Sound card to receiver

[edgeh2o]

I'm using an optical cable to go from my computer to my Onkyo TX-SR506 receiver. Right now I'm running 2.0 with AV123 ELT525M speakers, and Monday my Mirage Omni S8 sub will be here. I have a Creative Soundblaster X-Fi Xtrememusic and onboard sound on my Gigabyte P35 DS3L motherboard. I'm using the optical out on my motherboard right now to my receiver, because my soundcard doesn't have an optical out... I'd have to get a toslink to mini adaptor if I wanted to connect it to my soundcard. I'm just wondering, since the signal is digital and only my DAC on my receiver does any converting, does it matter that I'm using my onboard soundcard? Would there be any advantage to getting a toslink mini adaptor and using my soundcard to connect to my receiver, would it sound better at all?


Also... when I hook up my sub via LFE will I have to rerun Audyssey on my Onkyo receiver or can I just hookup my sub and change the crossover for my fronts to 100hz and be fine?

 

[criccio]

It doesn't matter one bit. The signal coming from the onboard S/PDIF connector on the mobo is identical to that of the soundcard. FWIW, I have a GA-P35-DS3L aswell, and have an optical cable running out to my Pioneer reciever. Its powering 2 Polk bookshelfs, and a powered Yamaha sub via the LFE channel. It works great.

As far re-callibrating the Onkyo, all I do if I turn off the sub is switch the speaker settings of the front mains to "large" so they get sent the full range signal. When my sub is connected, I set them to "small", and the crossover to 80hz.

 

[edgeh2o]

Nice, sounds good. Just got coaxial cable from monoprice, now I just need Monday to roll by!

I do like the ELT525M's, they are a very nice speaker and I can even turn them up pretty loud. I'm auditioning them and I'm thinking about getting a pair of X-Series CS speakers, or a pair of ELT525T's to see how they would sound in my room. A few reason why I want to audition another set of speakers is that I'd like to hear a speaker with higher sensitivity (ELT525M's are only 83dB) so that I wouldn't have to turn up my receiver as loud, and also while the ELT525M's do put out some bass at lower volumes, when I turn the volume up, it really doesn't get much louder. What I do love about these speakers are the microdynamics, voices, they are great for HT, have great imaging, look amazing!