital encoding, and i believe the only product available right now is a soundstorm based motherboard. there is a sound card on the way that has it, but i forgot the name.

EDIT: it seems a slew of adaptors is coming out now (that's thanks do windows MCE). the feature you want is "dolby digital Live". google it!

 

Yea, but it's based on Audigy 1 tech so it isnt wonderful. I have the same and use Dolby AC3 encoding from Intels HD Audio to the Exitigy which then decodes it into 5.1