PC working great, but how do I get 5.1 sound?

[LarryJones1]

I'm not currently getting 5.1 sound from my games. I'm only getting two channel sound. I'm using the optical S/PDIF output on the back of the PC, and running that directly to a Marantz SR7100 receiver. Currently getting two channel sound. I'm not sure if I can get sound from the video card's HDMI output. My computer is pretty far away from my receiver, and I can't run two long HDMI cables to it. (one from the PC to the receiver, and then one from the receiver to the monitor) I guess, if that's my only option, then I'm going to have to try that. Also, I'm not sure if my video card supports audio via the HDMI output. (Gigabyte 560 Ti SOC)

The motherboard (Asus P8P67 regular version: not Deluxe, Pro or LE), has six little plugs on the back of it related to audio. Light Blue, Lime, Pink, Orange, Black, Gray.

Pink is for mic in, and light blue is for line in, which means I don't use either of those. That only leaves 4 plugs left. How can you get discrete high def audio from four plugs?


Orange = Subwoofer/Center - So, do I split this one cable with a Y Splitter into two cables? The back of my receiver has separate inputs for Subwoofer and Center.

Lime = Front - Again, do I split this with a Y-Splitter and run the cable to both right and left front inputs on the back of my receiver?

Black = Rear - Again, do I split this with a Y-Splitter and run the cable to both right and left rear surround on the back of my receiver?

Gray = Side - Again, do I split this with a Y-Splitter and run the cable to both right and left side surround inputs on the back of my receiver.



Now, assuming that I do all of that, how do I plug the audio cable into those little tiny plugs on the back of the PC? They are two small, I can't seem to plug a regular audio cable into it. Do I get an adapter at Radio Shack?



i5 2500K @ stock (for now)
Cooler Master Hyper 212+
Asus P8P67 (standard version)
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3 1600
Gigabyte 560 Ti SOC
Samsung SpinPoint F3
SeaSonic S12II 520 Bronze 520W
Antec 300 case
Windows 7 Professional 64-bit

 

[Emerald]

is this what you are looking for?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882196066&cm_re=rca_to_3.5mm-_-82-196-066-_-Product

 

[LarryJones1]

is this what you are looking for?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882196066&cm_re=rca_to_3.5mm-_-82-196-066-_-Product

Ok, so those are the adapters that I would use if I went with the 4 plugs on the back of the PC, rather than using the Optical S/PDIF output, or the HDMI output from the video card.

Still, I honestly don't see how it's possible to get "discrete" 5.1 or 7.1 with 4 single cables. It just doesn't make sense to me. I could get a bunch of those adapters and wire it up that way, but I still don't think I'd be getting legit, high-def audio that way.

 

[hunter315]

First trick to getting 5.1 or 7.1 audio is to make sure that the source is outputting the right number of channels, if the game only has 2 audio channels you cannot get 5.1 out of it, so try a DVD with 5.1 audio on it.


As for how you can get 7.1 on a single cable, if you look at the end of a headphone connector you will notice there is a tip, a ring, and a shield, the shield is ground and is shared, the tip and the ring can each carry a separate signal relative to ground, for a headphone this is usually left and right, but it could be center and sub or rear left and rear right, most sound cards will allow you to change which one is carried on the ring or the tip because it can change depending on the sound system.

 

[mightymaxio]

This is what you need i believe:
http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Console-Adapter-Convert-Single-Pc/dp/B0006U3ACY