Connecting an original xbox 360 to PC audio

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peekama

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I just picked up an hdmi -> dvi cable to use my monitor as an xbox display, but I forgot about audio. I have a 5.1 Acoustic Authority sound system that I want to use, but I'm not quite sure how to go from the red/white RCA xbox audio to the front/back input on my sound system. Does anybody have experience with this?

I've seen methods of feeding the xbox audio into the microphone, but I would prefer to preserve the different channels of audio if at all possible.
 
Hard to say without knowing what outputs you have on the speakers. Do you have a link, or know what it has?

Regardless, since you're using HDMI, you're going to need one of these. You can hack the one that came with your 360 to fit, but with an HDMI cable, the stock one won't fit without opening the case. This will get the audio out of the 360.

From there, you can go with a fiber if your speakers have it. Thats your best bet. If it doesn't, then you'll want to do composite (red/white) out into the speakers. If your speakers don't have that, then you can convert the audio to the mini jack like the microphone...

Really depends on what is available on those speakers... got any more info on them?
 
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I think your best bet would be something like this:

http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10423&cs_id=1042302&p_id=6884&seq=1&format=2

Converts toslink to R/L composite audio. Use the optical toslink from your xbox for it.

You can find an HDMI->analog audio converter....but they are very pricey (as in, in the hundreds). I couldn't find a toslink->analog 5.1 converter on a quick google hunt, so I doubt that would be cheap either. Part of the problem is that it would have to decode dolby digital and output to 5 RCA plugs. Most of the time those duties are handled by a HT receiver or a PC sound card.

You can also get a slim, slim analog component output from somewhere for the xbox to get analog sound/video out at the same time as HDMI...

Getting 5.1 analog out of the xbox is going to be a PITA. You'd probably be better off buying a DD/AC-3 optical in capable speaker set.
 
I'm not sure if that will really help me here. I can R/L composite out of the xbox with what Demon10000 suggested, but I don't have a way of getting the audio to the speakers without feeding it through the microphone jack on my pc
 
peekama said:
I'm not sure if that will really help me here. I can R/L composite out of the xbox with what Demon10000 suggested, but I don't have a way of getting the audio to the speakers without feeding it through the microphone jack on my pc
Click to expand...

Do your speakers have a MIC in jack? I would simply us a Y adapter (to 3.5mm) from the R/L analog cables and plug it in directly to your speakers. Most all PC speaker sets should have a MIC (3.5mm) jack in somewhere, if not and you have to use your PC sound card?

Um good luck with that, not sure how that will work. Simple solution for you though, Y jack fro R/L to 3.5mm.. then plug that into the speakers MIC in.

OR use a headset, 3.5mm Y adapater into that.
 
I still can't find the specs of those speakers, just lots of sites selling them. Can you link the manual or post some pictures of the back of the sub and the control box?

I see it has a control box, and usually there is an alternate input on those...
 
Demon10000 said:
Hard to say without knowing what outputs you have on the speakers. Do you have a link, or know what it has?

Regardless, since you're using HDMI, you're going to need one of these. You can hack the one that came with your 360 to fit, but with an HDMI cable, the stock one won't fit without opening the case. This will get the audio out of the 360.

From there, you can go with a fiber if your speakers have it. Thats your best bet. If it doesn't, then you'll want to do composite (red/white) out into the speakers. If your speakers don't have that, then you can convert the audio to the mini jack like the microphone...

Really depends on what is available on those speakers... got any more info on them?
Click to expand...

My 360 came with that adapter as well as an HDMI cable and both plug in just fine at the same time.
Isn't that a standard adapter?
 
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Wait, original xbox 360s did not have HDMI. WHat model is this? Does it have optical out? If so, get a SP/DIF DAC that spits out 5 channels.

Or, get a sound card that has SPDIF (optical) INPUTS. My X-Fi platinum has this with the front breakout box.
 
Zepher said:
My 360 came with that adapter as well as an HDMI cable and both plug in just fine at the same time.
Isn't that a standard adapter?
Click to expand...

I believe that only the Elites came with that adapter. I'm not sure what the newer ones are shipping with. Microsoft sold it separately for a hefty price for a while, but enough of them are floating around the used market today to make them pretty cheap. I paid $20 for mine a year or so ago when I wanted to do HDMI video and TOSLINK for audio.

Wait, original xbox 360s did not have HDMI. WHat model is this? Does it have optical out? If so, get a SP/DIF DAC that spits out 5 channels.

Or, get a sound card that has SPDIF (optical) INPUTS. My X-Fi platinum has this with the front breakout box.
Click to expand...

I don't think any 360's have optical out on the console. Just HDMI and the proprietary AV port.
 
Ya, mine is an Elite and I had to use that adapter since my HDTV I had at the time didn't do audio over the HDMI, just video, so I used optical to my Receiver.
 
theNoid said:
Do your speakers have a MIC in jack? I would simply us a Y adapter (to 3.5mm) from the R/L analog cables and plug it in directly to your speakers. Most all PC speaker sets should have a MIC (3.5mm) jack in somewhere, if not and you have to use your PC sound card?

Um good luck with that, not sure how that will work. Simple solution for you though, Y jack fro R/L to 3.5mm.. then plug that into the speakers MIC in.

OR use a headset, 3.5mm Y adapater into that.
Click to expand...

What he said. Use a Y-Adapter to convert the RCA to the typical stereo input used for computers.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10429&cs_id=1042902&p_id=7189&seq=1&format=2

If you want fancier sound you'll have to follow one of the other suggestions.
 
Alright, well my speakers are on the lower end and don't have the TOSLINK jack, so it looks like I'll just have to use a Y connector to feed the R/L audio into my microphone. Thanks for all the help!
 
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