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Sound Card

post #1 of 16
12/12/04 at 6:45pm
Thread Starter 
I don't know a whole lot about the use of sound cards and external sound cards in laptops. I have a Technics receiver which I usually hook up to computers by using a RCA audio/stereo cable (the red/white cables) and running it from the receiver to my 9860 using a RCA splitter. (see pic below) The problem is though that using this splitter is horrible because the cables never keep in that well. The other problem is it only works by running it to the headphone jack so the sound isn't that great. I am wondering what extrnal USB sound cards out there that I could directly hook up the audio/stereo cables to? Any recommendations? I haven't done much research on it but I was looking at the Creative Sound Blaster® Audigy® 2 NX, but I couldn't tell if it has ports for audio/stereo cables.
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post #2 of 16
12/12/04 at 7:21pm
Thread Starter 
Well I now realize I probably should have just posted this in the "Other technology section". I did a little looking and found its really expensive to get something with RCA jacks. What I did find was this: http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...102-183&depa=0
My receiver has an optical port for the CD....I wonder If I can just run it through that to the soundcard I showed above? Probably just answered my own question but respond if you can ~ Kray
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post #3 of 16
12/12/04 at 8:01pm
One other thing you want to look at is whether or not you have your speaker setup correct. If you've only got your speaker setup to have 2 speakers, laptop speakers, or headphones your sound card will adjust the output to match that configuration. Also, have you tried using your SPDIF jack? This is a "digital" output jack and you can setup your output from this jack to be digital only.
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post #4 of 16
12/12/04 at 8:11pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by wranglersm
One other thing you want to look at is whether or not you have your speaker setup correct. If you've only got your speaker setup to have 2 speakers, laptop speakers, or headphones your sound card will adjust the output to match that configuration. Also, have you tried using your SPDIF jack? This is a "digital" output jack and you can setup your output from this jack to be digital only.
Right now I have two infinity bookshelf speakers and an infinity subwoofer connected to my receiver which connects to the laptop. What exactly do you mean by having my "speaker setup correct." The weird thing is that the only way I can get the Infinitys to work is if I run it through the headphone jack; I cant get any sound from the SPDIF jack....Something is wacky, I just don't know what.
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post #5 of 16
12/12/04 at 8:44pm
What OS are you using? You need to make sure you "UnMute" the SPDIF jack under your volume controls. You may need to have the SPDIF control displayed, and for that if you go to "Volume Control" --> "Options" and scroll through the list and check the SPDIF block. This should now have the "Slider" available in the volume control, and from there make sure it's not Muted. This should enable the output from that jack--it's a stereo mini jack but you should be able to make something work from that...
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post #6 of 16
12/12/04 at 9:05pm
Thread Starter 
I am just using XP.... I already went into volumer control and SPDIF is checked but it will not let me control the volume because the slider is grayed out. I dont know much about this stuff but I wonder if it can even work with an RCA splitter and RCA cables... I looked around in the Realtek SPDIF OUT section and it just gave KHZ options, no help. Well I am stuck...Any other ideas? Thanks ~Kray
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post #7 of 16
12/12/04 at 9:12pm
LOL, this is what I live for--troubleshooting!! Alright, next thing to look at--are you using the internal Realtek Card that comes with the 9860? If you are, do you have the Sound Effect program running? From there there is an SPDIF tab where you can select the output type and if there is any output at all. I also can't adjust the slider on my volume control, and since I don't have my laptop hooked up to any components all the "work" will have to be tested on your end.
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post #8 of 16
12/12/04 at 9:57pm
Thread Starter 
In my last post that is what I was doing. I am using the internal Realtek card and I already looked under the SPDIF tab in sound effects. I can select different KHZ options and I can select "no output" or "digiltal output only." nothing....I think something might be "there" cause when I click between no output and digital output I can hear clicks in my external speakers. Dude, thanks for all your help but it really isn't that big of a deal if it run it through headphones or SPDIF...the splitter just sucks. I don't really think SPDIF is designed to be ran through RCA cables is it? Cause right now its going through the RCA cables into my receiver and I dont think its made to do that... At this point I just am gunna look at getting an extermal sound card and hooking it up through an optical port..... Thanks for sticking with me though, I really appreciate help like this on the boards! ~Kray
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post #9 of 16
12/12/04 at 11:54pm
No problem, I know it can get frustrating trying to do something like what you're doing. I hate to ask this question though--are you sure you're using an SPDIF capable cable? Since SPDIF is a digital output it has a special cable, and with that you also have to have a slot on your receiver that accepts the SPDIF signal. This is also why you can't adjust the volume on your computer, since the receiver has to take the signal and decode it/amp it, just like the digital output from your DVD Player or Digital Cable/Satellite receiver. A standard stereo splitter can't handle the digital signal. The SPDIF signal is a digital 5.1 surround signal, so once you hook it up you should be good to go.
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post #10 of 16
12/13/04 at 8:32am
I used a 5690 with the digital output and it worked well. I had a Sony receiver and I used a RCA splitter cable to connect the laptop with the receiver (I think I used the red one) coaxial digital input. Then I select SPDIF in the realtek drivers and it worked. I remember I could see the red laser light when unpluging the cable.

