Logitech Z-2300 + Samsung T240HD + PS3

As you can probably imply from the title I'm looking to connect the Logitechs to get sound from the PS3 and Monitor (is that right?). The Samsung has speakers so I'm guessing I can output audio from the monitor while using the Logitechs. The Logitechs do come with an adapter to connect the PS3 using the composite cable/component cable but I'll be using HDMI to get picture from the PS3.

I think I'm confusing myself as I read this in another forum;

"Originally Posted by Sam_***
When you connect the monitor to the PS3 via HDMI, the audio is also sent to the monitor through the HDMI cable. You could connect the speakers directly to audio out of the monitor without any more cables (check the back of your monitor for the audio out plug). Or yes you could also just use the audio out from the ps3 which involves that cable purchase and would work also."


So what would it look like? My guess is like this:

PS3---->component (red and white cables)---->adapter---->Logitechs

PS3---->HDMI---->Samsung

Help on clearing this jargon of a mess?

ps3>hdmi>samsung>logitecs

usually there is a 3.5 mm mini jack OR rca (red white) out on the back of the tv,

the hdmi stream is digital, and the ps3 will only output digital while useing hdmi (i beleave) so trying to use an adaptor at the back of the PS3 will be a no go

So I would be able to connect the speakers like you said and forget about the adapter completely? This would output sound for my PS3?
The PS3 has the option of either outputting digital sound or like I listed above in the example.

You don't need any adapter if you plan on using HDMI. Simple connect the HDMI from the PS3 to the monitor (make sure your PS3 is outputting sound through HDMI as well). There should be a 3.5mm jack on the monitor, simply plug the speakers into there and you're done.

leetpyro said:

You don't need any adapter if you plan on using HDMI. Simple connect the HDMI from the PS3 to the monitor (make sure your PS3 is outputting sound through HDMI as well). There should be a 3.5mm jack on the monitor, simply plug the speakers into there and you're done.

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exactly what i said,

this will have the added advantage of letting you use the speakers for anything that sends sound to the moniter (tv.. whatever) be it dvd pc cable/sat box.. etc, and (if it is a tv) will let you control the logitecs volume via the tv's remote, and alot of tv's that have audio out like this will also let youturn off the sets speakers so that it only outputs thought the audio out (keeps you from blowing out the sets speakers, if things get loud)

/edit

i had to go and look up this moniter, and come to find out it dose not have audio out, unless you use the digital (optical) output, however it dose have an earphone jack, which is exactly the same as what i was describing, however, it should auto mute the speakers for you.. no messing with moniter menus to disable them.. granted its is a side out jack, instead of a nice rear facing jack that would make it easyer to hide youre wires, but it still the best and most likely only aolution (do to the whole hdmi being digital thing)

if you where to use componet out on the ps3 you could also use the rca out, and have it split off befor the moniter and go to your logitechs, the end result would be needing to have rca splitters (2) and a male sterio rca to femal sterio 3.5mm mini jack (and then having to mute your tv speakers).

basicly the same outcome, only i think the headphone jack is more elegant, just unplug it when you dont want the big sound, and if you dont like the plug sticking out the side, look into a male 3.5mm right angle mini jack to female 3.5 mm mini jack adaptor here

Thanks a lot Thor and leetpyro! Quick question though. I was on CompUSAs website and looked up the Sammy, and its got an HDMI/PC/DVI-D Audio In and like you mentioned the Digital Audio Out; How come I can't use the HDMI etc. Audio in? Another question (bear with me lol); Is there a loss in audio quality in RCA Out versus connecting it via headphone jack?

Again, Thanks for clearing this mess up.

HDMI carries both the audio and video signal. With that said, from the PS3 you can plug the HDMI on either the HDMI input in the rear of the Samsung or in the HDMI input on the side. I just took a look at the Samsung T240HD and I don't see RCA output. For sound output you got the Optical and the headphone jack on the side. But in short to answer your 2nd question, I don't think you'll notice a loss in audio quality between RCA and the headphone jack output.

Before I got my receiver and a whole set of new speakers, my setup was similar to what yours should/will be:
PS3 HDMI Out -> Samsung HDMI In -> Sound output through headphone Jack to Klipsch 2.1 speakers.

Alright guys thanks for answers. I'm probably gonna use the headphone jack as I'm not incredibly picky about aesthetics as long as its for a purpose ie sound.

What I meant by connecting by RCA was using HDMI to get picture, but using the composite (or component) cables the PS3 came with and plug in the red and white part of the composite cables to the adapter the Logitechs come with. Does this lower audio quality? Thats my final question and this thread can be put to rest. lol

One2The3 said:

Alright guys thanks for answers. I'm probably gonna use the headphone jack as I'm not incredibly picky about aesthetics as long as its for a purpose ie sound.

