3D Sound and Digital Cables - Why your games are in stereo only - Page 2

imgod22222 · 28th June 2006, 2:41 AM

Does this mean that mp3 files should be able to give surround sound? After searching, this is what I found out.

MP3 is a compression format. It provides a representation of pulse-code modulation-encoded (PCM) audio data...
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MP3

I have a couple of mp3 tracks that were ripped from a 7.1 audio DVD and only play through 2 speakers. I have 5.1 speakers connected to my karajan onboard audio. Why isn't it playing through all 5.1 speakers?

Hung-Two · 29th June 2006, 10:07 AM

What encoder and encoding settings were used? I'm not sure if any mp3 encoder has the option of encoding more than a stereo audio stream.

imgod22222 · 30th June 2006, 7:06 AM

/..\ I'm sorry to say, but I don't know. I'll start a new thread so as not to hijack this one, with a slightly different topic.

Jedi Jezz · 6th July 2006, 6:50 AM

Three cheers for nforce 2 sounstorm! The only reason why I still use an athlon xp-m setup as my gaming box and another setup for my tv.

aerospyke · 6th July 2006, 12:48 PM

I have the X-plosion and will either get the 5500's or klipsch promedia 5.1's ... can't decide which. ..

until i decide i'm stick with a stereo lead going to my 5.1 stereo (it sucks, stereo is 5.1, audio source is 5.1 but transmission medium is not and the stereo doesn't have any input besides stereo. :unhappy face:

CaveDog · 6th July 2006, 8:17 PM

Came here from teh front page of OCAU, and you have just given me the answer that I have been searching for for around 4 months. I'm going to go shopping for a real sound-card now.

surenw · 26th July 2006, 2:28 PM

nice dawg. good stuff.

Circlestrafe · 2nd September 2006, 3:31 PM

Bought an x-fi about 6 months ago, was wondering wtf was wrong with it as my nforce2 audio had 5.1 sound in games (battlefield2 mainly). I should've done my homework a little more thoroughly! But the x-fi blows it away when using headphones (in battlefield 2 anyway), so I guess it's a decent tradeoff. I just need a new receiver that accepts analogue inputs vs my current which only accepts digital.

GSX-R · 18th September 2006, 9:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VZey

wow guys thanks I was going to get a digital cable for my new z5500's but now I won't bother, I'll just stick with analogue.

Or you could do what I do...

I have the Z-680s (very similar to the 55s, has digital optical, coaxial, and analogue inputs).

To enjoy divxs/xvids/dvds with already encoded 5.1 AC3 audio streams out to your speakers digitally, you run either an optical or coaxial digital cable to the z55s (and install a proggy called ac3filter and set it to "SPDIF passthrough" mode)

when gaming, simply have the 3 analogue plugs from the back of your soundcard connected to the z55s as well, and switch the z55's amp over to analogue mode..

voila, then you have the best of both worlds

unconess · 18th September 2006, 11:21 PM

Yeah I have both analog and digital connected up to my amp too, but the downside is it adds to the million leads to fiddle with when moving the computer... It's also a bit annoying in my case because my sound card does realtime encoding to Dolby digital and DTS, but every time the computer starts and stops making sound the amp "unlocks" from the signal and has a second or two of delay when another sound starts. I think that's more of an issue with the amp but still a bit frustrating since the digital encoding was a big choosing factor for the card.

Pacifist · 2nd December 2006, 11:10 AM

The only justification for one sound card sounding better over another happens at the last stage when the sound is converted to analog.
Yes, CPU usage may be increased using different sound cards but the actual issue of quality only happens at the analog conversion stage.

So if you plan on using digital SPDIF then what is the point of using an expensive sound card over an internal one with SPDIF?

There can't be any possible loss in digital data barring anything going horribly wrong. The worse that can happen is you use a tiny bit more CPU power with the onboard card. Even a 286 could handle mixing wav data so the CPU loss is no big deal.

stroggos2k · 2nd December 2006, 11:13 AM

I was under the impression that some of the cheaper SPDIF solutions re-sample from 44khz to 48khz badly, but that could be a myth.

theicemagic · 8th February 2007, 12:37 PM

I remember buying the original Audigy Platinum thinking that it would fix the problem of not having the NF2 Soundstorm board. Shame I was wrong.
I use the MistiqueX these days, with optical. There's a minute amount of lag, but for movies it's not a problem.

HELL_HOUND · 26th May 2007, 4:28 AM

hey i need to know where to buy one of these Dolby Digital Live cards, ither the HDA X-Mystique or i also heard the Diamond Xtreme Sound Card also does the same thing. Does anyone know where i can buy one of these from in Perth WA

Thnx

-Hell_Hound

user5124 · 26th May 2007, 9:20 AM

Those cards are old aren't they?
I'd recommend the b-enspirer...
punch b-enspirer into http://www.ausprices.com and you'll see a few places.

28th June 2006, 2:41 AM	#16
imgod22222 Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Florida, America Posts: 715	Does this mean that mp3 files should be able to give surround sound? After searching, this is what I found out. MP3 is a compression format. It provides a representation of pulse-code modulation-encoded (PCM) audio data... Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MP3 I have a couple of mp3 tracks that were ripped from a 7.1 audio DVD and only play through 2 speakers. I have 5.1 speakers connected to my karajan onboard audio. Why isn't it playing through all 5.1 speakers? __________________ There's merit in construction; when it's done with our own hands. There's beauty in destruction; resurrection, another chance. There's a "U" and "I" in union but just an "I" in our beliefs ~Protest the Hero -> Plateful of our Dead

29th June 2006, 10:07 AM	#17
Hung-Two Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: ACT Posts: 645	What encoder and encoding settings were used? I'm not sure if any mp3 encoder has the option of encoding more than a stereo audio stream. __________________ Member #17 of the OCAU CREATIVE owners Club (\__/) (='.'=) (")_(") This is Bunny. Copy Bunny into your signature to help him on his way to world domination.

