Help! How to get digital audio from mobo?

[MunsterAbu]

I am about to order a pre-built system with a Gigabyte H81M-D2V (product page).

I did a lot of googling but I can't find the answer to this audio question: is there a cable that will take 5.1 digital audio from the motherboard directly to an optical or coaxial digital input on my receiver? The only audio outputs on the motherboard appear to be headphone-jack-type (see bottom right of this image).

Thanks!

 

[MunsterAbu]

You will need to put in a sound card that has optical output.

Thanks for the quick reply but are you sure?

The audio section of the motherboard spec says:

1. Realtek® ALC887 codec
2. High Definition Audio
3. 2/4/5.1/7.1-channel
* To configure 7.1-channel audio, you have to use an HD front panel audio module and enable the multi-channel audio feature through the audio driver.

Surely there must be a way to get that sweet 5.1 digital audio out of there without adding a sound card?

 

[MunsterAbu]

I thought the question was to get it to a optical output.

to an optical or coaxial digital input on my receiver?

Either optical or coaxial would do. I am doing lots of googling to try to figure it out. Do I need the motherboard to support SPDIF out? Are the "HD Audio" jacks in the image above capable of SPDIF out?

(Sorry if the above is nonsense - I am trying to wrap my head around how this stuff works. Any help would be much appreciated! )

 

[MasterDell]

Correct me if I am wrong but is SPDIF just a branded version of optical out? I run my 5.1 from my computer. I have my receiver which all of my speakers connect to and then I either use Chrome Cast or a Monster 3.5mm audio jack and then plug it into my motherboard.

 

[MunsterAbu]

Thanks for the input.

I have had a look at the motherboard manual and I think I see two potential solutions:

1. Analog
It looks to me that I could get 5.1 out of the three audio jacks on the back of the motherboard. In this configuation, Line In, Line Out and Mic transform into Front, Rear and Centre/Sub. I presume I could use headphone jack to RCA cables (as linked by anonymous1) to go from motherboard to receiver. Would this give me decent audio quality?

2. Digital
I also discovered that the motherboard has an internal SPDIF that can be used if I add a SPDIF Out module. That would be better, right? Wouldn't that give me perfect digital out for the the DAC in my Onkyo to handle? That would work for games too, right?

I reckon I am close to having this figured out. Any help that gets me over the line would be great. Thanks!

 

[MasterDell]

Thanks for the input.

I have had a look at the motherboard manual and I think I see two potential solutions:

1. Analog
It looks to me that I could get 5.1 out of the three audio jacks on the back of the motherboard. In this configuation, Line In, Line Out and Mic transform into Front, Rear and Centre/Sub. I presume I could use headphone jack to RCA cables (as linked by anonymous1) to go from motherboard to receiver. Would this give me decent audio quality?

2. Digital
I also discovered that the motherboard has an internal SPDIF that can be used if I add a SPDIF Out module. That would be better, right? Wouldn't that give me perfect digital out for the the DAC in my Onkyo to handle? That would work for games too, right?

I reckon I am close to having this figured out. Any help that gets me over the line would be great. Thanks!

I would definitely go for option 2.

 

[MunsterAbu]

I would definitely go for option 2.

Thanks. I have read though that the SPDIF option will not give me surround audio in games unless the motherboard has DTS Connect or Dolby Digital Live as a feature (this encodes the analog 5.1 into DTS or Dolby for transmission over SPDIF to the receiver). Does anyone have any experience of using DTS Connect or Dolby Digital Live?

 

[MasterDell]

I would definitely go for option 2.

Thanks. I have read though that the SPDIF option will not give me surround audio in games unless the motherboard has DTS Connect or Dolby Digital Live as a feature (this encodes the analog 5.1 into DTS or Dolby for transmission over SPDIF to the receiver). Does anyone have any experience of using DTS Connect or Dolby Digital Live?

Not sure if it will help but it's worth a shot, go to avsforum.com those guy are really good with audio setups.

 

[MunsterAbu]

Not sure if it will help but it's worth a shot, go to avsforum.com those guy are really good with audio setups.

Good call. Will do. Thanks.