Audigy + "Digital" Speakers + S/PDIF = ?

RDaneel · Oct 21, 2004, 01:54 AM

This might be a long post, but I have some fundamental questions about "digital" sound - and how it applies to the kX drivers, of course.

I have a "Desktop Theater 5.1 DTT2500 Digital" from Creative/Cambridge Soundworks (and a few years in the past), which I run exclusively with the single digital input. For those not familiar with this unit, it is a box which decodes Dolby Digital/Surround/Pro Logic, and includes "Stereo", "FourPoint", "Music", and "Movie" input modes... my interpretation of these has always been 2.1, 4.1, "5.1", and "5.1". This box has outputs for 5 speakers and a [powered] sub.

With my old SBLive!, all 5 outputs and the sub worked. When I got my Audigy (SB0090 to kX people), I lost the center channel... this was minimally acceptable, since I really just cared about music (2.1) and 4.1 gaming. I tried to go to an Audigy2, but I lost both of the rears (4.1), so I returned it and stuck to my Audigy.

About a year ago, I discovered kX, and all has been wonderful since *for music* (thanks Eugene and team!) - but gaming wasn't as good as with the evil Creative driver set (fewer/missing effects, for starters), although I still had the rear speakers with kX... until Doom3 (I only use 3538 these days). Sigh.

Important data point: if I set the Surrounder+ to "4.1" and Surround=Off, and my speakers themselves are set in "FourPoint" (4.1?) mode, and run the kX "Speaker Test" applet, ALL of the speakers work (except for the center, of course)!

Here come my questions:

1) What is going out the digital out from my Audigy?

2) Can it represent more than two full channels of sound?

3) Do the Creative drivers use some proprietary format for this stream that only works with certain "digital" speaker systems?

4) What control do I have at the kX DSP-programming level over the digital output stream?

5) Is it possible that there is some "starting from scratch" DSP configuration that would give me my rear speakers back in Doom3?

I *really* would like to understand some of these basic issues, and would be more than happy to jump into the DSP programming stuff if I could better control what is coming out the digital output of my Audigy!

Oct 21, 2004, 01:54 AM	#1
RDaneel DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 17 Rep Power: 0	Audigy + "Digital" Speakers + S/PDIF = ? This might be a long post, but I have some fundamental questions about "digital" sound - and how it applies to the kX drivers, of course. I have a "Desktop Theater 5.1 DTT2500 Digital" from Creative/Cambridge Soundworks (and a few years in the past), which I run exclusively with the single digital input. For those not familiar with this unit, it is a box which decodes Dolby Digital/Surround/Pro Logic, and includes "Stereo", "FourPoint", "Music", and "Movie" input modes... my interpretation of these has always been 2.1, 4.1, "5.1", and "5.1". This box has outputs for 5 speakers and a [powered] sub. With my old SBLive!, all 5 outputs and the sub worked. When I got my Audigy (SB0090 to kX people), I lost the center channel... this was minimally acceptable, since I really just cared about music (2.1) and 4.1 gaming. I tried to go to an Audigy2, but I lost both of the rears (4.1), so I returned it and stuck to my Audigy. About a year ago, I discovered kX, and all has been wonderful since for music (thanks Eugene and team!) - but gaming wasn't as good as with the evil Creative driver set (fewer/missing effects, for starters), although I still had the rear speakers with kX... until Doom3 (I only use 3538 these days). Sigh. Important data point: if I set the Surrounder+ to "4.1" and Surround=Off, and my speakers themselves are set in "FourPoint" (4.1?) mode, and run the kX "Speaker Test" applet, ALL of the speakers work (except for the center, of course)! Here come my questions: 1) What is going out the digital out from my Audigy? 2) Can it represent more than two full channels of sound? 3) Do the Creative drivers use some proprietary format for this stream that only works with certain "digital" speaker systems? 4) What control do I have at the kX DSP-programming level over the digital output stream? 5) Is it possible that there is some "starting from scratch" DSP configuration that would give me my rear speakers back in Doom3? I really would like to understand some of these basic issues, and would be more than happy to jump into the DSP programming stuff if I could better control what is coming out the digital output of my Audigy!