Z-5500, Audigy 2 ZS OEM - Digital Output... *** m8?

Sharky Forums


Results 1 to 12 of 12

Thread: Z-5500, Audigy 2 ZS OEM - Digital Output... *** m8?

  1. #1
    Noob KaoTiK's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Location
    Edmonton, Alberta
    Posts
    6,104

    Z-5500, Audigy 2 ZS OEM - Digital Output... *** m8?

    So I bought a Audigy 2 ZS OEM, along with the Logitech Z-2300's today. I've decided I'd rather spend the extra cash and get the Z-5500's. On that note, I have a question, I'm somewhat confused...

    On the back of the Audigy 2 ZS, as I'm sure you all know, the only digital out is through a 1/8" jack. I didn't even know real digital through a 1/8" is possible, but I guess it is.

    Will the Z-5500's come with a cable that makes this feasible, or are you shafted out of Digital Audio unless you get the ZS Platinum or something with the extra IO box?

    I don't see why they'd advertise the Audigy 2 ZS as a 5.1/7.1 Digital card if you have to have the IO box that comes with the ZS Platinum to even use Digital...

    Someone please enlighten me, lol.

    Thanks.
    Quote Originally Posted by Kamakazie
    Yeah... I wasn't paying attention, I was killing trees.

  2. #2
    LOLWUT ImaNihilist's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2001
    Location
    San Francisco
    Posts
    14,034
    SPDIF is possible through 1/8" output. Piece of cake too. The only reason to use optical is because it's supposed to pick up less interference. You'll never notice unless you have some uber hifi equipment.

    You should be able to just plug them into the decoder box. That's how I had my Z-680s set up at one time with an Aud 2 ZS.
    Last edited by ImaNihilist; 11-17-2005 at 02:45 AM.

  3. #3
    Noob KaoTiK's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Location
    Edmonton, Alberta
    Posts
    6,104
    Quote Originally Posted by ImaNihilist
    SPDIF is possible through 1/8" output. Piece of cake too. The only reason to use optical is because it's supposed to pick up less interference. You'll never notice unless you have some uber hifi equipment.

    You should be able to just plug them into the decoder box. That's how I had my Z-680s set up at one time with an Aud 2 ZS.
    Oh really? So just out the rear Digital 1/8 on the back of the ZS into the little decoder box with the LCD screen on it?

    So basically hook it up just like regular analog.

    That'll be real 5.1 in games? I read somewhere that the only way to get 5.1 in games with the A2 ZS is either to get the Platinum so you have the IO box, or get Creative speakers.
    Quote Originally Posted by Kamakazie
    Yeah... I wasn't paying attention, I was killing trees.

  4. #4
    LOLWUT ImaNihilist's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2001
    Location
    San Francisco
    Posts
    14,034
    Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! That won't be 5.1 in games. 5.1 from games is rendered through EAX, which is output via analog.

    The only reason for SPDIF is if you are doing digital out, from a DD or DTS source. You have to set SPDIF in the Creative Control panel, and then set it again in say, Power DVD. Then, the signal will be sent digitally to the decoder and decoded there.

  5. #5
    Noob KaoTiK's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Location
    Edmonton, Alberta
    Posts
    6,104
    Quote Originally Posted by ImaNihilist
    Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! That won't be 5.1 in games. 5.1 from games is rendered through EAX, which is output via analog.

    The only reason for SPDIF is if you are doing digital out, from a DD or DTS source. You have to set SPDIF in the Creative Control panel, and then set it again in say, Power DVD. Then, the signal will be sent digitally to the decoder and decoded there.
    Hmmm, I'm a little bit confused here, lol.

    Ok, here's what I want to do with the Z-5500's. I want 5.1 in games, and the best possible output for music.

    Don't really care a whole lot about movies, as I have a home theatre for my TV with a standalone DVD player with coax digital going from the DVD player to the receiver.

    I just want the best possible sound in games and music. Priority is 5.1 in games.

    So this would be acquired by just going straight up analog from one of the regular 1/8 output jacks in the back of the A2?

