I've recently upgraded my computer and as an indirect result, lost the good old NForce2 SoundStorm chip. Anyways, the old motherboard had a built-in SPDIF out, but the new motherboard doesn't.
It DOES however have a pin header for SPDIF (and I have a pinout for it, so I know the individual signal lines). I suspect that it's 5V TTL, though I don't absolutely know for certain. Now this particular built-in audio is Realtek's AC97 Codec, which I've read so-so things about, though haven't really tried it.
Right now, I'm using an M-Audio Transit for my SPDIF out needs, but I'm not happy with the driver/UI (I have to switch between PCM Out and DD/DTS pass through).
What I REALLY want is to just pass through all of my digital audio (either PCM or DD/DTS) to my receiver/decoder, regardless of bit depth or sampling frequency and without me having to switch something in software.
Now look around at circuits to convert the RealTek's possible TTL output into a 0.5 Vp-p signal or should I look into some USB to SPDIF chip?
BTW, I have no PCI slots available for sound cards, so there's no easy solution like dropping in an Envy24-based soundcard.
Any and all suggestions will be appreciated,
Thanks,
-Sthayashi
It DOES however have a pin header for SPDIF (and I have a pinout for it, so I know the individual signal lines). I suspect that it's 5V TTL, though I don't absolutely know for certain. Now this particular built-in audio is Realtek's AC97 Codec, which I've read so-so things about, though haven't really tried it.
Right now, I'm using an M-Audio Transit for my SPDIF out needs, but I'm not happy with the driver/UI (I have to switch between PCM Out and DD/DTS pass through).
What I REALLY want is to just pass through all of my digital audio (either PCM or DD/DTS) to my receiver/decoder, regardless of bit depth or sampling frequency and without me having to switch something in software.
Now look around at circuits to convert the RealTek's possible TTL output into a 0.5 Vp-p signal or should I look into some USB to SPDIF chip?
BTW, I have no PCI slots available for sound cards, so there's no easy solution like dropping in an Envy24-based soundcard.
Any and all suggestions will be appreciated,
Thanks,
-Sthayashi
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=67247
there are more options like using a torx174 or 176
Infact a lot of motherboards come with a separate slot adapter wich converts the TTL levels to optical and 'real' spdif signals.
stuff like this:
there are more options like using a torx174 or 176
Infact a lot of motherboards come with a separate slot adapter wich converts the TTL levels to optical and 'real' spdif signals.
stuff like this:
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
There is in my opinion absolute no advantage in using usb as spdif output.
USB audio out can be a litle cleaner because of a lesser hf interference.
But the use the same crappy supply.
Same problems with ground levels / loops
USB can be an extra bottle neck when it comes to a constant soundstream.
onboard and pci cards are more direct and easier to approach by the software.
USB audio out can be a litle cleaner because of a lesser hf interference.
But the use the same crappy supply.
Same problems with ground levels / loops
USB can be an extra bottle neck when it comes to a constant soundstream.
onboard and pci cards are more direct and easier to approach by the software.
Rest assured I'm giving serious consideration to assemblying the circuit that Katapum has assembled.seoman said:
My motherboard didn't come with the separate slot adapter (it's sold separately). Though I have a slight problem in that I don't have any spare case slots (my case has the same number of slots as my motherboard has PCI slots, no more). I was planning to either drill a hole in my case or go through one of the spare fan holes to get out to where I need.
The Torx179 looks very interesting and for <$5 USD, I could certainly do a lot worse. Judging from the specs it looks as though I could wire it directly to my motherboard's S/PDIF connector directly without any real need for resistors (or perhaps just a token current limiting resistor).
I'd love to. Can you point me to one?hagtech said:
The M-Audio Transit I have (a theoretical USB->S/PDIF converter) has an unfortunate fatal flaw. It will either pass-through DD/DTS or playback audio, depending on the device settings. That means that if I want to switch from listening to music to watching a DVD, I have to open up the device settings, switch from "PCM Out" to "Dolby/DTS Pass-Through" before it will work. This gets amazingly annoying quickly. So if you could recommend a USB-> S/PDIF device that can just plain pass through both PCM and DD/DTS without me having to switch it would be appreciated.
All-in-all I don't care about analog out. PCM (16 or 24-bit), Dolby Digital and DTS are all I really care about. As such, I'm not too worried about typical analog problems, such as ground loops (the computer and the receiver are both chassis grounded together anyways). I'm looking into decent power supplies as well, but the current one is a trusted manufacturer where the Vreg is no more than +/- 5%, which is good enough for digital.
Since I have background with circuits, I'm not afraid to build anything, though I'd still like to go with the easiest route. I guess I just want to make sure that I go down a path where I don't have stupid drivers attempting to resample my digital output.
Well, I tried bouncing from DVD back to CD to see what happened to the HAGUSB. But most of the DVDs didn't even play (wrong video decoder). Don't remember what software I had, came stock with my IBM laptop.
But one DVD with DTS & DD played. Audio came out at 44.1k. I know this, because my CHIME only locks to redbook.
