spdif is confounding me

[Myren]

my mobo has a spdif output pin header, which i've linked with some cat5e to an rca plug into my maudio delta 410. i /kind of/ get sound out of the delta 410... its very garbled, but the sound is playing someplace under the broken garble.

will switching to coax fix this? what should i do since you cannot find 75 ohm rca?

also, the pin header has vcc right next to spdif-out. i had it originally hooked to gnd, but noticed no difference with vcc. not sure what i'm supposed to do with this new fangled digital stuff.

slightly ot, but i'm desperate for the help.

[ped]

Hi Myren,

If I understand your post correctly, you've wired the spdif out directly from your MB header to the input of your sound card. As I understand it (beware, I'm new to this as well ) the MB spdif out is typically at a 5V TTL level and is most likely overdriving the input to your M-Audio, hence the garbled (distorted) sound. Since I'm relatively new to a lot of this myself, I don't feel knowledgeable enough to advise you on how to fix this directly, but there is a lot of good info in these links and you can decide for yourself.

Additionally, your MB mfg. may offer a spdif interface bracket which would already have the appropriate circuitry to get the signal down to a usable level.

Good Luck!

http://www.epanorama.net/documents/audio/spdif.html

http://www.andrewkilpatrick.org/mind/spdif/

[5th element]

Yes usually when you buy a mobo with a SPDIF out, you get a small bracket that has an electrical phono connection on it. This is supposed to be plugged into the Mobo's digi out to give you SPDIF. Atleast I think this is rite. If is a mobo with onboard sound and your trying to get the digi from the onbaord SC then this is whats you should do.