i want to hook up my 5.1 avr to my asus motherboard with an optical cable?

my question is what do i need to play my games in 5.1 through my avr and motherboard through the optical connection? also will this sound better than my anolog 5.1 through my xfi card? i guess using an optical connection will give me dolby digital. thanks guys!

my question is what do i need to play my games in 5.1 through my avr and motherboard through the optical connection? also will this sound better than my anolog 5.1 through my xfi card? i guess using an optical connection will give me dolby digital. thanks guys!

gregdpw

What if I get the z-5500 system and use the optical with that? I currently have the z-5300. gregdpw

Will I get Dolby digital when I play my games with the z5500?gregdpw

I shouldn't loose any sound quality right going into the mobo?gregdpw

[QUOTE="gregdpw"]I shouldn't loose any sound quality right going into the mobo?C_Rule

If your motherboard did not come with Dolby Digital Live! or DTS Connect, you will not get any surround sound via optical/digital connection. Optical cannot pass through loseless 5.1, only compressed 5.1. DDL and DTS-C mix all audio into a DD/DTS signal and send it to the receiver. Creative sells licenses for DDL and DTS-C but I believe those work only for their sound cards with digital outputs.

That said, I prefer 3 or 4 RCA cables from the sound card to the receiver. With digital you lose all the bells and whistles the sound card has. Digital bypasses all of the good stuff and goes straight to the receiver for it to decode the signal instead of the sound card. If you have an optical connection and either of the encoding softwares, then it won't make the slightest difference if its onboard DD or sound card DD. Same for DTS. A

I will take a dedicated sound card over onboard anyday. The SQ is a huge difference when the analog jacks are used. Onboard has weak DACs and just very low quality in general compared to sound cards. Plus, analog with 3-4 RCA cables to the receiver provides uncompressed surround sound, which is better than the compressed signals imo.

If your motherboard did not come with Dolby Digital Live! or DTS Connect, you will not get any surround sound via optical/digital connection. Optical cannot pass through loseless 5.1, only compressed 5.1. DDL and DTS-C mix all audio into a DD/DTS signal and send it to the receiver. Creative sells licenses for DDL and DTS-C but I believe those work only for their sound cards with digital outputs.

That said, I prefer 3 or 4 RCA cables from the sound card to the receiver. With digital you lose all the bells and whistles the sound card has. Digital bypasses all of the good stuff and goes straight to the receiver for it to decode the signal instead of the sound card. If you have an optical connection and either of the encoding softwares, then it won't make the slightest difference if its onboard DD or sound card DD. Same for DTS. A

I will take a dedicated sound card over onboard anyday. The SQ is a huge difference when the analog jacks are used. Onboard has weak DACs and just very low quality in general compared to sound cards. Plus, analog with 3-4 RCA cables to the receiver provides uncompressed surround sound, which is better than the compressed signals imo.

I just got a sound blaster xfi titianium card. It has an optical. So when I get the z5500 speaker system I can plug into the card. And that why I don't have to buy a new avr and have it take up a lot of room in my computer room. gregdpw

Yeah I know. But I have been wanting the z5500 speakers for a while now. Right now I have the z5300 and my sub is about one inch away from my pc. It's been like that for three years now. Can I still place the z5500 subwoofer an inch away from my pc?gregdpw

[QUOTE="gregdpw"]Yeah I know. But I have been wanting the z5500 speakers for a while now. Right now I have the z5300 and my sub is about one inch away from my pc. It's been like that for three years now. Can I still place the z5500 subwoofer an inch away from my pc?C_Rule

I just got a sound blaster xfi titianium card. It has an optical. So when I get the z5500 speaker system I can plug into the card. And that why I don't have to buy a new avr and have it take up a lot of room in my computer room. gregdpw

I would've gotten an Auzentech X-Fi Forte or Bravura over a Creative card. I despise Creative's drivers. I find the Auzentech ones provide much less of a headache. But the difference would've only been noticeable if you used some quality headphones, in which case the Auzentech wipes the floor with Creative. Should've spent a little extra and got the new Titanium HD over the regular titanium/titanium fatal1ty.

As for the speakers, I would really suggest getting this Onkyo HTIB over the Logitech. It's a better deal by far.