What I meant by connecting by RCA was using HDMI to get picture, but using the composite (or component) cables the PS3 came with and plug in the red and white part of the composite cables to the adapter the Logitechs come with. Does this lower audio quality? Thats my final question and this thread can be put to rest. lol

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as i said, i dont think you can do this becuase the ps3 will want to output only 1 audio source, either analog (RCA) or digital (HDMI) by selecting hdmi output, it will automaticly disable the analog out, i beleave they did this as part of the copyright protection scheme (however all they reall did was annoy the hell out of any one that wants to use more than just their TV for sound.. whats the point of haveing 7.1 uber fucking THX output over an HDMI cable, if you cant split it off and send it to a reciever, but that is exactly what they did)

Actually, the PS3 does have a feature to split the audio using HDMI. It has it's own menu, where you can pick which cable you want to use for each. I used to have HDMI for video, and Optical for audio, back when I used to have a Z-5500. I don't see why it wouldn't let you split it to RCA as well.
In any case, all the protection does is reduce the quality to 48khz/16-bit, which is around CD quality, it doesn't make it unusable.

Odin75 said:

Actually, the PS3 does have a feature to split the audio using HDMI. It has it's own menu, where you can pick which cable you want to use for each. I used to have HDMI for video, and Optical for audio, back when I used to have a Z-5500. I don't see why it wouldn't let you split it to RCA as well.
In any case, all the protection does is reduce the quality to 48khz/16-bit, which is around CD quality, it doesn't make it unusable.

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Yep I was gonna say that but Odin beat me to it. RCA = CD quality where Headphone Jack = ...better than CD?

One2The3 said:

Yep I was gonna say that but Odin beat me to it. RCA = CD quality where Headphone Jack = ...better than CD?

Click to expand...

so be it, didnt know it had that feature, regardless, the sound on the head phone jack is gling to be the same sound coming out of the tv's speakers... regardless, your not going to notice any difference between digital optical rca or the head phone jack, there may be 'more' there with the digital, but the logitecs arnt enought speaker for you to hear the difference, the only thing that might crop up would be a background hiss from the headphone jack (as the tv is processing and controlling the audio/volume) and if this is the case, then your audio splitter (the one the logitecs came with) might be a better bet (im saying this now that i know that i know the audio can be split off, i assumed that this was not possible as it is part of the hdmi spec) sorry for the confusion

any way, the headphone jack still sounds like the most elegant way to connect up the speakers unless they develop a hiss which you may or may not care about

One2The3 said:

Yep I was gonna say that but Odin beat me to it. RCA = CD quality where Headphone Jack = ...better than CD?

Click to expand...

Since you can split your PS3's audio, I'd go direct from your PS3 to your speakers. If you go from the PS3 to your TV and then to your speakers, the TV will process the output of the sound so there will be some compromise in quality or as Thor mentioned, you will get a hissing noise.

Alright thanks guys! I'm gonna try out both ways just to see which one I prefer. I doubt the hiss will bother me, but you never know. Once again thanks for all the help!

One2The3

One2The3 said:

Yep I was gonna say that but Odin beat me to it. RCA = CD quality where Headphone Jack = ...better than CD?

Click to expand...

Just to clarify, NO.

The TYPE of cable you use has nothing to do with the quality. What makes the real difference are the components in the device where the signal stops been digital and becomes analog. This process is always necessary, and it takes place in a DAC. Of course, unless you are RoboCop and can connect digital cables to your skull, lol. The DAC is just the converter, but other components help in eliminating static noise and such, so that's why I say the last device is the important one. So in effect, you can connect 100 different devices using 100 different digital cables (Optical, Digital Coaxial, HDMI, etc). Once you reach the end of the chain, and you decide it's time to actually hear the damn song, you convert it to analog, and that last device is the one that dictates the quality.

So if the original was 16-bit/48kz, then that's what you will end up getting as long as the devices in the long path support it. That is around what CDs use, which actually is 16-bit/44khz, so is supported by every device you can think of. The problem begins with the new blu-ray movies, which can theoretically go as far as 24-bit/192khz. Since the movies studios want to keep people from stealing their super high quality sound (loseless), they created HDCP and PAP. That means that all the devices in the chain need to support HDCP and PAP protection, or else it will reduce the quality back to 16-bit/48khz to stop you from potentially making a perfect copy (lossless).

After all that baloney, the connector you use is simply irrelevant, they are just there for convenience purposes. So yes, 3.5mm (standard headphone) jacks and RCA connectors are essentially the same. they are both analog. And no, headphone jack is NOT better than CD quality, just because they are completely different concepts, the quality gets determined before it ever reaches the connector. And remember, you'll never get better quality than the original. So if 16-bit/48hkz is what the song is in your device, PS3, don't expect it to magically become Superman and shoot lazers from the eyes, lol.

Hope that helped.

That helped a lot Odin! Thanks again bro. I knew some of the audio stuff, but Im way far from knowledgable in that are. lol You cleared up what I get confused with from reading around here and other forums.

One2The3