Investing in sound: PC speakers or Surrond Receiver

ColdPenguin · Aug 14, 2004, 03:02 AM

Hello!

I am using a set of Logitech Z-540 with a Creative Audigy. I have been very happy with their quality for the price. After over a year the rear left channel stopped working (problem is actually with the front right speaker as far as I can tell, which is the one that plugs into sound card). Creative was nice enough to ship me a whole new complete set, I didn't even have to ship the old set back to them, just had to make a quick phone call.

However I eventually am going to invest in soem better sound. A couple years ago I hooked up my friends computer to a receiver with 5.1 speakers. He has a rocking sub. All I did was get an adapter from Radio Shack and plugged it into his motherboard since he has integrated sound.

I have a couple question though, if I hooked up an audigy to a surrond setup would the receiver mess around with surrond settings and EAX in games and sound different than if it was hooked into a quality set of computer speakers? Does the sound quality degrade by using a receiver and adapter to hook it to the jack on my sound card?
I've heard Klipsch computer speakers are really good but if I'm investing that much money I might as well just have a receiver surrond sound setup instead unless there are disadvantages.

Any opinions are welcome.

**dj_stick** · Aug 14, 2004, 04:56 AM

if you use analog connections then nothing will be messed up at all

Judas · Aug 14, 2004, 05:03 AM

Pure digital signal to a good receiver will spit out a damn good sound to... Although, the receiver has to have decoding abilities...

**dj_stick** · Aug 14, 2004, 05:23 AM

and the hardware will have to have encoding abilities, which the audigy series cards don't

ColdPenguin · Aug 14, 2004, 12:48 PM

Digital, like the sound card would need to have a coaxial output?
Wouldn't one of the Audigy Pro's that have the breakout box work?

**dj_stick** · Aug 14, 2004, 12:54 PM

digital will only ever be 2 channel, unless an ac-3 source… please read the sticky thread regarding 5,1 and spdif in this forum

as for digital - you can use a mini-jack to rca plug connected to the center/subwoofer port on the audigy card, then set the card into digital output only mode

ColdPenguin · Aug 14, 2004, 01:04 PM

okay gotcha, i'll probably end up going analog since software ac3 encoder would probably eat up processor. Thanks for taking your time to respond. Also in your opinion for pc speakers are 6.1 and 7.1 sound really much of an improvement over 5.1? I can understand the reasoning on paper for having rear 6.1 sound, but 7.1 just seems silly, and appears like it would be very hard to place\mount in a room

**dj_stick** · Aug 14, 2004, 01:10 PM

i really doubt there would be much difference at all… 5.1, possbily 6.1 is all you reall need

Aug 14, 2004, 03:02 AM	#1
ColdPenguin ***** goon Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 110 Rep Power: 0	Investing in sound: PC speakers or Surrond Receiver Hello! I am using a set of Logitech Z-540 with a Creative Audigy. I have been very happy with their quality for the price. After over a year the rear left channel stopped working (problem is actually with the front right speaker as far as I can tell, which is the one that plugs into sound card). Creative was nice enough to ship me a whole new complete set, I didn't even have to ship the old set back to them, just had to make a quick phone call. However I eventually am going to invest in soem better sound. A couple years ago I hooked up my friends computer to a receiver with 5.1 speakers. He has a rocking sub. All I did was get an adapter from Radio Shack and plugged it into his motherboard since he has integrated sound. I have a couple question though, if I hooked up an audigy to a surrond setup would the receiver mess around with surrond settings and EAX in games and sound different than if it was hooked into a quality set of computer speakers? Does the sound quality degrade by using a receiver and adapter to hook it to the jack on my sound card? I've heard Klipsch computer speakers are really good but if I'm investing that much money I might as well just have a receiver surrond sound setup instead unless there are disadvantages. Any opinions are welcome.

Aug 14, 2004, 12:48 PM	Thread Starter #5
ColdPenguin ***** goon Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 110 Rep Power: 0	Digital, like the sound card would need to have a coaxial output? Wouldn't one of the Audigy Pro's that have the breakout box work?

Aug 14, 2004, 01:04 PM	Thread Starter #7
ColdPenguin ***** goon Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 110 Rep Power: 0	okay gotcha, i'll probably end up going analog since software ac3 encoder would probably eat up processor. Thanks for taking your time to respond. Also in your opinion for pc speakers are 6.1 and 7.1 sound really much of an improvement over 5.1? I can understand the reasoning on paper for having rear 6.1 sound, but 7.1 just seems silly, and appears like it would be very hard to place\mount in a room