Sound card suggestions for a 4.1 speaker system

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Steven_96

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Hi I have a custom built computer and I have a gigabyte z370 gaming 7 Board. Now the onboard sound supports 4 speakers but it does not support 4.1 sound so I can't use the base box/subwoofer. I have Klipsch 4.1 speakers. I like them. I was wondering if maybe someone could recommend a sound card that uses 4.1 speakers one that isn't too old of a card. and one that isn't going to break the bank on me. I don't really care what brand it is.

Thank you!!
 
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boju

boju

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Hi Steven

I suggest approaching this differently, my reasons are,

a) Searching on PCpartpicker and newegg, i cannot find any 4.1 sound cards available. There maybe sound cards available from an older era (early 2000s) but no doubt software would not be compatible.

b) Windows being configured only for those selective formats as you're aware (2, 4, 5.1 and 7.1) means games and movies if this is your purpose will default to these channel formats. If you found a sound card that can manipulate channels to 4.1, theres no guarantee games or movies will sound right.

What i'd suggest looking into is a cheap set of 2 powered speaker set and a Y split 3.5mm male to female adapter to combine sub and center to the current yellow jack. The 2 speakers arranged as a center (or one of the two) since you can't really buy PC speakers separately that i can see. Short or tall speakers, could lay both speakers sideways if too tall for your monitor, or even place behind monitor if room allows.

Then settings Windows to 5.1 should work.

Im not sure which rings of the 3.5mm pin is for center or sub so you may need to switch sub/center in the Realtek software. Only because the center would be running separately from the sub/amp, so the channels might get mixed up between subwoofer and center so try switching them using the option in Realtek audio manager if sound is odd.

Motherboard audio is not very powerful so it would be ideal to use powered speakers for more volume control.
 
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Steven_96

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I found this that says you can do it that it gives you the option I have also found other sites where this same question has been asked and they say yes.

http://sgforums.com/forums/2250/topics/235684

 
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boju

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Speaker setups can be for 5.1 are green = fronts, black = rears and yellow = center/sub. 7.1 includes grey jacks. Both setups include a center speaker sharing with the yellow output jack.

So the question from that link is asking whether 4.1 can be used in that setup, yes it will to an extent but no one there realises a 4.1 setup has no center. Once you set windows to 5.1 or 7.1, games channel voices through the yellow jack. If that makes sense.
 
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boju

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To elaborate, 5.1 PC speaker sets come with a yellow input to the sub, that allows the yellow output from the PC to pass audio to both center speaker and subwoofer on the same cable.

images
 
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Steven_96

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I'm not using 5.1 or 7.1 and not a gamer so all I have is the klipsch 4.1 speaker system but the realtek onboard sound that my computer uses it supports 4 speakers but for some reason when I use the volume for my subwoofer it does nothing and everything is plugged in fine.

 
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Steven_96

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I want to thank you for all your help I got an email from creative and they told me which sound card I should get cause I might end up getting one instead of using the onboard sound here.

 
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Steven_96

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Yes it did work thank you. They recommended the sound Blaster z series. I have another question if you would not mind? I noticed that in My onboard settings any time I change a volume or anything Like that basiclly I can't hit the apply button for anything. it's greyed out I have tried uninstalling the drivers and the software. and Upgrading to the next version of the realtek drivers. It has done no good the apply button is still always greyed out so I can't really save any changes. I have download the audio drivers for the onboard realtek from all 3 places the station drivers website gigabytes website and realtek and still the same thing no apply button

 
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boju

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Reason for the apply button not being clickable because the adjustment you're making is in real time, the apply button isn't necessary. Volume, speaker levels etc, it's like turning a volume knob on a stereo, you don't press an apply button do you, it's similar with PC's. If you were to change sound quality under advanced then the apply button would be clickable.

I've just had a look at your speakers. http://au.ign.com/articles/2001/09/24/klipsch-promedia-4-1-review That the one?

If it is, it's stereo 4.1 with only two 3.5mm plugs you plug in the back of your computer. It says there in the review, if you want all 4 speakers to work, either use a Y adapter or use one of the rear outputs on the sound card.

Your speakers will not accept 4 individual channels. It is only 2 channel with an additional 2 speakers to make 4. All 4 speakers will play the same thing. It's like wiring two speakers to one speaker wire terminal at the back of a stereo.

Why it's working is you have one of those two wires hooked up to the black port from PC yes?

True 4.1 speakers would have a decoder in the subwoofer to separate signals to front and back. Your speakers is stereo only so you should leave the audio playback to stereo only.

You should have a sub control somewhere on the unit itself and different sound modes. Because these speakers is stereo only, the subwoofer controls from the sub itself, not from Windows.

A creative sound card will not help you. Email them again and include your speaker set. They probably assumed you meant actual 4.1 speakers.

So im not sure how you've hooked your speakers up, if you could explain what you did there would be great, thanks.

Picture of a one to two 3.5mm adapter
80137a.jpg


 
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boju

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Hard to get decent pictures or read of the manual, the print is very bad.

41084x1tE7L.jpg


So the control pod handles volume for sub, rears and fronts.

If you're still not getting enough base to the sub, then have a look at your EQ.

Windows 7 and 10 is the same layout.
[video="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Z5utbO-JBM"][/video]


 
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boju

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Back to the Y split cable

Can use it on your green jack with the adapter but set Windows to stereo

If you use black jack for your other speakers, set Windows to quadraphonic

Again, not sure how you have it all set but if these are the speakers i'm seeing, thats how you would set the audio in Windows as per jacks used, stereo or quadraphonic. Not 5.1 or 7.1.
 
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