The first option is to connect the sound card digitally.
Advantages:
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better Klang, than with analog Connection
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Only one cable is required
Disadvantages:
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EAX cannot be encoded
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With music, games and when setting up the boxes, you only have stereo
The second option is to connect the sound card analog.
It depends on the sound card how many channels you can use. (Example: The Audigy2 is a 6.1 card and can therefore output 7 analog channels; The Audigy2-ZS is a 7.1 card and can output 8 analog channels. But more on that later...)
Advantages:
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Multi-channel in music and games
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Decoding of EAX possible
Disadvantages:
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Several cables instead of one
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Worse sound than digital
Digital connection:
The digital connection can be implemented via the following connections (not every sound card has these connections):
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Via the optical digital output (Toslink). Here, a fiber optic cable at Receiver connected to the optical digital input.
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Via the coaxial digital output (coax). Here the coaxial cable (looks like a monocinch cable) is connected to the digital coax input on the receiver, whereby a normal one is also used here Cinch-Cable can take.
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If the sound card has a digital 3,5mm Klinke output, you can connect it with a 3,5mm jack to mono cinch cable. Or a cable from 3,5mm jack to 2x cinch (in which case only one cinch cable is connected to the coax in on the receiver). If the receiver does not have a suitable digital input, or if it is occupied, there are converters from optical to coax (and vice versa).
It can transmit stereo or a compressed one Signal (how Dolby Digital and DTS). With some sound cards you have to activate the digital output in the software.
If you now want to transfer the sound from DVDs digitally, you have toDVD-Player in the settings under audio S / PDIF switch so that the player transmits the signal correctly. In addition, with some sound cards it is necessary to set whether the sound card should decode the signal.
Otherwise the signal would only be transmitted analog or it would become an external one Decoder (Receiver) forwarded. This process is called "pass-through".
The sound card thus receives the digital signal and switches accordingly, e.g. B. to Dolby Digital.
Contents
Analog connection:
With this connection, the card decodes itself. This means that you have an analog output with DVDs and, if you connect it accordingly and set it in the software, you get multi-channel music and games. You need a 6-Channel-Input (5.1) or an 8-channel input (For 6.1 or 7.1).
Depending on the sound card, there are several outputs in the form of 3,5 mm jacks (mini jacks) on the sound card. From there you go to the system with a cable from 3,5mm jack to 2x cinch. Each cable transmits 2 channels (although there are exceptions, such as the Audigy2 series).
With a 5.1 sound card that has 3 outputs, this means that one cable transmits the front channel right and left. The 2nd transmits the left and right rear channels and the third transmits the center and center channels Subwoofer.
Once everything is connected, you select in the software or in the corresponding option of the PC operating system that 5.1 loudspeakers are connected.
Thus, you can also use 5.1 channel transmission for games that support it.
If you only connect the sound card analog, but want to watch DVDs and have the sound playback via the system, you have toDVDplayer (such as PowerDVD or WinDVD) under the settings for "Audio" set that 6 speakers (5.1), 7 speakers (6.1) or 8 speakers (7.1) are connected.
The loudspeakers have to be leveled by the software on the sound card so that they all play at the same volume. The receiver only amplifies the signal and passes it on to the speakers. Again, this works differently for each sound card. If you do NOT have a 6-channel or 8-channel input on the system, you are left with the transmission of an analogue stereo signal. This is e.g. B. am CD-In o. Ä. Connected, if you still have this free. Here, too, the connection would be from a 3,5mm jack (sound card) to 2x cinch (receiver). The signal can now be polished up by the receiver using a surround mode. Which surround modes you use for this is up to you. There is e.g. B. Dolby ProLogic, ProLogic 7, etc.
Analogue and digital connection:
If you don't want to do without the spatial sound for games and music, but for DVDs you do Ton output digitally so that the receiver decodes, you also have the option of connecting both. You need separate analogue and digital outputs for this. The card has a 3,5mm jack connector that is used for both analog and digital output:
Here you have to go to the appropriate exit Adapter (better an adapter cable, because the outputs are close together and you could have space problems because an adapter is wider than an adapter cable), from 3,5 jack to 2x 3,5 jack. So you can then use the digital and analog output. The receiver has separate outputs.
With some, a "ground loop" can occur if you connect the sound card analog via a digital coax cable. Here you either have to resort to an optical cable if you can, or you have to disconnect one of the two connections when not in use.
With some sound cards you always have to switch, since they can either output analog or via S/PDIF. However, this is only the case with some sound cards.
Creative SoundBlaster Audigy2 and Creative Audigy2 Platinum:
Audigy2:
The digital output can be done via the digital 3,5mm jack output on the back of the card.
Audigy2 Platinum:
The digital output can be done via the digital 3,5mm jack output on the back of the card, via the coax output on the additional module or via the optical output on the additional module.
Both:
- Both cards can be used at the same time analogue and digital be connected. However, attention must be paid to so-called ground loops (see above, penultimate paragraph).
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If the sound is to be transmitted digitally on DVDs, the card must be told that the signal should be forwarded. System control > AudioHQ > Device control > Decoder Here, the lowest point "SPDIF Passthrough (Dolby Digital / DTS Digital Out) (note: external decoder required) - must be selected. In addition, it must be selected in the audio settings of the software DVD player that the card outputs digitally (digital output or S/PDIF, for example). The card now sends the digital signals to the receiver, which then encodes them. With the same setting, multi-channel games are also transmitted. It has nothing to do with this attitude.
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If the card is to be connected analogously, this can be done via the three analog outputs on the back of the card. One transmits the FR+FL, another the RR+RL and the third the center+sub. These can be connected to the 6-channel input or 8-channel input of the receiver with a suitable adapter (see above).
Creative Soundblaster Audigy2-ZS (and Platinum, Platinum Pro):
The settings of the ZS are exactly the same as those of the "normal" 2 version.
Digital Edition:
Audigy2-ZS: The digital output can be done via the digital 3,5mm jack output on the back of the card.
Audigy2-ZS Platinum/Platinum Pro: The digital output can be done via the digital 3,5mm jack output on the back of the card. You can also use the coaxial digital or the optical digital output on the internal/external (Platinum/Platinum Pro) I/O module.
Analog output:
If you now want to connect a 7.1 system analog, you need the following: 1 cable from 3,5mm jack to 2x cinch (cable 1) and 2 cables from 3.mm jack (4-pin) to 3x cinch (cable 2).
Line out 1 jack: Front Left (FL), Front Right (FR)
Line Out 2 jack: Rear Left (RL), Rear Right (RR) and Surround Back Right (SBR)
Line Out 3 Jack: Center (CEN), Subwoofer (SUB), and Surround Back Left (SBL)
"Cable 2" is used for line-out sockets 3+2, and "cable 1" is used for line-out socket 1.
If you want to connect a 6.1 system analog, you need “cable 1” on line-out sockets 2 and 1 and “cable 3” only on line-out socket 2. The 7th channel is then also transmitted in the 3rd line-out socket.
IMPORTANT
If you have a 6.1 or 7.1 receiver, you will of course wonder how you can get the 7th channel out in order to use 6.1. Creative has come up with something here. You need a cable that goes from 3,5mm jack (4-pin) to 3x cinch. The output for Center+Sub only outputs 3 channels with a normal 2-pin mini-jack cable, for Center+Sub. If you now connect the cable, which has a 4-pin mini jack plug, the card transmits via this center + sub + back center. This is how you get the 7th channel. The 4th pole is for grounding. This cable can be ordered from Creative.
The usual colors of the sound card connectors on simple sound cards:
Microphone input pink or red
Line out/headphones/speakers light green
Line in: blue