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Anyone using optical SPDIF to 5500's?

N

nickanderson

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jul 18, 2004
Messages
425
Hello is anyone here using a XFI connecting the optical SPDIF to the optical SPDIF connectior on the 5500's from logitech?

Is this a good setup for you if so? Any issues?

Thanks!
 
Why would you do that? You're losing all the X-Fi's processing when you do. It makes no sense, as you paid for high quality analog on the X-Fi, and then you're going to give it up for the processing of the Z-5500s decoder?

Remember you won't get games in surround sound, and you'll only get 2 channel audio from everything but movies.

Also, unless you bought one of the more expensive versions, you'll have to get some sort of an adapter to connect them.

I would strongly recommend connecting them with analog.
 
Oh see this is the good info i wanted to know, so using the analog SPDIF? or a different analog connection? Isnt optical better then analog?
 
darkswordsman17 said:
Why would you do that? You're losing all the X-Fi's processing when you do. It makes no sense, as you paid for high quality analog on the X-Fi, and then you're going to give it up for the processing of the Z-5500s decoder?

Remember you won't get games in surround sound, and you'll only get 2 channel audio from everything but movies.

Also, unless you bought one of the more expensive versions, you'll have to get some sort of an adapter to connect them.

I would strongly recommend connecting them with analog.
Click to expand...
Wrong. The DAC in the control pod of the z5500 is as good as the one in the X-Fi, as discussed here before. So you will get better transferring of signal using the optical than through analogue.
 
I'll have to second that the DACs in the 5500s are good quality. Every bit as good as the Audigy 2's. I don't know about X-Fi but I'm sure they can't be that much different. I have my Oppo DVD player hooked to the control pod through optical. My HD cable box is through coax though with the larger digital audio cables today it is a VERY tight fit with the connectors on the control pod so close to each other.
 
I'm not talking about the DACs. The fact is, if you go digital you give up all of the X-Fi's processing. No FPS boost in games, no surround in games (aside from whatever upmixing you would have the Logitech do). This stuff is what you paid money for the X-Fi for.

As far as music and movies, I doubt the difference in audio quality would be readily noticable, especially, since you'll have to be doing a mini-pin adapter to get digital out of the X-Fi. Even with analog the quality of the signal surpasses what the speakers can convey anyways, so its not like you're really losing anything.

I'm sure it does sound fine with optical into the speakers, but if you have an X-Fi, it wouldn't make sense to bypass it entirely, would it?
 
nickanderson said:
Oh see this is the good info i wanted to know, so using the analog SPDIF? or a different analog connection? Isnt optical better then analog?
Click to expand...

In theory, yes, although thats heavily debatable with audio (go onto a true audiophile forum and try to debate that CDs have better sound quality than vinyl, or that digital amps are superior).

However, in this case, if you do go digital, you are going to bypass your X-Fi entirely. Not only that, but the quality of even the analog signal from the X-Fi is going to be more than good enough for the speakers.
 
how are you bypassing the xfi completely when the optical out is on the XFI itself, it is feeding the signal to the optical output....
 
nickanderson said:
how are you bypassing the xfi completely when the optical out is on the XFI itself, it is feeding the signal to the optical output....
Click to expand...

Because the X-Fi is just passing the signal along, its not actually processing it in any way. The X-Fi is just functioning as a port.
 
Floruro said:
Wrong. The DAC in the control pod of the z5500 is as good as the one in the X-Fi, as discussed here before. So you will get better transferring of signal using the optical than through analogue.
Click to expand...
WRONG.
 
darkswordsman17 said:
Because the X-Fi is just passing the signal along, its not actually processing it in any way. The X-Fi is just functioning as a port.
Click to expand...

The X-Fi is still processing all signals except DTS/DD if its set for passthrough. All other signals are processed normally except that they bypass the DACs and are sent over SPDIF instead leaving the reciever to do the final analog conversion. Of course the main limitation of using digital output is that you're limited to 2ch Stereo.

I don't think the Z5500s will really show any major quality difference using digital over analog connections in particular.
 
I have my audigy 1 connected to my z5500 via optical cable.

Positive:
- cleaner setup (less cables to deal with)
- cheaper (50ft optical premium cable for $11 versus longer analog cables)
- I (personal opinion) find the sound quality better with the Z5500 doing the processing than the analog sound on the audigy.
- the pro logic II does work pretty good for non 5.1 contents (other nice effects like 2xstereo for music, etc.)

Negative:
- if you want true 5.1 in games, then you need a DDL card.
 
You don't actually LOOSE eax support when you use the digital connections, its still doing its thing regardless.

What you do loose is the ability to get more than Stereo audio out of games, which if you bought an X-FI card is probally a big deal (unless you're using headphones :p ).
 
I dunno guy's but a pc is a pc and you don't really need dolby, that is mostly used for home receivers and dolby is one of the standar's in receivers, for computer's I don't see how it would help since most pc speakers suck compared to reference speakers. If you wanted those features and reference speakers you could just strap a receiver to your sound card. I think they should really work on getting reference speakers 5.1 sets for computers even if they cost more.
 
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