Quick Question...

[ionicle]

on my sound, coming out of my pc, i have a green jack, that splits into a red/black phono cable, which i then plug into my amp, which is a sony STR-K740P

which then gets played out through the 5.1 souround sound

but

if its just coming from the green jack, is it true souround sound?

or am i just getting very good quality sterio?

i am using onboard audio on an Asus A8N SLI-Premium, which has six jacks on the back, blue, pink, green, black, orange, and white/grey

any comments/sugestions would be apreciated

its not somthing thats particually bothering me, sounds good...but yeah, just summet that could sound better....

 

[Ham]

3.5mm to phono = stereo, yes.

Assuming your amp is 5.1 you'd be better off wiring it properly, but this will only effect true 5.1 sources like DVDs. Everything else is synthesised (for want of a better term) into 5.1.

 

[ionicle]

after having a look on the back of my amp

the only visible inputs is optical, and phono

and my motherboard doesnt output optical...

so unless i get a soundcard, is there a 5.1 into red/black lead that would retain the 5.1 sound?

EDIT: and even if i did get it optical

the six options on the front of the amp (Vid1, Vid2, DVD, MD/tape, cd, tuner) are all phono

so if i plugged in an optical lead, how would i select it?

 

[Ham]

Im assuming that the signal coming out the PC is entirely analogue now, as your using the standard green 3.5 socket and not fiddled with anything?

Quick google and looking at the manual to get a true 5.1 you need to use the 'multi ch in' phono plugs on the receiver.

You'll need 3 3.5mm -> Phono leads. One for fronts, one for rears and one for center/sub

Again, according to the manual you press the 'Multi CH IN' button and it will reproduce from the correct source.

Grab a test utility and give it a full run through before changing anything though. From reading this if you've got a digital, multichannel format coming from a single jack then you might not need to change anything.

Only problem might be how smart the onboard decoder is. But then there's even a light on the unit that tells you if its doing that.

 

[ionicle]

there is no multi chanel in button :S

presuming you mean on the amp

ang on

pics uploading

input mode is set to analogue

the other options are:

auto in

coax in

so..?

EDIT: pics:

 

[Ham]

Ok, looks like you've got the lower model which dosn't have the easymode.

Does yours have 6 phono plugs on the back labled Multi CH IN, under the antenna and optical ports?

 

[ionicle]

sigh

and nope it doesnt

not that i can see...

 

[Ham]

Ok well if the source can output a digital signal, it looks like you could get away with the set up you have now. Using the DVD/LD and VIDEO 2 inputs on the back. But I don't know if onboard sound chips are capable of that. I wouldn't have thought so but you never know.

The other options are just optical and coax wich you say you dont have...

Grab some test software which test each channel individually, and make sure the sound is configured to 5.1 on the PC and test. If the tests come out in the right speakers dont worry.

 

[ionicle]

i tried the asus software

right and left front are okay

but it seems to only have four, or six speakers, not five..

i modded the equilizer a bit, and now it sounds better

so that will do me for now until i get a better amp i guess...

 

[Ham]

Thats 'cos there are 6 speakers in a 5.1 set up

 

[ionicle]

ahh

didnt think of it like that

shal try it shortly

EDIT:

front right comes up as front left

front left comes up as front right

rear right, left, and center, and sub dont work at all aparantly..

 

[Ham]

Heh, swap the phonos around to get right and left the correct way round to start.

As far as i can see your going to either need a Dolby sound card, an optical cable or coax cable if you want fully fledged 5.1 with that amp.

I spied a cheapish card with an optical out the other day. cant remember for the life of me what one now though...

 

[FarFarAway]

For a start if the AMP is outputting to all your speakers it will be Dolby Pro Logic, not true surround sound so you'd need to set your AMP to that.

Secondly I'd suggest either your speakers are wired incorrectly or the Phono leads are in the wrong way

 

[ionicle]

speakers are the right way

and so are the phono leads

i'll swap the phono leads around so they're the wrong way, one sec

 

[Ham]

Even if the phono colours are right, its possible that the jack isn't wired right on the other end. It really dons't matter, just swap em .

 

[ionicle]

ahha

swapped

fixed

but still no 5.1

still sounds like it though

when you turn the sub up

it sounds right...

so i dunno

maybe the amp is taking it in, and then attempting to split it off into 5.1 itself...

whatever its doing, it works pretty well

 

[FarFarAway]

It's called Dolby Pro Logic and it's a way of making stereo sound like surround

 

[ionicle]

it does a pretty good job

but because thats i spose, all i've ever heard, i wouldnt know any better