Need a soundcard for Logitech Z-5450 5.1 Digital

B

Bugbear

Limp Gawd
Joined
Sep 13, 2003
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I'm trying to find a soundcard to match up with this speaker system.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16836121133

I don't know too much about audio specs. People who have reviewed these speakers say that the optical port is the best way to go. I don't even know what that port looks like and what sound card will support it. I need some suggestions please.

I was looking at this, but I really have no idea if it's the right thing for the Logitech system.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16829121122

Thanks.
 
x-fi xtreme (music, fatality, or elite), extreme music is the best price/features of any x-fi (although no breakout), and x-fi is the only way to go if you even remotely game.... and still is great for music and movies... and has dolby digital/optical out for dolby digital/dts support for games and movies... and it will upmix stereo music to surround sound....


if I were you i would get the z-5500's, as the wireless speakers still have to be plugged in, but its your call, as the Z-5500's are much more powerful, and have same feature set....
 
Thanks, I will check out the x-fi.

The deal with the 5500 is that I would have speaker cord going across the room. With the 5450's the rear speakers only need a power cord. I'll still give it some time before making a final choice. I'm wondering if klipsch has an option for my liking.
 
I have a Z-5400 which is the same as Z-5450 but the rear speakers are wired. The Z-5500 sounds better than the Z-54x0. The Z-54x0 will sound better through optical (with DD/DTS encoding for surround) on most sound card but some higher quality sound card wil give a better sound through analogue because the DAC on the Z-54x0 is not a great DAC. Check my thread about the X-Meridian because I used my Z-5400 to review the card.

Edit: No Creative card can encode DD/DTS signal through the optical so you will end up with only stereo sound using the optical. It can only pass a pre-encoded DD/DTS signal on DVD movies through the optical.
 
alg7_munif said:
Edit: No Creative card can encode DD/DTS signal through the optical so you will end up with only stereo sound using the optical. It can only pass a pre-encoded DD/DTS signal on DVD movies through the optical.
Click to expand...

Just because it doesnt encode to DD or DTS doesnt mean its basic stereo sound either. I dont use optical out on a creative card myself, but just the 3.5mm digital out on my Audigy 2 and in any game thats uses 3D audio or EAX i get full surround sound, and i dont see why that wouldnt be true of an X-Fi.
 
With the Z-5450 you have 2 options to get a surround sound from your computer. 1st option is by using the analogue input on the little receiver of your speaker. 2nd option is by using a digital input on the receiver and on the Z-5450 you have 2 optical inputs and one coaxial input. Through digital connection, normally only 2-channel audio can be delivered but if a surround sound from a computer is encoded into DD/DTS signal, you can get a surround sound through digital connection because the receiver of the speaker will decode this signal and produce a surround sound on your speaker. Most sound card can't do the encoding, only some will do. By using digital connection, the signal processing is done by your receiver, by using analogue the processing is done on your sound card. Normally the processing done by the receiver is better than a sound card but some sound card can do a better processing because the receiver of the Z-5450 is not a great receiver, a home theater receiver is superior than the Z-5450 receiver so you will get a better sound when using analogue.
 
DarkBahamut said:
Just because it doesnt encode to DD or DTS doesnt mean its basic stereo sound either. I dont use optical out on a creative card myself, but just the 3.5mm digital out on my Audigy 2 and in any game thats uses 3D audio or EAX i get full surround sound, and i dont see why that wouldnt be true of an X-Fi.
Click to expand...

The 3.5mm digital out only works with a creative's digital speaker and X-Fi doesn't have the 3.5mm digital output anymore. Btw the digital input on the logitech can't take the 3.5mm digital.
 
alg7_munif said:
The 3.5mm digital out only works with a creative's digital speaker and X-Fi doesn't have the 3.5mm digital output anymore. Btw the digital input on the logitech can't take the 3.5mm digital.
Click to expand...

I just had an audigy 2 given to me, I am currently running digital out from my mobo to my Z-680's. Does this mean that I can not run digital from the audigy 2 to the 680's? Will I have to use the 3 analog jacks?
 
Which mobo are you using now? To get a true surround sound through a single digital cable you need DD/DTS encoding. Older nForce2 board with onboard sound storm has the DD encoding feature. If the Audigy 2 has a digital output, you can still get a 2-channel sound but not a surround sound. The best you can get it by using the Pro-Logic function on your speaker but it is not a true surround but just a stereo sound expanded into surround.
 
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