Can bounce between 48k computer noises to audio CD without any dialog boxes. It just spits out the right thing. Windows media player does not upsample the CD to 48k.
jh
But one DVD with DTS & DD played. Audio came out at 44.1k. I know this, because my CHIME only locks to redbook.
Can bounce between 48k computer noises to audio CD without any dialog boxes. It just spits out the right thing. Windows media player does not upsample the CD to 48k.
jh
It sounds like he played a DTS disc and got the decoded 44.1 kHz output from his computer via the DVD software. Of course, not to be confused with DTS pass through, which as you say would only work at 48 kHz. The only way to check if you can pass DTS / DD through is to connect the spdif out to an external decoder.
So here's what I'm thinking about doing.
First:
1) Purchase a Totx 179(pdf) and rig up a connection between my Realtek SPDIF output and this connector, and pray it works.
2) Failing that, purchase either a) an Optoplay or b) a HagUSB.
3) Curse a lot and shell out the money for an M-Audio Audiophile, knowing that I'm really not taking any advantage of its more expensive features (e.g. high quality DAC etc).
4) Curse even more, and design my own circuit using a USB interface chip and an overpowered Audio Codec, spending even more money and a lot of time designing a PCB.
The problem with 2a is that software manual switching between PCM and DD/DTS may be required. The problem with 2b is that 96kHz DTS may not be supported (which I admit would be a minor problem, but I do have a few DVDs that output at that sampling rate).
3 may still require manual software switching, at which point I will wonder why I bothered to pay a lot of money to NOT accomplish what I'm looking to do: passthrough unaltered PCM/DD/DTS without having to switch any settings.
Does anyone know if manual switching is necessary for any of the previously mentioned devices?
Thanks for all your help so far,
First:
1) Purchase a Totx 179(pdf) and rig up a connection between my Realtek SPDIF output and this connector, and pray it works.
2) Failing that, purchase either a) an Optoplay or b) a HagUSB.
3) Curse a lot and shell out the money for an M-Audio Audiophile, knowing that I'm really not taking any advantage of its more expensive features (e.g. high quality DAC etc).
4) Curse even more, and design my own circuit using a USB interface chip and an overpowered Audio Codec, spending even more money and a lot of time designing a PCB.
The problem with 2a is that software manual switching between PCM and DD/DTS may be required. The problem with 2b is that 96kHz DTS may not be supported (which I admit would be a minor problem, but I do have a few DVDs that output at that sampling rate).
3 may still require manual software switching, at which point I will wonder why I bothered to pay a lot of money to NOT accomplish what I'm looking to do: passthrough unaltered PCM/DD/DTS without having to switch any settings.
Does anyone know if manual switching is necessary for any of the previously mentioned devices?
Thanks for all your help so far,
Why not use separate media players.
1 for dvd wich has ac3 out and 1 for non multichannel.
Let windows decide on extensions wich to use.
I use traktor for cda, wav and mp3 and the movies are opened with a (dvd/dvx) mediaplayer (doesn't mather what, they all suck
)
Either your media player controlls the output or you control the soundcard.
Greetz Simon
1 for dvd wich has ac3 out and 1 for non multichannel.
Let windows decide on extensions wich to use.
I use traktor for cda, wav and mp3 and the movies are opened with a (dvd/dvx) mediaplayer (doesn't mather what, they all suck
)Either your media player controlls the output or you control the soundcard.
Greetz Simon
It's not just media players that controls the output though. That would be too easy (and I use Foobar 2000 for music and something else for movies).seoman said:Why not use separate media players.
1 for dvd wich has ac3 out and 1 for non multichannel.
Let windows decide on extensions wich to use.
I use traktor for cda, wav and mp3 and the movies are opened with a (dvd/dvx) mediaplayer (doesn't mather what, they all suck
Either your media player controlls the output or you control the soundcard.
I'll attach images that may better explain the problem that I have.
Attachments
Compared to this one.
One more interesting thing of note. Setting it to DD/DTS pass through causes havoc with a lot of programs. Strangely, the DVD programs prefer to see S/PDIF AFTER the DVD program has started. (So Foobar2000->Switch to DD PT->PowerDVD causes Power DVD to hang but Foobar 2000->PowerDVD->Switch to DD PT makes everything work out fine).
This is really more of a great annoyance to me than it is a real problem
One more interesting thing of note. Setting it to DD/DTS pass through causes havoc with a lot of programs. Strangely, the DVD programs prefer to see S/PDIF AFTER the DVD program has started. (So Foobar2000->Switch to DD PT->PowerDVD causes Power DVD to hang but Foobar 2000->PowerDVD->Switch to DD PT makes everything work out fine).
This is really more of a great annoyance to me than it is a real problem
Attachments
Hi
Strange a dts/dd output with a 16b 44khz limitation.
Are you sure there not a a real DD/DTS out?
Does that limitation also go for the asio?
I always thought M-audio made good soundcards.
This seems to disaprove that assumption.
I also assumed a separate SPDIF output.
