HOW TO: Get sound from PC to Car Stereo / Amp - Page 7

LESLIEx317537 · 03-11-2005, 04:00 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by chrislloyd

i have been looking through this thread and am confused on something. everyone is talking about 5.1 and such.... but noone mentions anything about time alignment. the whole idea with 5.1 is that you get sound from all these differnet speakers to your ears at certain times. well in a car.. you sit to the left of a center speaker. you practically sit ontop of the left speaker.

for those of you going straight from a 5.1 card to an amp... how are you dealing with time alignment? does the hardware app/firmware support this? is there external software that does it??

i just ordered my carpc... and am still wrestling with the idea of keeping my head unit (time alingment built in) or going straight from the carpc.

thanks

The Sound Blaster Audigy ZS Pro i have at home has THX time alignment. It runs through a set of tests and angles.
The Sound Blaster Audigy NX USB I have in my car doesn't have this allignment. You will need a better soundcard I think for that.

I have my NX going to a 4 Ch amp and a 2 Ch amp for my Sub. I set it on 5.1 and lowered the center channel slider in the Creative speaker setup.

You can lower the front left slider for the front right channel and boost up the rears if you want, but then your passengers won't get the effect then. Too bad we don't drive in the center of the car. That would be best for racing.

paradoxblue · 03-13-2005, 12:06 PM

wow ok this makes sense.. but is that the audigy video card?
in the 5.1 surround it uses 3 of them head phone jacks. to which colors does that go to?

thats how i want to do this.. screw a head unit. will leave more room for a touch screen

and that 5.1 setup.. wuts the sound quality like on that? worth it?

thnaks for the pics!

LESLIEx317537 · 03-13-2005, 12:33 PM

The 3 headphone jacks (1/8th) you need to convert to RCA's somehow to plug into the amp as described above. After doing so, you should have 3 pairs (6) RCA outputs.

1 jack goes to front left and front right.
1 jack goes to rear left and rear right.
1 jack goes to center channel and sub. ( I didn't connect the center channel RCA since I don't have one (yet!))

I'm not sure about the colors cause the ZS series have colors but the USB NX has black 1/8th (non-color coded) but you can see the description next to each 1/8th jack. Like it shows you if it's side etc..

paradoxblue · 03-13-2005, 12:56 PM

hmm ok kewl so i need an ok audigy card.. any in the under 100 dollar range that willw ork?

LESLIEx317537 · 03-13-2005, 01:02 PM

Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy2 NX External USB Sound System, Model "SB0300" -RETAIL
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProduc...102-167&depa=0
NewEgg
$85 + $5 fedex shipping.

This is what i have under my backseat, and run to my amps.
See it in the picture?

paradoxblue · 03-13-2005, 01:07 PM

ok so i need 6 channel audio output? is that right? if so do most mobo's not come with that. or do i need more then that. i came cross this mobo.. was wondering..

http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproduc...131-460&DEPA=0

LESLIEx317537 · 03-13-2005, 01:12 PM

Generally, onboard sound does not sound as nice as a PCI or USB addon.

Many people said once they replaced the VIA M10000 with a USB soundcard, it sounded 10'xs better.

Also, if you run a USB soundcard, you can just run a USB cable by where you amps are so you don't need to run long RCA cables out of the 1/8th jacks to the RCA inputs on the amps. (More wiring....like I dont have enough

)

Also some people that had groundloops and interference from the car altenator said it fixed those problems.

LESLIEx317537 · 03-13-2005, 01:15 PM

Also, your mobo looks as though it will draw alot of watts.
How do you plan on powering it?

In the car, you want to try to pull the least watts, so you don't need a huge power supply.

paradoxblue · 03-13-2005, 05:40 PM

ahh ok ,makes sense. hmm

sansoo24 · 03-28-2005, 01:14 AM

If your ears work properly and you spent some hard earned cash on some nice speakers then dont just use a y splitter. It is a very easy way to connect to an amp but not a nice sounding way. Most sound cards arent built to output a 13v signal. Plus, following this example, if you want to connect 2 amsp for subs and components then you need to y split twice. Follow PPGT94's diagram, but instead of going straight to the ano i would but in and OVERDRIVE signal prcessor/booster from AUDIOCONTROL. Then conect to your 4 channel amp. And if you want subs and components then use a 2xs or 24xs crossover by audiocontrol after the overdrive unit. This will give you 2 sets of pre outs. A high pass for the components and a lowpass for your subs. All of these audiocontrol components i have found on ebay at very reasonable prices. And select other online retailers. Sounddomain doesnt have them cuz they dont know squat about car audio. And if you have further questions let me know and i can diagram it out for you

Warpath · 03-28-2005, 01:40 AM

Hmm, could also use an EQ. Mount it in the dash or where ever. One set of RCA's from the soundcard to the input of the EQ. The EQ will then give you 3 sets of RCA outputs...Front, Rear, Subs. This will also give you a good signal boost and much easier to tweak.
Wire Diagram - EQ, 4ch amp, Subs and carputer

Silver Wing · 03-31-2005, 11:46 AM

Please help me. I tried using the 4.1 setup for my carputer and I can't get it to work. I get no sound at all. I used a HP 2.8 Ghz computer and a Rockford Fosgate Punch P4004 4 channel amp. I've tested my sound card and my amp. They work fine, but they aren't working together. What else can I check? What am I missing? I definetly don't want to have to use a HU. Thanks in advance for your help.

miztahsparklez · 03-31-2005, 12:11 PM

did you try setting the gains?.. most likely you need a line driver to boost the signal of the sound card so it works with your amp. your soundcard probably doesnt put out enough power for the amp.

Song0330 · 03-31-2005, 09:32 PM

Visited my local Car Toys today to check out subs for my audio setup, told the sales guy what I was doing (carputer and splitter to RCA/sound card direct to amp), and he highly advised me against it. Some tech jumbo I can't recall, but something about it not having good sound quality, degrading the speakers, and causing the speakers to eventually send feedback and damaging my carputer. He advised me I was better off using an aux-in on many of the HUs he sold so that this wouldn't happen.

Any truth to this, or just the standard salesperson scare-tactic?

Vchat20 · 03-31-2005, 09:35 PM

while im no expert, im pretty sure its your usual salesperson scare tactic. if you check many other projects around here, many of them are headless and go straight from the carputer to the amp.