How Would You Run My Setup?

[shizdan]

I'm trying to run my Z-5500 with optical (SPDIF), but am unsure if my sound card supports EAX over optical. Also, I'm thinking to run my Headphones out of the Headphone jack for Maximum quality. So I was thinking.....

Run Z-5500 through optical (SPDIF) for 5.1
1 - Can I get EAX over optical for 5.1?. What about Dolby Digital?
2 - Is this best for music?

Run Headphones from Analog (Straight out of the sound card)
1 - Doing this because my OP amps for my sound card on effect the left and right channel, not the center, rear left or rear right.

 

[Odin75]

Well, looking at your signature seems you are using an Auzentech X-Fi Prelude. If you want to run games in 5.1 with EAX, you are gonna have to enable Dolby Digital Live in the sound card. That's gonna convert everything, including games, into Dolby Digital 5.1. I think DTS Interactive does this too. That is needed because otherwise it's gonna send the sound as uncompressed stereo (2.0 PCM), which is the max supported by an optical cable.

As far as music goes, I recommend sending it as PCM 2.0 since music is stereo anyways. PCM is higher quality than Dolby Digital or DTS. Just set the Z-5500 to ProLogicII Music or Stereo X2, if you wish to hear the music in surround.

Ok, hope that helps.