30th June 2006, 7:06 AM	#18
imgod22222 Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Florida, America Posts: 715	/..\ I'm sorry to say, but I don't know. I'll start a new thread so as not to hijack this one, with a slightly different topic. __________________ There's merit in construction; when it's done with our own hands. There's beauty in destruction; resurrection, another chance. There's a "U" and "I" in union but just an "I" in our beliefs ~Protest the Hero -> Plateful of our Dead

6th July 2006, 12:48 PM	#20
aerospyke Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Sydney NSW Posts: 3,180	I have the X-plosion and will either get the 5500's or klipsch promedia 5.1's ... can't decide which. .. until i decide i'm stick with a stereo lead going to my 5.1 stereo (it sucks, stereo is 5.1, audio source is 5.1 but transmission medium is not and the stereo doesn't have any input besides stereo. :unhappy face: __________________ DFI Lanparty UT nf4 SLI-DR Expert BIOS 0406 \| G4 on AMD 4400+@2.7Ghz (270x10) \| G.Skill HZ 2GB@1:1 \| MCW55 on 7800GTX 256 @ 500/1.39 Wife v1.2 settling in fine, no compatibility issues apparent ZOMG bought myself a house !

6th July 2006, 8:17 PM	#21
CaveDog Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: 3131.melbourne.vic.au Posts: 529	Came here from teh front page of OCAU, and you have just given me the answer that I have been searching for for around 4 months. I'm going to go shopping for a real sound-card now. __________________ See sig run!

6th July 2006, 6:50 AM	#19
Jedi Jezz Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Canberra Posts: 925	Three cheers for nforce 2 sounstorm! The only reason why I still use an athlon xp-m setup as my gaming box and another setup for my tv.

26th July 2006, 2:28 PM	#22
surenw Member Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 20	nice dawg. good stuff.

2nd September 2006, 3:31 PM	#23
Circlestrafe Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 2	Bought an x-fi about 6 months ago, was wondering wtf was wrong with it as my nforce2 audio had 5.1 sound in games (battlefield2 mainly). I should've done my homework a little more thoroughly! But the x-fi blows it away when using headphones (in battlefield 2 anyway), so I guess it's a decent tradeoff. I just need a new receiver that accepts analogue inputs vs my current which only accepts digital. __________________ http://sigimages.bf2tracker.com/128644/2/sig1.png http://sigimages.bf2tracker.com/128644/2/sig2.png

18th September 2006, 11:21 PM	#25
unconess Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Blue Mountains Posts: 1,326	Yeah I have both analog and digital connected up to my amp too, but the downside is it adds to the million leads to fiddle with when moving the computer... It's also a bit annoying in my case because my sound card does realtime encoding to Dolby digital and DTS, but every time the computer starts and stops making sound the amp "unlocks" from the signal and has a second or two of delay when another sound starts. I think that's more of an issue with the amp but still a bit frustrating since the digital encoding was a big choosing factor for the card.

2nd December 2006, 11:10 AM	#26
Pacifist Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Gosford Posts: 1,950	The only justification for one sound card sounding better over another happens at the last stage when the sound is converted to analog. Yes, CPU usage may be increased using different sound cards but the actual issue of quality only happens at the analog conversion stage. So if you plan on using digital SPDIF then what is the point of using an expensive sound card over an internal one with SPDIF? There can't be any possible loss in digital data barring anything going horribly wrong. The worse that can happen is you use a tiny bit more CPU power with the onboard card. Even a 286 could handle mixing wav data so the CPU loss is no big deal. Last edited by Pacifist; 2nd December 2006 at 11:13 AM.

2nd December 2006, 11:13 AM	#27
stroggos2k Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Rozelle, Sydney NSW Posts: 6,308	I was under the impression that some of the cheaper SPDIF solutions re-sample from 44khz to 48khz badly, but that could be a myth.

8th February 2007, 12:37 PM	#28
theicemagic Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 3,798	I remember buying the original Audigy Platinum thinking that it would fix the problem of not having the NF2 Soundstorm board. Shame I was wrong. I use the MistiqueX these days, with optical. There's a minute amount of lag, but for movies it's not a problem. __________________ PhaseOne IQ160/645DF \| Mamiya RZ67IID http://www.madmilkdud.com/ \| Need help finding camera quipment in Tokyo? Check your balls! - Testicular cancer isn't fun, but checking for it can be!

26th May 2007, 4:28 AM	#29
HELL_HOUND Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Perth, WA Posts: 39	hey i need to know where to buy one of these Dolby Digital Live cards, ither the HDA X-Mystique or i also heard the Diamond Xtreme Sound Card also does the same thing. Does anyone know where i can buy one of these from in Perth WA Thnx -Hell_Hound __________________ Current PC case mod project: Sun E450 20+ drives with sata Port Multiplyer

26th May 2007, 9:20 AM	#30
user5124 Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 714	Those cards are old aren't they? I'd recommend the b-enspirer... punch b-enspirer into http://www.ausprices.com and you'll see a few places.