For those who want true 5.1 Dolby Digital and DTS - Page 4

sq_geek · 07-18-2005, 10:34 AM

Hmmm, I didn't think about that. I actually got it from Fry's Electronics (it's like a computer superstore). They had the 840 (optical TOS extender) and the 820 (this one) and they were BOTH repackaged. That is not too surprising to see from Fry's, and they only had two left, and this one was $17.99 -- $6 cheaper than online even!

Maybe I will return it and buy another?

Ugh, the suspense is going to kill me.

LESLIEx317537 · 07-18-2005, 05:49 PM

HAha, well good luck.

I got a new audio plan for my CarPC, and will post my car setup finally if its worthy.
I've tried so many things, I guess you live and learn.
As of now, it's a simple carpc that has functioned for 3 years. Nothing special.

antimatter · 07-19-2005, 02:06 AM

Which toslink convertor did you use? Perhaps its the soundcard not the convertor.

I would buy or borrow a USB sound card with optical and coax digital out to see of this fixes the problem. If the optical works great but the coax sucks on the usb card you know its the convertor your using. If the optical and coax works great then you know its the onboard sound card thats faulty.

All though it seems wierd that it would be that way becasue your sending the information while it in digital form. so its just 1 and 0s. how messed up can it be? the DSP does the decoding.

Post a link to the convertor you used. I tried many and went back the ebay crap.

sq_geek · 07-19-2005, 10:35 AM

It is this one:

http://www.national-tech.com/index.p...ody=10TP-08200

I will hook up my Audigy 2ZS which also has S/PDIF but still coaxial, and see how that works.

ummagawd · 07-28-2005, 12:34 PM

i'm using that one.... for the little time i had my PC working... it sounded great

some parts of iRobot however sounded a little clashed... not sure what it was tho

antimatter · 07-29-2005, 01:35 PM

Yup thats the only one i got to work with my setup. The more expensive ones seemed not to like the the car environment, It could have been some other issues and as always your milage may vary

do7d · 07-31-2005, 01:38 PM

sq geek-

did you encode the mp3 from iasca cd yourself? VB 192kbps is what i always encode at, and i always use lame as the encoder- through EAC (exact audio copy). this is (by far) the best sound quality i've gotten from mp3 without having enormous file sizes. using encoders like musicmatch and whatever else generally skip info they cant read leaving a blip, and don't always use the best encoding- leaving artifacts in the music. also, use a good cd/rw to rip! i would use nothing but tdk or yamaha equip. it's reasonably priced, and does a great job. it makes as almost as much difference as the encoding itself.

LESLIEx317537 · 07-31-2005, 03:47 PM

sq geek,

You can also try running a USB soundcard with optical out, and see how that sounds.
I use my SoundBlaster Audigy 2 NX optical out with my DSP right now and it works great.

Also look for some newer spdif drivers for the Via mini-itx? Let me know how it goes, cause I was maybe gonna get rid of my NX 2 if the digital out works fine on the M10000. (But then I lose a optical in and optical out, and I was gonna use the optical in for XM)

Options20002001 · 08-02-2005, 11:19 PM

Anti,
What's the warranty on the refurbished CY-AC300 from ebay? What happens if something goes wrong after 90 days? Who fixes it? What exactly was wrong with these units (there seems to be a lot of listings) to earn the "refurbished" label?

The voltage on the preamp outs is 2V. Was this sufficient to get good volume? If not, did you use any line driver(s) to boost the level? The audibahn ADD51T has 9V preamp voltage and has a SPDIF input in addition to TOSLINK. However, there is no direct center channel speaker connector like panasonic! What do you think about audiobahn?

Thanks.

Options

antimatter · 08-04-2005, 02:05 AM

I would never buy audiobahn equipment.... maybe i am just a snob

your on your with ebay those are all questions that you need to ask the seller just becasue i bought it off ebay doesn't mean it was used or refurbished. Do your research man.

the 2v although nothing to write home about was definitly suffecient for loud, really loud volume. No need for a line driver, it could only help.

fonseca · 08-25-2005, 06:41 PM

I was all set to buy an ADS-4000 until I saw l4tran's comment:

Quote:

As I mentioned before, the decoder can also accept analog stereo input. This is nice when just listening to mp3's or playing games. In this mode, only the FR, FL, RR, RL and SW can be heard, the center speaker is disabled. Switching from digital to analog is done throught the unit's remote.

I'm trying to understand why someone would want to switch to analog in to listen to mp3s. Does this mean the ADS can't play stereo through spdif in? The manual seems to say otherwise:

Quote:

MP3 music is transferred as PCM data, which CPU has decoded.
Therefore, you can listen to and enjoy MP3 music through ADS 4000 digital
or analog input.

Or would it only use the front speakers. . .I also can't find how many volts this puts out, and I want at least 4.

I'd go for the Audiobahn unit instead, but that's a bit pricey, and I don't know if it downmixes 5.1 to 4.1, as I have no center channel. And additionally, I'm concerned it might only use the front speakers for mp3.

LESLIEx317537 · 08-25-2005, 06:47 PM

The ADS can upmix or it can just play stereo out the two channels. I used this unit and the speakers on my PC for about 3-4 years before the sub blew.

My digital DTS unit upmixes too. Plus it's hidden.

fonseca · 08-25-2005, 11:15 PM

That's good to know. I absolutely want 4 channel stereo full time, since 90% of what I do is listen to mp3s and my rear speakers sound much nicer than my front.

I have a dedicated sub amp and 4 channel speaker amp, and I want full-time output to everything. I may add a powered center channel speaker eventually as well, but it's not a priority.

Right now I'm really leaning towards the ADD51T. Sounds ideal, assuming it also have 4.1 from stereo. Plus, I happen to have a half-DIN spot for it on my console. The ADS would have to be hidden under the dash.

kickercivic1 · 08-25-2005, 11:23 PM

I am looking at couple of this unit.Now the question is which one is good and not that expensive?

fonseca · 08-26-2005, 12:43 AM

Which ones are you looking at? If you want a full DIN, then you have a lot of [expensive] options. And if you don't want anything in your dash, there are options as well, some of them with a remote, or remote display.

I have been searching for the best unit for weeks now. The ADD51T seems to be the best deal at $165 shipped. Retail is ridiculous, and a lot of people stated they paid $300+ in reviews. I had planned on a DAC installed under the seat with a wired remote for volume (and map the master volume to wav for Winamp control, should work), but the Audiobahn seems a better choice with more control.

My main problem with the ADS is that it's bulky, and can't be fabricated into the dash for ease of use, and the remote won't work if I install it in a hidden location. Also, I doubt the RCA outputs are more than 2 volts, and since it's not designed for automotive use, it might introduce noise.

I have to admit that I've always held an extremely poor opinion of Audiobahn, but then again I used to hold a poor opinion of Hyundai, and look what I'm driving (almost ready for boost!). The ADD51T seems like the best choice for the money.