What is S/PDIF for?

[FastCat]

What is this for? This came with my sound card asus xonar dx where do I even plug it and does it even work with my headset :/

 

[criccio]

Its is to pass along a digital signal to an external DAC/receiver/decoder. If you spent money on a fancy soundcard such as the Xonar, using the S/PDIF out makes your purchase more or less a waste of money. Sounds cards are expensive because of their analog circuity and using S/PDIF bypasses it.

Good place to start, its all explained here: http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1410367

 

[Leman]

Its is to pass along a digital signal to an external DAC/receiver/decoder. If you spent money on a fancy soundcard such as the Xonar, using the S/PDIF out makes your purchase more or less a waste of money. Sounds cards are expensive because of their analog circuity and using S/PDIF bypasses it.

Good place to start, its all explained here: http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1410367

Its not a waste of money. For boards without S/PDIF capability and for those who don't want to buy an external DAC, sound cards give you the improved sound quality while at your desk, but the ability to put out 5.1 when you're at the HT setup.

The Xonar DX S/PDIF connector plugs into Mic In I believe.

 

[criccio]

May I ask why you would be switching from the analog outs to the digital out on the same machine?

 

[Leman]

5.1 audio if I use the HT setup. Receiver doesn't take 5 3.5mm inputs, and the ALC885 doesn't do 5.1.

That's about the only reason. I'd buy an HT Omega Striker, if it came in PCIe form.

Maybe I'll just buy a Zero, and figure out a way to hack out 5.1 through the ALC885.

*Buh. The Zero's $150+50 shipping CAD. Maybe later.

 

[criccio]

The Zero is a standalone 2 channel DAC, essentially an external soundcard. It has nothing to do with 5.1 audio.

 

[Leman]

I don't think you're reading my posts very well.

ALC885 Coax > Zero = Headphones at desk.
ALC885 Coax > Receiver = 5.1 HT setup. Not in the same room.

My computer's light enough to move around when I feel like it.

 

[skyline889]

If you spent money on a fancy soundcard such as the Xonar, using the S/PDIF out makes your purchase more or less a waste of money.

Buying something like a Xonar D2X would be a waste of money but buying a sound card in general just to use the digital output is not. Most, and up until the past year or two all, onboard audio solutions do not give you bit perfect output, they up-sample the standard 44.1kHz sample rate to 48kHz, much like the old Audigy's used to do. This might not be important to some, but to others this is a deal breaker.

5.1 audio if I use the HT setup. Receiver doesn't take 5 3.5mm inputs, and the ALC885 doesn't do 5.1.

You could just use a mini-rca cable if you wanted to use the analog outputs.

 

[Leman]

You could just use a mini-rca cable if you wanted to use the analog outputs.

Then I still won't have my 5.1.

The L/C/R speakers are all up front, so without the rear speakers, it's rather annoying to hear everything in front of me.

 

[skyline889]

Then I still won't have my 5.1.

The L/C/R speakers are all up front, so without the rear speakers, it's rather annoying to hear everything in front of me.

What? The ALC885 has 7.1 channel output. All you'd have to do is use a mini-rca for front L/R channels, a mini-rca for center/sub channels, and a mini-rca for rear L/R channels and you'd have analog 5.1. Yeah it's easier to use optical but your receiver/soundcard are not incapable of analog 5.1.