PC Sound Card to Home Stereo Speakers?

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Thanks for the responses.. I will keep the amp.
I am curious though - the computer speakers systems sold today are
getting more fancy, you see a lot of 5.1 systems for the PC, meant to
plug right out of a sound card. I wonder, is there extra power for
these speakers supplied externally with the speakers, perhaps
integrated in the woofer unit? Surely the sound card alone can't drive
these 5.1 speaker systems? Or is the Power supplied by a typical 350
watt PC power supply enough juice to power them?

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Right - I get the picture. So I guess my next thought is would I by
happy replacing my current "traditional" PC speaker system (AIWA amp,
Kilpsch speakers) with a "PC" 5.1 system. I know it's subjective.
Maybe this is another thread. I would love to only have a HTPC
sitting under the TV along the digital cable box and that's it. I
guess I will have to experiment myself and see how good these newer 5.1
PC systems sound to my ears.

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

>From: pasdecrap@yahoo.com
>Date: 1/26/05 11:08 P.M. Eastern Standard Time
>Message-id: <1106798886.704461.107990@c13g2000cwb.googlegroups.com>
>
>Newbie audio question - I am building a PC for the living room (HTPC)
>and would like to know if it is possible to have a soundcard power a
>5.1 surround system using my "home" speakers. The speakers are Klipsch
>and look like they need "serious" power. I currently have it going
>through an AIWA Amp/Receiver but it would be great if I can get rid of
>it. Also, the wires are the "bare wire" ends.
>Anyone do this or know if this is this possible? Thanks
>

I don't think that there are to many (I could be wrong) computer sound cards
that have a beefy power amp in them. I think that you want to use your computer
to be the heart of your AV (audio and video) system right? I really think you
need an A/V receiver, you can patch many inputs to it and send them to one set
of speakers or power amps.
There are many makers of A/V units, one of the more popular would be Marantz.

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

In article <1106798886.704461.107990@c13g2000cwb.googlegroups.com> pasdecrap@yahoo.com writes:

> Newbie audio question - I am building a PC for the living room (HTPC)
> and would like to know if it is possible to have a soundcard power a
> 5.1 surround system using my "home" speakers. The speakers are Klipsch
> and look like they need "serious" power. I currently have it going
> through an AIWA Amp/Receiver but it would be great if I can get rid of
> it. Also, the wires are the "bare wire" ends.

It sounds like your speakers require a power amplifier and that's what
your receiver does. No sound card has a built-in power amplifier that
has the ability to drive anything larger than headphones or tiny
computer speakers.

Keep the Aiwa, and keep the speakers connected to it. If the receiver
has analog 5.1 inputs, just connect the sound card's outputs to those
inputs and you'll be in good shape. If its only 5.1 inputs are
digital, you'll need to do a lot of studying. Unless things have
changed recently (and they probalby have) most digital surround inputs
take a S/PDIF (stereo) digital input and run it through a decoder to
split the S/PDIF input into the surround channels.



--
I'm really Mike Rivers (mrivers@d-and-d.com)
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me here: double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

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In article <1106798886.704461.107990@c13g2000cwb.googlegroups.com>,
<pasdecrap@yahoo.com> wrote:
>Newbie audio question - I am building a PC for the living room (HTPC)
>and would like to know if it is possible to have a soundcard power a
>5.1 surround system using my "home" speakers. The speakers are Klipsch
>and look like they need "serious" power. I currently have it going
>through an AIWA Amp/Receiver but it would be great if I can get rid of
>it. Also, the wires are the "bare wire" ends.
>Anyone do this or know if this is this possible? Thanks

Sure, you can drive the outputs of your PC soundcard into the inputs of
the receiver. Watch oout for ground loops.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

<pasdecrap@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1106838764.058317.163220@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com
> Thanks for the responses.. I will keep the amp.
> I am curious though - the computer speakers systems sold today are
> getting more fancy, you see a lot of 5.1 systems for the PC, meant to
> plug right out of a sound card. I wonder, is there extra power for
> these speakers supplied externally with the speakers, perhaps
> integrated in the woofer unit?


That's a big Roger good buddy! ;-)

> Surely the sound card alone can't drive these 5.1 speaker systems?

Exactly.

> Or is the Power supplied by a typical 350 watt PC power supply enough
> juice to power them?

Frankly, it could be done that way some of the time, but its probably not
worth the risk and effort. Most PCs draw about 100 watts or less, leaving
quite a bit of surplus capacity in that 300-350 watt power supply. Trouble
is, there are a lot of PCs out there with power supplies in the 100-150 watt
range.

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

<pasdecrap@yahoo.com> wrote:
>Right - I get the picture. So I guess my next thought is would I by
>happy replacing my current "traditional" PC speaker system (AIWA amp,
>Kilpsch speakers) with a "PC" 5.1 system. I know it's subjective.
>Maybe this is another thread. I would love to only have a HTPC
>sitting under the TV along the digital cable box and that's it. I
>guess I will have to experiment myself and see how good these newer 5.1
>PC systems sound to my ears.

Most of them, I am sorry to say, are pretty awful.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

In article <1106838764.058317.163220@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com> pasdecrap@yahoo.com writes:

> I am curious though - the computer speakers systems sold today are
> getting more fancy, you see a lot of 5.1 systems for the PC, meant to
> plug right out of a sound card. I wonder, is there extra power for
> these speakers supplied externally with the speakers, perhaps
> integrated in the woofer unit?

There's a power amplifier in there somewhere. It might be in the
subwoofer, or each speaker box may have its own amplifier. But there's
definitely power amplification outside the sound card.

I understand that early in April, the Lirpa Corporation is introducing
a 7.1 version of their popular all-tube sound card. They're working on
the water cooling system for the eight pairs of KT88s now, and that's
been slowing them down.




--
I'm really Mike Rivers (mrivers@d-and-d.com)
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me here: double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

In article <1106839728.195635.285040@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com> pasdecrap@yahoo.com writes:

> Right - I get the picture. So I guess my next thought is would I by
> happy replacing my current "traditional" PC speaker system (AIWA amp,
> Kilpsch speakers) with a "PC" 5.1 system.

No, but you might find it really cool to have your PC be one of the
sources to your surround system, for playing games or watching porn
videos and stuff. Much more fun than watching DVDs all the time.


--
I'm really Mike Rivers (mrivers@d-and-d.com)
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me here: double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

On 2005-01-27, pasdecrap@yahoo.com <pasdecrap@yahoo.com> wrote:

> The speakers are Klipsch

Klipsch what? Mahogony and Walnut K-horns that you've had since the
70's? If you had those, you'd know you need a nice amp to match...

I don't reckon that's the case.

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

On 27 Jan 2005 07:12:44 -0800, pasdecrap@yahoo.com wrote:

>Thanks for the responses.. I will keep the amp.
>I am curious though - the computer speakers systems sold today are
>getting more fancy, you see a lot of 5.1 systems for the PC, meant to
>plug right out of a sound card. I wonder, is there extra power for
>these speakers supplied externally with the speakers, perhaps
>integrated in the woofer unit? Surely the sound card alone can't drive
>these 5.1 speaker systems? Or is the Power supplied by a typical 350
>watt PC power supply enough juice to power them?

Some old computer sound cards included a small power amp, sufficient
to drive small speakers. This is now history. Today's soundcards
provide a Line Out. Computer speakers contain their own amplifiers
(often mounted in the bass unit, if there is one). This output will
equally well drive an Aux input on your hi-fi.

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