    I thought you could just use digital out the same way you use digital out on a receiver.

    I'm a noob to the computer speaker setup world, lol. (But I do have a EMU-0404 and the ATH-A900's! haha)
    Quote Originally Posted by Kamakazie
    Yeah... I wasn't paying attention, I was killing trees.

  6. #6
    LOLWUT ImaNihilist's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2001
    Location
    San Francisco
    Posts
    14,034
    If you want 5.1 in games, then you have to use analog output. The game sounds must be rendered using EAX, which must be done on the Audigy.

    It works like this: if you want to use digital output you are essentially doing just that: outputing a digital signal. Now, a decoder can only decode that which it knows. Decoders only know DD and DTS, they do not know EAX. Thus, it will be stereo sound.

    There isn't really a reason to use digital out, since it has to be converted to analog somwhere. Speakers are analog, not digital. It's just a matter of WHERE and WHAT is going to convert the sound from digital to analog. If you use the Audigy to do it, the DD, DTS, or EAX is decoded and rendered on the Audigy, and then output to the speakers via the analog outputs.

    If you choose to BYPASS the Audigy (which is essentially what SPDIF allows you to do) then the signal will NOT be decoded on the Audigy, instead it will be decoded on the decoder for the speakers, and then transfered into an analog signal which goes to the speakers.

    Now, there isn't really any reason at all to actually do that. In fact, the decoder on the Audigy is most likey BETTER than that of the Logitech's.

    The idea that SPDIF, or digital output, somehow yields better sound reproduction is somewhat of a misconception. There are two parts, what needs to be decoded, and what device is going to decode it.

    The only reason to USE SPDIF is if you have something like onboard audio that DOESN'T have a DD or DTS decoder. Then, it's the only way to get 5.1 sound from those sources, however you still won't get EAX. EAX, what most games use, is more or less a Creative technology and must be rendered and decoded on Creative cards.

    Hope that clears it up. It's a little confusing, and I had the same questions when I first got my Z-680s.
    Last edited by ImaNihilist; 11-17-2005 at 04:32 AM.

  7. #7
    Noob KaoTiK's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Location
    Edmonton, Alberta
    Posts
    6,104
    Quote Originally Posted by ImaNihilist
    If you want 5.1 in games, then you have to use analog output. The game sounds must be rendered using EAX, which must be done on the Audigy.

    It works like this: if you want to use digital output you are essentially doing just that: outputing a digital signal. Now, a decoder can only decode that which it knows. Decoders only know DD and DTS, they do not know EAX. Thus, it will be stereo sound.

    There isn't really a reason to use digital out, since it has to be converted to analog somwhere. Speakers are analog, not digital. It's just a matter of WHERE and WHAT is going to convert the sound from digital to analog. If you use the Audigy to do it, the DD, DTS, or EAX is decoded and rendered on the Audigy, and then output to the speakers via the analog outputs.

    If you choose to BYPASS the Audigy (which is essentially what SPDIF allows you to do) then the signal will NOT be decoded on the Audigy, instead it will be decoded on the decoder for the speakers, and then transfered into an analog signal which goes to the speakers.

    Now, there isn't really any reason at all to actually do that. In fact, the decoder on the Audigy is most likey BETTER than that of the Logitech's.

    The idea that SPDIF, or digital output, somehow yields better sound reproduction is somewhat of a misconception. There are two parts, what needs to be decoded, and what device is going to decode it.

    The only reason to USE SPDIF is if you have something like onboard audio that DOESN'T have a DD or DTS decoder. Then, it's the only way to get 5.1 sound from those sources, however you still won't get EAX. EAX, what most games use, is more or less a Creative technology and must be rendered and decoded on Creative cards.

    Hope that clears it up. It's a little confusing, and I had the same questions when I first got my Z-680s.
    That clears it up perfectly, thanks a lot.

    Except one thing... so to get 5.1 Analog I just connect the 3 1/8" connectors on the Direct cable to the 3 analog jacks on the back of the Audigy 2 and the same idea with the back of the 5500 console box?
    Quote Originally Posted by Kamakazie
    Yeah... I wasn't paying attention, I was killing trees.

