Best computer S/PDIF Out?

Ignite · 1st December 2001, 01:16 AM

Currently I'm using a SB Live! Value and want to do more than 2 channel digital out. Any suggestions on 6 (5.1) channel digital out sound cards?

AudioFreak · 1st December 2001, 01:19 AM

I think the latest SB Live! Audigy cards do 5.1 digital out .... just be warned they say 24bit but it's really 16bit upsampled.

ergo · 1st December 2001, 01:50 PM

You might consider C-Media CMI8738 based soundcards. These do digi in/out very well (without resampling as opposed to SB Live and Audigy) and also support 5.1 digital passthrough.

I personally use Leadtek Winfast 4X

alaskanaudio · 2nd December 2001, 04:14 AM

I would take a serious look at the Digital Audio Lab CardDeluxe. It is a two channel card with up to 24 bit digital in and out and is true 24 bit with either left or right bit stuffing for the unused 8 bits in the PC 32 bit data stream. Multiple cards can be run together in sync mode. There is also a module available to add fiber optic input and output.

The design of this card is about 4 years old and the card has excellent performance. Its maximum sampling rate is 96khz. A link to this card is:

http://www.digitalaudio.com/

Some of the RME 8 channel units may aslo be worth looking at. These use external boxes for most of the electronics to get around the internal noise problems within a PC.

A link to these is: http://www.rme-audio.com/

John Fassotte
Alaskan Audio

[Edited by alaskanaudio on 12-01-2001 at 11:24 PM]

Ignite · 13th January 2002, 08:54 AM

And I can't for the life of me figure out how to get 6 channels from it. The digital port has nearly no documentation, so I have no idea what sort of jack to plug into it to get my sweet sweet digital. If Creative Labs' website and support wasn't so horrific I wouldn't have this problem.

HC · 13th January 2002, 10:48 AM

Ignite,

I presume you want to connect your SB digital signal to an external DTS (ie 5.1) decoder via the SPIF port.

In the SB website, http://www.soundblaster.com/support/faq/ the FAQ section has a brief description of what you need (cables, connectors, etc.). You need a mini jack to RCA cable (mine came with the sound card) or you can get one done easily yourself.

If you are talking about the digital output from the header connector, all you need to do is send an e-mail to SB's technical support, they will send you the information.

Ignite · 16th January 2002, 07:35 AM

I understand now. It only functions as 2 channel unless it is on AC3 passthrough. That is really frustrating as it will only work for dvds.

1st December 2001, 01:50 PM	#3
ergo diyAudio Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Tallinn, Estonia	You might consider C-Media CMI8738 based soundcards. These do digi in/out very well (without resampling as opposed to SB Live and Audigy) and also support 5.1 digital passthrough. I personally use Leadtek Winfast 4X __________________ Ergo ergo.esken@mail.ee

2nd December 2001, 04:14 AM	#4
alaskanaudio diyAudio Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Fairbanks, Alaska	True 24 bit operation I would take a serious look at the Digital Audio Lab CardDeluxe. It is a two channel card with up to 24 bit digital in and out and is true 24 bit with either left or right bit stuffing for the unused 8 bits in the PC 32 bit data stream. Multiple cards can be run together in sync mode. There is also a module available to add fiber optic input and output. The design of this card is about 4 years old and the card has excellent performance. Its maximum sampling rate is 96khz. A link to this card is: http://www.digitalaudio.com/ Some of the RME 8 channel units may aslo be worth looking at. These use external boxes for most of the electronics to get around the internal noise problems within a PC. A link to these is: http://www.rme-audio.com/ John Fassotte Alaskan Audio [Edited by alaskanaudio on 12-01-2001 at 11:24 PM]

13th January 2002, 08:54 AM	#5
Ignite diyAudio Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada	So I bought a SoundBlaster Audigy.. And I can't for the life of me figure out how to get 6 channels from it. The digital port has nearly no documentation, so I have no idea what sort of jack to plug into it to get my sweet sweet digital. If Creative Labs' website and support wasn't so horrific I wouldn't have this problem.

13th January 2002, 10:48 AM	#6
HC diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Hong Kong	Ignite, I presume you want to connect your SB digital signal to an external DTS (ie 5.1) decoder via the SPIF port. In the SB website, http://www.soundblaster.com/support/faq/ the FAQ section has a brief description of what you need (cables, connectors, etc.). You need a mini jack to RCA cable (mine came with the sound card) or you can get one done easily yourself. If you are talking about the digital output from the header connector, all you need to do is send an e-mail to SB's technical support, they will send you the information. __________________ Henry

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1st December 2001, 01:16 AM	#1
Ignite diyAudio Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada	Currently I'm using a SB Live! Value and want to do more than 2 channel digital out. Any suggestions on 6 (5.1) channel digital out sound cards?

1st December 2001, 01:19 AM	#2
AudioFreak Warp Engineer On Holiday Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Queensland, Australia	I think the latest SB Live! Audigy cards do 5.1 digital out .... just be warned they say 24bit but it's really 16bit upsampled.

16th January 2002, 07:35 AM	#7
Ignite diyAudio Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada	I understand now. It only functions as 2 channel unless it is on AC3 passthrough. That is really frustrating as it will only work for dvds.

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