I assume to much
This card isn't going to help you i'm afraid
Goodluck
Simon
Strange a dts/dd output with a 16b 44khz limitation.
Are you sure there not a a real DD/DTS out?
Does that limitation also go for the asio?
I always thought M-audio made good soundcards.
This seems to disaprove that assumption.
I also assumed a separate SPDIF output.
I assume to much
This card isn't going to help you i'm afraid
Goodluck
Simon
There are separate settings for 16-bit 2-channel as well as 88.2-96kHz sampled 2-channel.seoman said:
I don't play around with that as much, but it'd still be f***ing annoying to switch that setting around just to listen to a high sample source.
Strangely enough, I looked at M-Audio's other consumer-grade product Sonica Theater, and it's DD/DTS capabilities are also limited to 16-bit. Their more expensive stuff is more worthwhile, read below.
This is the most interesting post of all. I didn't know that the RealTek ALC-650 (which is what I have onboard) resamples to 48kHz, even on the digital domain. This means that my cheap mod-job will be more or less pointless for someone interested in high quality audio.kevinkr said:
Unfortunately, while you're using an Antec uATX case, I'm using a Silverstone LC-11 case, and I've used up all the back slots. No Audiophile 2496 for me.
However, your post did inspire me to investigate M-Audio's manuals for the Audiophile USB and Firewire Audiophile, and it seems clear to me that they can both do what I want. I'm leaning towards the USB, as its nominally cheaper, but can anyone make a case for why I should consider the Firewire over the USB for my particular application (I can find it for $5-10 more than the USB version)? Remember that I don't plan on doing anything with Recording or MIDI.
Thanks everyone, my quest for passed PCM/DD/DTS w/o software switching will be over very soon.
Terratec also uses the envy chip (audio core of the m-audio 2496) in there Produce Phase line.
I am very possitive about terratec.
I have the EWS88mt with an older envy core.
But very flexible!
No dsp onboard so no eax dolby etc.
So check them out also!
This one seems suitable
http://audioen.terratec.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=5
Strange remark on the phase 24 FW
I am very possitive about terratec.
I have the EWS88mt with an older envy core.
But very flexible!
No dsp onboard so no eax dolby etc.
So check them out also!
This one seems suitable
http://audioen.terratec.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=5
Strange remark on the phase 24 FW
Go with the firewire version - you may have problems with latency issues on USB particularly if you have other devices on the same USB controller.
I have the m-audio audiophile usb and I use it with my laptop in conjunction with audiotester software for doing fft's and response measurements on my various projects. I used the usb to dignose why I was unable to successfully decode HDCD which incidentally is fully compatible with standard cd/spdif. The usb did it without problems, the realtec wouldn't. Connecting my other dac which reports the sample rate was the final confirmation.
It's a shame as the quality of the sound is not bad at all, and the alc-650 supports asio natively, it's just that the 48kHz resampling the chip does is non-defeatable. It's not the lossless interface I was looking for.
Regards, Kevin
I have the m-audio audiophile usb and I use it with my laptop in conjunction with audiotester software for doing fft's and response measurements on my various projects. I used the usb to dignose why I was unable to successfully decode HDCD which incidentally is fully compatible with standard cd/spdif. The usb did it without problems, the realtec wouldn't. Connecting my other dac which reports the sample rate was the final confirmation.
It's a shame as the quality of the sound is not bad at all, and the alc-650 supports asio natively, it's just that the 48kHz resampling the chip does is non-defeatable. It's not the lossless interface I was looking for.
Regards, Kevin
Grrr... I hate fighting with Audio
So here's the latest updates.
I ordered the Audiophile FW last week, and it arrived way faster than I expected (ordered Monday, arrived Wednesday as I was heading out the door for the weekend). I got a chance to install it and play with it last night and boy what a headache it is to get exactly what I want.
The AC-3/DTS passthrough I wanted is briefly mentioned only once in the manual as a feature. I've managed to get it to work 2 different mysterious ways. The kicker is that the method I used yesterday stopped working today, and who knows what tomorrow will bring.
I sent M-Audio's tech support an email, but so far, I haven't heard a response. I'm beginning to suspect that the Firewire may have been a mistake, and I'm trying to keep as much of the plastic as I can since I am very tempted to return it at this point and give the Audiophile USB a try.
So here's the latest updates.
I ordered the Audiophile FW last week, and it arrived way faster than I expected (ordered Monday, arrived Wednesday as I was heading out the door for the weekend). I got a chance to install it and play with it last night and boy what a headache it is to get exactly what I want.
The AC-3/DTS passthrough I wanted is briefly mentioned only once in the manual as a feature. I've managed to get it to work 2 different mysterious ways. The kicker is that the method I used yesterday stopped working today, and who knows what tomorrow will bring.
I sent M-Audio's tech support an email, but so far, I haven't heard a response. I'm beginning to suspect that the Firewire may have been a mistake, and I'm trying to keep as much of the plastic as I can since I am very tempted to return it at this point and give the Audiophile USB a try.
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