  8. #8
    LOLWUT ImaNihilist's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2001
    Location
    San Francisco
    Posts
    14,034
    Quote Originally Posted by KaoTiK
    That clears it up perfectly, thanks a lot.

    Except one thing... so to get 5.1 Analog I just connect the 3 1/8" connectors on the Direct cable to the 3 analog jacks on the back of the Audigy 2 and the same idea with the back of the 5500 console box?
    Yeap. You can go ahead and play around with what happens when you turn the decoder on the Audigy off, and use the one on the Logitech speakers. That's what I had to do before I truely understood what was going on.

    You have to make sure that everyone is set to SPDIF though for it to actually go to the Logitech decoder, because there is actually another way to decode a DD or DTS stream, and that's through software using the CPU.

  9. #9
    Noob KaoTiK's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Location
    Edmonton, Alberta
    Posts
    6,104
    Quote Originally Posted by ImaNihilist
    Yeap. You can go ahead and play around with what happens when you turn the decoder on the Audigy off, and use the one on the Logitech speakers. That's what I had to do before I truely understood what was going on.

    You have to make sure that everyone is set to SPDIF though for it to actually go to the Logitech decoder, because there is actually another way to decode a DD or DTS stream, and that's through software using the CPU.
    Right on! Thanks!

    One more question - I've been checking out numerous reviews trying to figure out some of the different features of the 5500's, but I can't find out what Stereo x2 is, and when you play music, does it play through all of the sats or just the Front L/R sats?
    Quote Originally Posted by Kamakazie
    Yeah... I wasn't paying attention, I was killing trees.

  10. #10
    LOLWUT ImaNihilist's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2001
    Location
    San Francisco
    Posts
    14,034
    Quote Originally Posted by KaoTiK
    Right on! Thanks!

    One more question - I've been checking out numerous reviews trying to figure out some of the different features of the 5500's, but I can't find out what Stereo x2 is, and when you play music, does it play through all of the sats or just the Front L/R sats?
    Stereo x2 just mirrors the front L/R sats to the back L/R sats. You can also do this in the Audigy software.

  11. #11
    Hammerhead Shark Candyman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    Location
    Redwood City, CA
    Posts
    1,386
    Quote Originally Posted by ImaNihilist
    Now, there isn't really any reason at all to actually do that. In fact, the decoder on the Audigy is most likey BETTER than that of the Logitech's.

    The idea that SPDIF, or digital output, somehow yields better sound reproduction is somewhat of a misconception. There are two parts, what needs to be decoded, and what device is going to decode it.
    Minor addendum: There is a perfectly good reason to use digital out - if you have a receiver with better DACs than your soundcard, you probably want the decoding to take place there and should connect to it on the digital/optical out.
    Core 2 Duo 6750
    Antec P182
    Abit IP35 Pro
    4 GB DDR2 800 RAM
    Asus Xonar D2
    Panasonic SA-XR55 / Audio Technica ATH-A900

  12. #12
    Noob KaoTiK's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Location
    Edmonton, Alberta
    Posts
    6,104
    Quote Originally Posted by Candyman
    Minor addendum: There is a perfectly good reason to use digital out - if you have a receiver with better DACs than your soundcard, you probably want the decoding to take place there and should connect to it on the digital/optical out.
    Heh, I do have a reciever, but thats for my home theatre. The Z-5500's are solely for gaming/music.

    BTW, I love the subwoofer on the 5500's... lol, its got some major punch.

    Though I am having some troubles with the Audigy 2 ZS. For some reason in BF2, if I change the audio renderer to hardware rather than software, some of the sounds are cut out. For example, the menu music. And in-game, the gunshot effects will stop for no reason, but other sounds will continue to play.

    I was using the new Beta drivers for OpenAL, but then I reverted to the CD drivers, still same result.

    Any ideas?
    Last edited by KaoTiK; 11-18-2005 at 05:11 PM.
    Quote Originally Posted by Kamakazie
    Yeah... I wasn't paying attention, I was killing trees.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •