Sound Card Advice Needed

[dkardatzke]

Time to mix a little business with pleasure...

I'm getting a new 7.1 Receiver for my home theater and I want to make the most of my SageTV (what else would I use!) system for playback of audio and video files (maybe a little HD down the road...). Does anyone have any recommendations on sound cards they are using with SageTV that would produce the best results?

Thanks,
Dan

System Details: AMD Sempron 2400, WinXP Pro, ATI Radeon 9200, Dual PVR-500 cards, Silverstone LC-03 Case, Sony CD/DVD R/W Drive, etc.

[korben_dallas]

Does your motherboard not have built-in audio?

The easiest setup is to take the line-out from the sound card/mobo sound and go into the TV line-in (if it has speakers). Then go digital out from sound card/mobo sound via coax or optical to your receiver. That way, you get the front L/R channels playing also on your TV, which in my opinion offers a little more warmth than using only the L/R/C of your 7.1

I'm an Audigy 2 fan myself, but my SageTV box doubles as my workstation and gaming rig also. It sounds really nice, especially for DVD's.

If you're doing HTPC only, then spend $100 on the EMU 0404.. that would be a killer HTPC sound system.

[ToxMox]

I use the onboard SPDIF optical out on my mobo to my Denon AVR-3803 with 5.1 and run in Pro Logic II Cinema mode.

[korben_dallas]

Seems like I've heard of some really cheap sound cards or integrated mobo sound not letting AC3 through the digital outs (when playing a DVD for example), so that would be something to check when deciding on your sound solution.

[stanger89]

Chaintek AV-710, can't be beat for about $25 bit-perfect, non-resampling digital output.

[korben_dallas]

Do you know if the AV-710 can output both analog and digital simultaneously? This is something I've been hunting but is rarely mentioned in product literature.

[stanger89]

No clue.

[ukmgranger]

Do not - I repeat, do not buy an Audiotrak Maya 7.1. This card brings Sage to a complete halt! Having installed it and the latest drivers for it, I tried playign some recorded TV but Sage just stops playing after about 2 seconds. Odd.
I tried the card in two systems to no avail.
I now go optically out of my motherboard into my amp, which works flawlessly.

On another note - I am also looking for a sound-card that can output both digital and optical at the same time. It also must be very configurable as I just want the front left right going out analogue and the rest of the system going out digitally.

Any ideas?

[greggerm]

If you will be using analog, I unfortunately cannot help.
BUT, if you will be connecting digitally to a receiver....

I have a nVidia nForce2 based motherboard with the Soundstorm audio built in. S/PDIF out straight to the receiver, and it has been flawless in its operation. I am also running an AMD Socket-A class processor, so if the opportunity exists to bounce to a new mobo, have a look at the Abit AN7 (optical digital in/out) or the Asus A7V8X Deluxe (coax digital out). Both will run $130 "retail", less if you go web shopping.

I have had both, and they both work superbly. I have had zero problems sending DD and DTS digital streams to my receiver, and as you would expect for a digital signal, I have heard no difference between this and my old original set-top DVD player.

Just keep in mind that some mobo manufacturers decided not to include the Soundstorm audio option, so if looking for one, don't just pick up a nForce2 board expecting it to be there - keep a watchful eye for the audio (the two boards above should have it)

Good luck!
- Greg

[SHS]

Dan if you all ready have SPDIF optical out on you motherboard or sound card there no point in buy a sound card and if you don't have one there always a USB SPDIF output device as long not being as parttime gaming system then hold for the Creative X-FI Xtreme, ho and you should also note that not all Receiver are 100% Compatible with PC SPDIF but as greggerm point out if you just so happing to have nVidia nForce based motherboard then your all set.
korben_dallas as for analog and digital simultaneously usely this is NO when come to Digital output/input which is usely automatic LOCK DOWN you can thank RIAA for that one.

[korben_dallas]

Originally Posted by ukmgranger

I am also looking for a sound-card that can output both digital and analogue at the same time. It also must be very configurable as I just want the front left right going out analogue and the rest of the system going out digitally.

Any ideas?

My Audigy 2 ZS PL Pro can.. but that's a very hefty price to pay for an HTPC, and I'm not going to buy another one just for my 2nd SageTV box. I would bet the Emu 0404 can, but unfortunately don't have one to test, and even $100 is a bit much unless you're a audiophile. I know for a fact the SBLive! that I had previously could not.

[ukmgranger]

I'm actually thinking about putting my £900 Creamware Pulsar II soundcard (used for audio production) into my HTPC rig. I'm pretty sure that with all the routing possibilities I should be able to get both anaolgue and digital out at the same time.

I'm sure this is a little overkill - but the card isn't being used at the minute.

[dkardatzke]

I think I'll try the Mobo SPDIF output but where can I find the connector for it? I know my ECS KT600-A Mobo has the header but I can't find a bracket for it since the Mobo didn't have the connector by default.

Has anyone purchased one of these lately that would be compatible?

[dbfresh23]

http://www.comtec.ca/product_info.ph...5ebd9fcdb2f6f1

This is made by Asus but will probably work. Should just be a standard 4 pin cable that it plugs into.

I actually like greggerm's suggestion of upgrading the mobo to something w/ Nforce/soundstorm w/ real time DD encoding. I guess buying this SPDIF adapter is more cost effective, but I'd do that before I were to buy a new sound card.

[Wakecrash]

Old thread, but I had the same question about needing a connector for the onboard SPDIF output, I could not find one or anything about how to make your own. After searching and never finding a bracket, I made one that works. It is super simple to make your own.

I bought a female RCA connector with solder terminals from Radio Shack.
Drilled a hole in a blank expansion card bracket and mounted the connector.
Then found a spare CD ROM drive 4-pin audio cable to connect to the Mobo SPIDF connector and solder two of the wires to the RCA.
Per your motherboard manual one pin will be something like data or SPIDF out, this should solder to the inside lug of the RCA connector.
Anouther pin will be labled ground, this gets soldered to the outside lug of the RCA connector.
Then just conect a composite video cable between the RCA connector and the digital input on your reciever. My reciever confirms it is decoding Dolby digital when watching DVDs.

On my cheap chaintech board it works fine and it outputs analog and digital simultaniously. I had a soundblaster live 5.1 before this, and you had to chose one output or the other. For analog, line out goes to TV, which loops back to the recievers analog inputs.