I use a hand-made cable (2 BNC +regular cable) to hook my DVD with my reciver and
everything works fine.

I think there should be no problem with any cable.
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post #11 of 16
12/13/04 at 2:52pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by wranglersm
I hate to ask this question though--are you sure you're using an SPDIF capable cable? Since SPDIF is a digital output it has a special cable, and with that you also have to have a slot on your receiver that accepts the SPDIF signal.
Hahah...I think I made this a bit too confusing. In previous post I was saying "I don't think the RCA cables are supposed to handle the SPDIF".... I think this got confusing because I was orginally asking about using an external sound card with an "optical port". Right now I am just using the RCA splitter with RCA cables going into the CD port on my receiver (not the optical port). I have never used SPDIF so I wasn't sure how it is used and what cables are used with it but I think we were on different pages. Thanks though man...
Quote:
Originally Posted by andres
I used a 5690 with the digital output and it worked well. I had a Sony receiver and I used a RCA splitter cable to connect the laptop with the receiver (I think I used the red one) coaxial digital input. Then I select SPDIF in the realtek drivers and it worked. I remember I could see the red laser light when unpluging the cable.
This sounds interesting.... Okay walk me through it. What kind of cable can connect with the RCA splitter and then connect to the digital input on the receiver? Wouldnt that be like an RCA tip on one end and then a digtal input on the other? Maybe I am just confusing myself but if that is how it works I will be hitting up best buy! How well does it work? The problem I have with the current set up is the cables never stay in (always fall out), static, really bad sound, and I can't get the full potential of my system (like my subwoofer isn't loud at all). Would all these problems be fixed with using the digital input? Thanks ~ Kray
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post #12 of 16
12/14/04 at 12:41am
Hopefully I don't make this sound too dumb or too simplified, but basically the cable you plug in to the SPDIF "OUT" on your Sager will have to be a SPDIF compatible cable. You don't need to split the signal because the digital output from the SPDIF port has all the channels for 5.1, 6.1, 7.1, or whatever you're rated at bundled in the signal. From there you plug in to your digital input port on your receiver and let your receiver decode the separate channels and send each one to its prospective speaker. In this way you don't need to split the signal and lose sound quality--no splitter, no adapters, no left and right inputs. You may have to shop for a cable though, I've never bought one aside from the fiber optic cable for my DVD player to my receiver. I just know that with that digital signal I never have to setup my surround sound, it decodes the best setup for me automatically.
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post #13 of 16
12/14/04 at 10:53am
Quote:
Originally Posted by KRAY-zurf
I am wondering what extrnal USB sound cards out there that I could directly hook up the audio/stereo cables to? Any recommendations? I haven't done much research on it but I was looking at the Creative Sound Blaster® Audigy® 2 NX, but I couldn't tell if it has ports for audio/stereo cables.
You should check this out. I got it for $24 at newegg.com. This is an amazing little piece of equipment. The 3D sound demo alone will just blow your mind off. Think like your head is in a sphere, one of the demo features allows to move a point on the sphere which is the direction of the sound source. Wherever that point locates, you can identify that is the direction of the sound. Here is the link of the product:
http://www.turtlebeach.com/site/prod...roducthome.asp
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post #14 of 16
12/14/04 at 12:34pm
Be sure to do your homework when selecting an external sound card for laptops, especially USB. Some of them can really gank your framerates in games since the CPU is taking so much to operate the USB through the OS. That PCMCIA one from Creative looks interesting, although I haven't seen any reviews of it as of yet.
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post #15 of 16
12/14/04 at 12:41pm
Here's a pretty good spec of the Audigy showing all the stuff you can jack into it.

http://www.soundblaster.com/products/audigy2NX/
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post #16 of 16
12/14/04 at 4:00pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks guys~ I am all ahead of ya!
Quote:
Originally Posted by icehot
You should check this out. I got it for $24 at newegg.com. This is an amazing little piece of equipment.
Thanks icehot, I did check out that review. They mainly concentrate on portability which Isn't my thing with this 9860 . In the review they talked about it distorting base (if I remember reading it correctly) and I need something that brings out my Infinity subwoofer!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colin Dean
Be sure to do your homework when selecting an external sound card for laptops, especially USB. Some of them can really gank your framerates in games since the CPU is taking so much to operate the USB through the OS. That PCMCIA one from Creative looks interesting, although I haven't seen any reviews of it as of yet.
Good point...not sure exactly how I would figuire out which ones would steal from game play. Just from reviews? I have looked throughly through the ones made by Sound Blast. I asked for either the PCMCIA or the USB one for Christmas.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Freakizoid
Here's a pretty good spec of the Audigy showing all the stuff you can jack into it.
Yes! I found it a few days ago. It is a very helpful page.
Basically I was orignally looking for an external sound card that had RCA outputs. Then a little birdie whispered something about SPDIF.... I then realized I have digital inputs for CD players on my receiver. So now I was trying to find a card that had digital outputs. Both the Sound Blaster cards I was looking out do (to my knowledge) and I am hoping to find one under the tree!
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