hi all

any ideas to get cheap surround sound on 5.1 pc speakers that has no optical input?

i saw this DDTS-100 decoder and is the only way to get true surround sound BUT it cost a bomb! rm700+ (might as well drag the budget a bit and get a home theater)




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i saw this DTS 610 decoder too, cost around rm300+ which the price is not too bad, BUT its unable to make true surround sound, according to the gamespot forum.




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i saw this Logitech Z680's decoder that can convert 5.1 pc speakers to true surround sound BUT it is hard to find JUST the decoder only, cos its usually sold in one-whole-set.



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how about external sound card? does those work? any ideas?

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Added on August 10, 2008, 9:59 pmanyone?

This post has been edited by Borneo928: Aug 20 2008, 10:51 PM

Have you considered cheap Jalan Pasar mari AV amps?

never heard of it... does those AV amps give true surround sound? got sample picture or connectivity diagram? thanks for the reply by the way

U get what u pay for...

hey borneo, i'm in the same boat as you

looking high and low for the ddts 100.

so far in the forums there's only one guy selling it, and he's charging the ridiculous price of rm750 for the whole set. (plus he isn't too friendly)

u want 2 connect from console or pc?

edit: or u already got pc speakers but wanna decoder tat can produce true sounds?

This post has been edited by Microsuck_360: Aug 11 2008, 04:28 PM

i'm guessing his situation is like mine:

we have a 5.1 PC speaker set, but without the proper decoders and equipment, we can't get Dolby Digital 5.1 or DTS 5.1

i've been looking at alotta alternatives, I thought the Prodigy 7.1 HiFi sound card can handle it, but it doesn't.

in that case very hard lah bro..since we talking bout pc speakers what bout sonic gear enzo 7000?...i heard it have optical input...just read somewhere in maq..

yeah bro, i know how u feel..potential is there but it's not full potential... haiz.
by the way i saw this one site that sells this small device that "clams" to do what we are looking for. but i cant seem to get conform information from the site, doesn't describe much, and i am not sure what is the price of it..here's the link, can go n check it out.

http://www.alibaba.com/catalog/11637453/AC..._Connector.html

got the 5.1 pc speakers already, but cant make Dolby Digital 5.1 or DTS 5.1 sounds. just stereo left n right, due to the consoles red n white AV plug...need something that can transform optical cable sounds into the green black and orange RCA plug from the pc speakers...such thing that only can make it is that DDTS-100 decoder...but..ayooo expensive ler!

This post has been edited by Borneo928: Aug 11 2008, 05:31 PM

i'm using the creative DTS100 decoder with edifier r501. super nice deadly combination pretty happy with it.

but if you want better option just grab the sony 5.2 cost you rm999 only.

lucky for you bro, when and where did u get ur dts100?

my original plan was to use it with my edifier s4.1

im also figurin how to connect my 5.1 with my lcd..
i google'd and found this...
dunno if its any help

--->the analog to digital converter<---
http://www.youravcablestore.com/digital-to...converters.html

those are nowhere near wat we need to get dolby digital 5.1 / dts 5.1 sound

all it does is change analogue to digital, doesn't do any form of decoding or encoding whatsoever

i bought almost a year already lah. bought it from allIT last time rm515

lol pricey dude...


i dont suppose if anyone knows if any lowyat shops sell these extinct species?

now 899 at carefour. hahahaha.. but no speaker stand.

so i guess there is no hope in getting a budget surround sound then..gotta spend big bucks on those toys.....hmmm let me calculate..if i start eating grass form today onwards..then i can get it by christmas! ..LOL!

did any one check the link i posted earlier on just now?

There's another solution that works, but is even less practical. Get a soundcard with optical input. Connect one end of the optical cable to the console and the other end to the soundcard's optical in. Connect the speakers to the soundcard analogue out. The sound will be output to the speakers using the sound card. Like I mentioned, it does work, but this is hardly a good solution because:

1. You need to buy the soundcard, which won't be cheap (X-fi Platinum or similar)
2. The PC needs to be turned on while playing
3. Can't use this setup when connecting to a television set (unless the PC is dragged to the TV)

This brings us back to the most proper solution: buying the decoder. I've been contemplating buying it from 2003-2005. But I found myself resisting because of the high asking price. In the end, I just settled buying a Logitech Z680. This ended up being my gaming setup until now. I can't say whether the price of the decoder is worth it, but it really is the most proper solution to your issue.

