Thread: 5.1 info help

Your typical surround sound sound card will have 3 audio outputs. One is a Front Left/Right, then a Rear Left/Right, then a Center/Subwoofer. You will not need a 5 channel amplifier. I use a 4 channel amplifier, and plug the Front and Rear outputs to connect to it. Then I plug the subwoofer output to the Mono amplifier for the subwoofers.

Edit:
To answer the last question. Windows typically plays the rear speakers very quietly. Why it does this, I don't know. But it is more of a home audio setup, rather than a car. It may be more desirable to use a RCA splitter to split the front output to go to front and rear, since that is how headuntis do it.

Originally Posted by ummagawd

I'm still trying to figure out how to turn the RCA out into a SPDIF out on my mobo (no manual)

And you haven't even bothered to look for it, have you?
http://www.viaembedded.com/product/3...a-mii_v150.pdf

Originally Posted by ummagawd

oky got it...

so windows controls the sound processing? Is that true even i buy a 5.1 sound card? I'd imagine that the sound card would have its own processor that i can control? Please correct me if i'm wrong.

you're using 2 amps then? A 4 channel for FR FL and RL RR and then another 2 channel for center and SUB?

Also... if i split the front stage with the rear stage... there wouldn't really be much of a use to go 5.1 right?

The phoenix gold octane-r 5.1 digital amp supposedlly allows you to tune each channel individually.... i want to use this amp... but am not sure if i will need any additional hardware.

I'm still trying to figure out how to turn the RCA out into a SPDIF out on my mobo (no manual)

Windows doesn't process it, it just plays the rear speakers fairly quiet, compared to the front speakers. Yes, I use two amplifiers, one is a 4 channel, the input comes from the line out (Green) jack from my computer, and is splitted to go to both front and rear inputs on my amplifier. I simply use the pass thru on my 4-channel amp to go to my subwoofer amp. I used to run the center/subwoofer output to my subwoofer amplifier, but i changed motherboards and do not do that anymore.

5.1 would not be good for anything if you just split the front to go to the rear aswell.

If you wire up the 5.1 as if you're in a house, it is going to sound fairly different. You may like it, but chances are you wont.

I believe the 5.1 amp will take the 3 inputs from your sound card and split them accordingly(based on my own research).

You would only need to have the soundcard and the 5.1 amp

The amp(phoenix), I believe allows for changing the level of each separate channel.

Then you would only need Volume control on the PC.

You should still get a nice stereo sound from the audio card even without 5.1(for CDs, MP3s, etc).

You could also get a sound processor(I think) that allows you to adjust the levels of each channel. I think that would sit between the soundcard and the amp.... but I really don't know yet.

I'm pretty please with the onboard audio of the Via Epia, if you get the Viynl Audio drivers.

The phoenix amp he's referring to takes SP/DIF iirc.