Can't get sb Live5.1 surround to work.

[Bass]

Hi there, I have a sb-live5.1 and a Boston Accoustics BA6000 system. I think I must be V dumb, becasue I can't work out how to get the 5.1 to work!

The BA6000 has an optical input and a digital coax.

At the moment I have the BA hooked up by coax to a mini-jack adaptor plugged into the SB5.1's digital-out socket. All the options in XP and creative control centre are set to 5.1 but This doesn't give me surround, only 2 channel digital.

The same coax from my DVD player TO ba6000 runs 5.1 mode fine!

How do I rig this SBlaster thing up!??

Thanks!

 

[daveppeters]

I just read a review about the new Klipsch speakers that mentions this, but can't remember where! (Sorry) Anyway, from what I understand, the digital output on the Soundblaster Live! is only two channel. According to the article I read, the only chipset capable of outputting digital 5.1 in realtime is the nforce2. In order to get full 5.1 sound from your Live!, you will need to use the analog outputs.

Hope this helps!

 

[Bass]

Thanks Dave, that does help.

Is there such a thing as a "3-way analog mini-jack to coax" cable?

There must be some way for people to hook a live5.1 up to a regular home theatre 5.1 system?

 

[daveppeters]

I don't know of one. The only way I know to hook it up is to connect to the analog inputs of your stereo (if you have them!). Also, I believe that if you play a dvd, it will pass full 5.1 through the digital output, it just won't give 5.1 for games, etc.

 

[Bass]

uhoh, the BA6000 only has a digital input (the usual rca coax) and an optical.
So I guess my SB card is not compatible?

What if I upgraded to an Audigy2, or something similar?

I only want the surround for my games which do 5.1, since I don't play DVD's on the PC.

Thanks for your help!

 

[daveppeters]

What if I upgraded to an Audigy2, or something similar?

Here are the options I can suggest (others may have different opinions)

1. Upgrade your motherboard - choose a board that uses the Nvidia NForce2 chipset (it is the only sound controller currently on the market capable of encoding dolby 5.1 and sending it to the digital output). Make sure the motherboard uses the nvidia soundstorm technology from the nforce2 chipset - some mobo's use a Realtek or C-Media sound controller and bypass the feature on the nforce2. The ASUS A7N8X Deluxe is a great motherboard!

2. Buy new 5.1 speakers - make sure they have analog inputs. Examples include the Klipsch Promedia 5.1 (NOT new the GMX D-5.1), the Cambridge SoundWorks DeskTop Theater 5.1 DTT3500 Digital, or the Creative Inspire 5.1 Series

I hope this helps - this is what I would do (If I had the money!! )

 

[Bass]

nForce looks pretty good! I wonder if theres a version for socket 478 p4's??


My current spec for this puter:

P4 2.53 @ 2.8 on a cold day.
Gigabyte mobo
512 DDR
Leadtek A280LTED (ti4200)
MSI Cdrw
sb live!value 5.1 LE
Boston Accoustics BA6000

I'd like to keep everything excpet the mobo and sb if I got a nForce.

(Ps. In case you wonder WHY I have a P4 - It's 40c in the shade during the summer here... Athlons run too hot! )

 

[daveppeters]

I know what you mean about it being hot - I used to live just above you in Papua New Guinea! btw - what part of Australia are you in?

Concerning the board, the nforce2 chipset is only for AMD processors, so if you don't want to go the athlon route (although you could use water cooling!), you might have to replace the speakers.

PS - I forgot to mention the Logitech Z-680 Speakers in my last post.

*** EDIT*** I just thought of something - what kind of control box do you have for those speakers? I checked the Boston Acoustics website and couldn't find them. (The only info I found is on the Gateway Computers website - is your computer a Gateway?) The reason I ask is because if your control has options for different sound (pro-logic, standard, etc) - you might be able to use those to get the sound you want (ie - the speakers would have a built in 5.1 encoder)

 

[Bass]

Thanks Dave!
I’m in New South Wales – North of Sydney. Been here before?
I guess it was an exaggeration to imply that every day in summer is 40c hereÂ… only some of them. BTW, I thought you didnÂ’t need cpu fans in Suffolk

The BA6000 is pretty basic in its controls. Pro-logic is auto sensing, and thereÂ’s an option to let you force a 5.1 stream to output as 2-channel+subÂ… IÂ’ve pressed this button MANY times hoping that it was the cause :?

I wish I got z-680Â’s. You know, I got the BAÂ’s only 2 weeks before z-680 release date over here because I was too impatient!

Best option now (no nForce) is probably to sell the BA for something with analogue 5.1 inputs. One more Q: If I got a more high-end decoder such as a NAD or Marantz, what sort of connections would I need to plug into the SB? A stereo minijack adaptor connected to a mono RCA?.. I just KNOW the bloke at the hi-fi shop wonÂ’t know the answer!

Thanks,
Chris

 

[daveppeters]

I've been to Sydney when I was very young. As for needing CPU fans in Suffolk - if I ran my system outside, it would be fine, but being the cold-blooded tropical boy that I am, I try to keep the house pretty warm!!

One more Q: If I got a more high-end decoder such as a NAD or Marantz, what sort of connections would I need to plug into the SB? A stereo minijack adaptor connected to a mono RCA?.. I just KNOW the bloke at the hi-fi shop wonÂ’t know the answer!

If you can run the speakers from an A/V Receiver, that might be the way to go. This support page from Creative should answer all your questions. Creative Labs Tech Support (Choose "Non Creative Speakers" Link)