anyone have experience with these china brand receivers? if it is cheap and does the job (accept optical and decodes 5.1), then it should be OK.

come to think of it, the decoder chip should be very cheap to manufacture. a few years back, i bought a cheapo tesco dvd player and it has the decoder chip to process 5.1 sound built in.

agreed, some info such as price and location to buy would be nice.

can't afford a decent receiver atm. All i want is to hear gunshots at the back of me and go, "oooooh..."

edit: wrong information. deleted

This post has been edited by Gurdian: Aug 13 2008, 04:37 PM

very much agree with this one here. how about external sound card? do they fix this problem? any external sound card that has optical input? and usually how much would those external sound card cost?

for those who havent got the spk,why not consider a basic HT which come with everything including 5 spkd and subwoofer? Or else get a USED AVR amplifier( below RM1k? ) which can convert analog signal and convert it to Dolby Surround.Anyway,if getting a AVR,i think it should come with optical input,so just connect the console with a optical cable could be good.

know any good sources for used AVR?

those AVR go PC speakers input (green, black, orange) plugs?

i think u guy can settle for this OLD baby
found them from my under stairs..since now using X-Fi fatality

U have to power up ur PC when playing PS3/Xbox360...
Power to be on:
1)PC
2)PS3/Xbox360
3)speaker



This post has been edited by lksing78: Aug 14 2008, 12:04 AM


Attached thumbnail(s)

lksing, it looks like that sound card process sound by it's own. can we just modified the power so that we dont need pc to be turned on? or it still need pc to operate it?

wow! can post more pic of it, need more details on that..does it hv the green, black, orange inputs? is it for sell,?????

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Edited: hey guys i found some thing that might be a loop hole for a cheaper surround sound for our 5.1 pc speakers..but i'm not very sure of it. its called the Avpro PDVD-9208, its a 5.1 surround sound headset that has a decoder of some sort, that can produce Dolby Digital AC-3 and DTS Digital Surround. and it cost 100+ on lelong, so i was thinking of connecting the pc speakers to the decoder, please comment on this tell us if its a good idea or not?

here's the link of the item
http://www.lelong.com.my/Auc/List/2008-08D...adset_w_AMP.htm on lelong.

here's the pic of the wires n stuff



here's the link of the review
http://www.behardware.com/articles/497-3/5...ative-test.html

This post has been edited by Borneo928: Aug 14 2008, 01:12 AM

Not bad. Looks doable.

how are you going to connect to ur xbox. i dont see any optic or normal input. just AUX input available there. for a dvd player yes it have AUX output. but not for xbox.

This post has been edited by msn83235502: Aug 14 2008, 12:42 PM

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The output from PS3/Xbox360 goes into the input optical of the device (Creative front Driver)..and u can use the output from the sound card
..and yes u use the green,blue and orange output to ur speaker..




yes cause this old baby need creative audigy ssound card to operate..so u need the pc help to make them operate
..by luck u can found them cheap sales ..rm200 or less i think..classic stuff,but serve the purpose.

Look for Creative Audigy Platinum series

This post has been edited by lksing78: Aug 14 2008, 01:59 PM

fyi, researched has come up that using the the front panel on any audigy series cards won't get you dolby / dts 5.1 decoding

even with PAX modded drivers, still useless

looks like we still need a decoder.. hurm... sony HT 5.2 is the best choice for low budget like me.

i think u can connect through cable that is given by the PDVD-9208, which is the red, white av plug converter that is link to the green black orange plug n connect it to the decoder. then u plug in ur pc speakers plug to the decoder...and some how magically true surround sound will come out?...otherwise some one can comment on this?



This post has been edited by Borneo928: Aug 14 2008, 06:07 PM

i'm afraid that thing won't produce 5.1 sound from the ps3(not sure about other consoles).surround sound for the ps3 is hardware restricted meaning 5.1 can only be produced using optical connection.the cheapest solution i think is to use Creative HQ-2300D Headphone.the bundled decoder can decodes dolby digital,dts and dolby pro logic II.and best of all it accepts optical input.the downside?battery powered,but i think it can be modifed to be usb-powered.i myself haven't tried it but i think it'll serve the purpose of producing true 5.1 sound from your ps3 to your pc speakers.

edit:there's a thread in garage sales selling the headphone http://forum.lowyat.net/topic/707288

This post has been edited by mddl_fngz: Aug 18 2008, 08:26 PM

yeah very true about this hardware restriction thing, almost forgot about that phew! well i guess PDVD-9208 is out of the pic then.

ah yes about this Creative HQ-2300D Dolby Decoder ...i seen that before, very promising as it has optical input...hmmm but so puzzled... how are we gonna connect the 3 cable (Green,Black,Orang) into that decoder, or the pc speakers can already work without having connecting all 3 of them cables? .... anyway all 6 of my speakers make sound even if i connect it into the green cable only..so does that mean the pc speakers can work using that decoder??, if so i think i'm gonna give it a try.. and about this AA battery powered...how to modify it to be usb powered is it going to be expensive?

