confused about 5.1 and gaming

[rommie]

I have a logitech z680 5.1 system (takes optical, coax and analog 5.1's) and have been wondering if there's any reason to get a sound card that does dolby digital live encoding/sends a 5.1 signal over optical? I've heard that a lot of games now support dolby digital... do those games still "send" a dolby signal over the analog 5.1 jacks? I realize that digital sound is meant to be better quality, but for me is the 5.1 over digital more accurate with positioning, or something like that? And while I'm at it, are surround headphones (the good, expensive ones) any better than a good quality 5.1 speaker system?

 

[Mjolnir]

Surround headphones are a joke generally. And frankly 2.1 systems are better for gaming IMO. I generally recommend 2.1 for gaming, and 5.1 for theater setups. Quality headphones will do you far better than some gimmicky 5.1 surround headset from Razer or Logitech or anything like that.

 

[Knufire]

All sound is analog. If you're using digital or optical, then you aren't sending sound to the speakers, you are sending raw data to the speakers and that is converting it into sound.

3.5mm is analog. A 3.5mm jack can max send only two channels of audio over it. There is stuff like Creative CMSS-3D and Dolby Virtual Surround that simulate surround sound over a stereo connection.

Digital signal out from a motherboard and a sound card shouldn't be any different, other than the special software and what not. I'd just go optical out from your motherboard to your speakers, you should be able to get 5.1 working without a sound card.

Best positioning would be a good pair of normal headphones paired with a high quality sound card using some sort of virtually surround.

 

[Dakyris]

For those who don't know the Z-680 is a rather old set of 5.1 speakers NOT HEADPHONES.

Dolby Live is mostly necessary for those who want to hook up their computer to a receiver and use it with a home theater system.

The Z680 are old so they don't support most of the new protocols (like the newer versions of dolby) so you're better off sending the info using the 3 x 3.5mm jacks.

 

[Mjolnir]

For those who don't know the Z-680 is a rather old set of 5.1 speakers NOT HEADPHONES.

Dolby Live is mostly necessary for those who want to hook up their computer to a receiver and use it with a home theater system.

The Z680 are old so they don't support most of the new protocols (like the newer versions of dolby) so you're better off sending the info using the 3 x 3.5mm jacks.

I know. My reply was in regard to his question on surround headphones. His entire post was about his 5.1 speakers and asking about headphones as well. I answered concerning headphones. Knufire to the speakers .