Sound setup advice (connecting optical to PC 5.1)

[David]

Guys i have an xbox360 with optical out which iwant to connect to the following.

I currently have a mediacentre pc connected to the tele with a creative xi-fi audio card in it which hooks up to 5.1 surround sound via 3.5m audio plugs. There is no optical in.

I'm willing to buy a new sound card if needed but i can't change the speakers as they're all wired in and stuff. they will only take 3.5mm inputs (headphone jacks)

so my question really is. Is there some sort of soundcard which will comprise of an optical in aswell as the 5.1 external jacks that anyone knows of??

come on guys help me out!

 

[Aberclio182]

http://uk.europe.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=1&subcategory=208&product=16770&nav=0

think thats what your after!! lol

 

[David]

you fuckng ninja! nice one!!!

 

[David]

oh b****cks its pci express only and it was perfect!

 

[Darren S]

Dave, isn't it just the non-PCI-E version you want, then?

http://uk.europe.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=1&subcategory=208&product=15855

Cracking cards - I've had the X-Fi Fatal1ty card for nearly two years. Brilliant piece of kit.

Edit - doh! Missed the optical bit. Sorry.

D.

 

[David]

yeh but unfortunately the non pci one is without optical in and out. i know they're good i've got a couple of xi-fis at home.

cheers for looking though mate, it's proving a right pain in the ass

 

[Darren S]

No worries Dave!

Found this one. Takes up two slots in the chassis, but looks to have all the connectors you need?

Seems cheap too - if its a piece of crap?

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/85533

D.

 

[Mike_182]

POS. As is all the Creative stuff. I'd go for possibly the Auzentech X-Fi Prelude : http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=SC-000-AZ&groupid=701&catid=11&subcat= or the Asus Xonar : http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=SC-000-AS&groupid=701&catid=11&subcat= as they're both in a completely different league to the X-Fi.

 

[David]

wow thanks guys. unfortunately mike, neither of those have optical input :/

the trust one looks cheap and nasty but i'm quite tempted tbh as it fits what i need! cheap enough to test and chuck if it's s**t anyway! thanks mate!

 

[Aberclio182]

this might work with your original card

http://www.soundblaster.com/products/product.asp?category=1&subcategory=16&product=1780

The Creative® Digital I/O Module adds optical and coaxial digital I/O to your Sound Blaster®.

Connect to Creative® Digital Speaker systems
Playback to and record from S/PDIF devices like Minidisc, DAT and Home-studio equipment
Pass through encoded multichannel soundtracks from your PC-DVD software to external decoders or Home Cinema receivers
Input: Optical and Coaxial (If both are connected, only the Optical input will be active)
Output: Optical and Coaxial (Sound card output signal is fed simultaneously to both outputs)
Sampling Rate: 44.1, 48, 96kHz selected via sound card software
The Digital I/O Module is an upgrade for the following sound cards1 only:

Sound Blaster Live! 24-bit
Sound Blaster Audigy Value/SE
Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Value
Sound Blaster Audigy 4
Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeMusic
Sound Blaster X-Fi Platinum
Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty
Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro

 

[Dcds4]

Could change case, may be cheaper than a new soundcard?? My asus case has a toslink input on the front...

 

[Mike_182]

wow thanks guys. unfortunately mike, neither of those have optical input :/

the trust one looks cheap and nasty but i'm quite tempted tbh as it fits what i need! cheap enough to test and chuck if it's s**t anyway! thanks mate!

Both do - they use TOSLink adapters, the digital ports are dual personality. See;

http://www.auzentech.com/site/products/x-fi_prelude.php

Same for the Xonar mate. The Prelude would be better for games as it retains EAX and ALChemy, but both are extremely competent boards and from experience I can tell you they are both a leap forward from Creative's offerings.

The Auzen X-Fi also has just benefitted from DDL (Dolby Digital Live) encoding - meaning true 5.1 surround out of the optical/coaxial as opposed to Creative's 2-channel digital output. It really would blow you away.

I've ordered one as I have to send my demonstrator back next week.

 

[Darren S]

That Auzen card looks good, Mike. You'll have to let us know what it's like when it arrives!

Can only be good news, imo - if Creative are licensing-out their technology for other vendors to build and improve upon. Hopefully that will encourage developers to pump more resources into fully utilising EAX5.0.

Its all good

D.

 

[Mike_182]

That Auzen card looks good, Mike. You'll have to let us know what it's like when it arrives!

Can only be good news, imo - if Creative are licensing-out their technology for other vendors to build and improve upon. Hopefully that will encourage developers to pump more resources into fully utilising EAX5.0.

Its all good

D.

It's a brilliant card and I already have a loaner in my rig here, it's just got to go back next week. Sound quality is 1000x what was coming out of my old X-Fi Platinum (ditched a long time back for an Auzen X-Meridian Gold!) and is the best I've ever heard Crysis sound. It's truly scary.