This post has been edited by Borneo928: Aug 19 2008, 12:51 AM

i'm using a sony set that set me back Rm999 two years ago. Nothing fancy but you do get very decent 5.1 sound when gaming, but not as punchy as some of the 'computer' speakers from creative. you can say it is more refined, and definitely kicks arse when watching movies (for a cheapo sub 1k unit, that is)

I think this is the better way to go than forking out the same amount of money (or more) for teenie, unproven PC-based setups.

I'm thinking either a cheap-ass no-brand amp + speakers set or even a second hand one.

There's no shame in buying the cheap stuff to suit my shoestring budget.

i'm curious how cheap are those "cheap-ass china-brand amp"? RM400~500 can get? do jalan pasar shops have these kinds of amp for sale?

i know amp/receiver is expensive partly due to licensing fee for the DTS/AC3/etc codecs. so maybe some of these china brand receiver is cheap cos they never pay the licensing fee

can't you just use headphones i live in apartment so its very hard to switch on subwuf

mine telling us ur setup bro? cos some of us already hv 5.1 pc speakers, so all we need are amp or decoder, or some funny-cheap-ass device that can make true surround sound.

the only cheap way i can see to get a 5.1 set up is to purchase pc speaker that have optical input... other than that is getting a headphone with optical input which not much choice i see... but all in all i cant find any solution that is <rm400.... the best deal is that creative 5.1 headphone but that is no where to be found anymore.. hahaha

lol those r expensive...1700++

Bro,

Theres the Enzo 6000 from Sonicgear which has 5.1 with optical cost only 400+ but i bought one set and it didnt work. So went back to the shop to change another set, tested 3 sets in total all din work. Prolly my luck ler. U can give it a go if u want. Try Lowyat, should be able to get them.

Cheers

my friend just bought his enzo 6000 this evening. but i dont see any optical port. how come u have one?
and the damn part is, his subwoofer didnt work. damn. tomorrow need to go change. dunno wether the cable or the amplifier port itself broke.

This post has been edited by msn83235502: Aug 20 2008, 01:16 AM

Maybe its the Enzo 7000. I did not take the speakers in the end as there was no unit thats working in the shop. So they gave me a refund. Anyway i no longer have faith in Sonicgear speakers. Prolly would get the Logitech or Edifier high end speakers.

haha.. yes i guess u're talking about enzo 7000. not the 6000. me also interested at first. but now i know why it's cheap. full volume is terribly slow.

This post has been edited by msn83235502: Aug 20 2008, 03:52 AM

safe $$$ and get the Z5500. analog 5.1 input for your PC gaming, then coaxial input for some of the soundcard that have this input and stream your PC's movie to have the DTS or dolby digital signal.

and the optical, for your PS3 and xbox360.

it have all you need. come to my house for some testing is welcome :-)

no lah i got see some pc speaker that come with optical input and price 400 above, hehehe but didnt remember which model... lol... and for me i would really really want a head phone instead of speaker... hahaha just wish that razer baracuda have this optical but it dont... damm

yeah those z5500 are BOSS speakers man!...but price..fuuuuh! its hard to find cheap 5.1 pc speakers that has optical input in kuching .....i dont know bout in KL la.

maybe someone with good knowledge of pc speakers can list down all the 5.1 pc speakers with optical input available in the market today.

we want a cheap one... that's why we are discussing. if let say we dont want the cheap one, we already buy sont ht 5.2.

im using 2 front , 1 subwoofer , 1 center for my pc all the time

i didnt use my 2 rear cos i didnt want to bear with the messy wires but its with me

This post has been edited by PaiGeWonG: Aug 20 2008, 08:36 PM

can anyone explain the terms of all this surround sound technology?

