Dolby Digital & Z-5500

[kyle1234]

If I hook up my Logitech Z-5500 to an Asus Xonar DX sound card, will I be able to output Dolby Digital via an optical connection. As in, I want the reciever to say "Effect: Dolby Digital" when using an optical connection to the Xonar DX.

 

[MEgamer]

yes, just select the output in the asus xonar audio centre to SPDIF.

 

[gamerk316]

Yes, if you connect via SPDIF, you will be able to pass through audio encoded in Dolby Digital format.

I also recommend using Dolby Digital Live to encode all audio to Dolby Digital in realtime, so you can get 5.1 in all cases, and not just for tracks already encoded in Dolby Digital.

 

[kyle1234]

Thanks! That's what I figured, but just wanted to make sure. Now just trying to decide if the DX is the card I want 😉

 

[gamerk316]

^^ Its not useless. Its not the best possible audio experiance [which will ALWAYS be analog], but it is the easiest way to get 5.1 from the PC, due to Dolby Digital Live support.

 

[kyle1234]

So, if I connect using analog, will I get Dolby Digital or DTS support (assuming the media source is encoded as such)? This is where I get confused - to my understanding, in order to get Dolby Digital or DTS you need to hook up via digital. Currently with a dedicated sound card, the Z-5500 does not show "Dolby Digital" being used when I hook it up digital to the mobo, but now it will if I hook it up to an enabled soundcard, right? So won't it be worth it? Would I notice a difference between the 5.1 analog of my onboard Realtek (forgot what model the mobo uses) versus 5.1 analog of the DX?

 

[MEgamer]

Lol what the value of the soundcard when its just passes the encoding on to a other device to do it. So you paid over a 100usd for thing that's doing a job the onboard mobo couldve done.
people buy a soundcard to use its dac which is better than the onboards am I right? So what's its use then if you use a digital connection for it? And no if you didn't hook up the digital connection to the dvd drive that won't happen

whats the use then if you use digital connection for it?

onboard cannot output in dolby and dts streams, thats one main reason why people buy cheap soundcard with dolby and dts encoding support.

a mobo does the same thing as a soundcard in the analogue section but a soundcard retains higher quality, processing is also faster, so bass sounds a lot more brutal with authority and the highs are silkier.

the 2 points i listed above are purely the reason why people buy a soundcard.

 

[kyle1234]

Are you saying that it will be better to use 5.1 analog from the sound card and select "6 channel direct" as the effect option on the z-5500 rather than hooking up via the digital out on the sound card and using "Dolby Digital and/or DTS" as the effect on the Z-5500?

Sorry for such stupid questions. I have read form after form on this, but I still get confused.


Kyle

 

[MEgamer]

stick to the analogue, the DAC on the z-5500 suck.

 

[gamerk316]

For audio, analog > digital. Always.

Now, because you hook up via analog, decoding of dolby audio will be done by whatever software you are using [Windows Media Player, etc] as opposed by the Z-5500's.

I disagree with MEGamer though. Yes, even though Digital is worse then analog for audio, you still get the benifits of the extra technologies and audio processing a decent soundcard provides as opposed to using an onboard chipset with an optical output.

 

[MEgamer]

yes... BUT i was specifically was on about the DAC< and not the extra techs it has.

 

[kyle1234]

What's the point then of the digital out on the sound card if using the analog will be better? Where there be a time where I would would want to use the digital over the analog? Would it be for people who have a better speaker set & reciever?

 

[kyle1234]

Digital means the conversion will be done by the device connected at the other end. That means the speakers or the receiver.

Then why do my z-5500s not show "dolby digital" when watching movies with my digital output from my mobo (the only dolby option i can currently choose is PLII)? Wouldn't the z-5500 be doing the conversion to dolby?

 

[MEgamer]

Then why do my z-5500s not show "dolby digital" when watching movies with my digital output from my mobo (the only dolby option i can currently choose is PLII)? Wouldn't the z-5500 be doing the conversion to dolby?

PLII upmixes teh stereo into 5.1 channels, the onboard sound chipsets, cannot encode to dolby digital files, so therefore they can only output 2.0 LPCM.

 

[kyle1234]

Thanks to everyone for all the responses. It's all making sense now. I currently hook my PS3 up to the Z-5500s via optical when I watch movies. Based on what you all have said, would it be right to say that if I were to watch movies on my PC with a new sound card (rather than watching on the PS3), that I will have better sound since I would have the PC hooked up analog from the sound card to the Z-5500s, whch means that the card is doing the processing, but the Z-5500s are doing the processing when I watch movies on my PS3 since it is hooked up optical?

 

[kyle1234]

Thanks, Dadiggle. I'm in a college dorm right now, so I do not have the space/money for a reciever a speaker system, which is why I settled for the Z-5500s. I will definatley keep the Yamaha in mind though for when I graduate in a few months and can upgrade to a better system!

 

[gamerk316]

Thanks to everyone for all the responses. It's all making sense now. I currently hook my PS3 up to the Z-5500s via optical when I watch movies. Based on what you all have said, would it be right to say that if I were to watch movies on my PC with a new sound card (rather than watching on the PS3), that I will have better sound since I would have the PC hooked up analog from the sound card to the Z-5500s, whch means that the card is doing the processing, but the Z-5500s are doing the processing when I watch movies on my PS3 since it is hooked up optical?

Essentially, yes.

For the digital connection from the PS3, technically, the audio for a movie is already encoded in Dolby Digital format, so all the Z-5500's are doing is decoding the audio, then playing it back.

For the analog connection from the PC, the soundcard is doing its audio processing, then outputting the signal. The Z-5500's do nothing but play back whatever audio signal is sent to them.

 

[kyle1234]

Best answer selected by kyle1234.