1.Dolby Digital
2.Dolby digital pro-logic
3.Dolby digital pro-logic II
4.DTS
5.Digital DTS surround

which one of these that we gamers need most?

is there any PC sound system speakers 5.1 with optical input? (get my PS3 to play 5.1) i've got a pioneer 5.1 home theater but it wouldnt allow me to go 5.1 if i use the red n white input to the player. is there any other solution?

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Added on August 23, 2008, 11:08 amcan i get a sound card tht has a optical port....so i can connect my PS3 via optical to PC sound card..n PC sound card output 5.1??????
if can,
what is my best solution?

This post has been edited by rlyp: Aug 23 2008, 11:08 AM

they are a few PC speakers that has optical input out there like the logitech Z5500, their costly, would be around Rm1400-1500, but those are really got speakers.. and the only way to get surround sound is to use an optical input or hdmi input into ur home theater. so if ur home theater set has an optical input or hdmi input..get those cable and connect them..u'll get surround sound



yes u can do that as well.

This post has been edited by Borneo928: Aug 23 2008, 11:15 AM

my pioneer home theater has only 1 HDMI port...im not sure how can i do it... btw the model is HTZ272DVD, ps3 HDMI output to TV same goes as the pioneer DVD player HDMI output to TV as well

the DVD player has amplifier build in as well. im not good at explaining it but thts basically about it :S:S:S.. ><

ohh thats the thing..i dont really know how to connect hdmi to sound system while displaying image on the TV at the same time...but i think u need to connect the hdmi to the TV then, the TV hdmi out to the hdmi in into the sound system.. i think thats how it works la...maybe some audio sifu can answer this question later.

cos at the moment i'm just aiming to use optical input instead.

yea me too, im quite disapointed when i purchase this pioneer home theater and i can only play 5.1 if i play DVD with the player, but for PS3 i cant get the 5.1 out ... need a sifu here to guide me T_____T ... i thought this home theater set gonna get me 5.1 from anything ><

how many HDMI port does ur TV have?

edit: ouch bro, such a nice sound system. but it has limitation..can sell it off n get a newer one that has more hdmi port and an optical input just in case.... just a suggestion la hehe

This post has been edited by Borneo928: Aug 23 2008, 11:42 AM

i dont knwo how mcuh i can sell, i bought it lesss than 2 weeks only T____T but no doubt the speaker quality is much better compare to phillips,samsung,sony home theater set...
it has really stunning sound system if u play DVD9 movies on it...u'll b amaze ....especially i use it in room enviroment...not living room

btw my TV has 2 HDMI port

u can try but i'm not sure it it works. get another HDMI cable

ps3 using HDMI connect to TV's HDMI port 1 then the other HDMI cable from the TV's HDMI port 2 connect to your home theater

i dont think it works tht way :s....
both HDMI port on my TV is INPUT...
n my PS3 n player HDMI is output...
hmm

can we using external sound card as decoder to provide 5.1 for xbox 360 ??

this is my view....ps3 hdmi connect to hdmi port 1 , and then using AV cable ( white and red ) connect to Av output on the LCD tv , then connect to the external speakers which have AV input...

but by connecting AV input we wont have 5.1 surround sound. just stereo sound

hehehe.. that's why i never encourage my friends to buy the home theater with those dvd player.. go for amplifier/decoder, not the home theater version where the function is very limited.

hurmm.. what bout steelusion idea. can we have the external usb soundcard? is it possible? the 5.1 usb soundcard? from xbox using optical.

This post has been edited by msn83235502: Aug 26 2008, 12:25 AM

hey guys, i need conformation form all the sifu of surround sounds

i'm planning to buy Creative Inspire 5.1 5700, it has a decoder/amp that has Digital Surround and DTS feature with an optical input. i wonder will this give me TRUE surround sound if i connect it using an optical cable?

the built-in decoder can produce these sounds as well: Dolby Pro Logic, Dolby Digital, DTS decoder, Dolby Digital.







This post has been edited by Borneo928: Aug 26 2008, 08:50 PM

yes it will produce true 5.1 audio. but how much that cost? if it's too much. better buy this..


only 899 at carrefour.

This post has been edited by msn83235502: Aug 26 2008, 08:55 PM

rm 450!!

wow. very cheap... need to get more info for that.

lulz whut?

where to get?

http://forum.lowyat.net/index.php?showtopic=773734&hl= <-------here!!!

oh this seller.

This is the same dude who offered the DDTS-100 for RM700.

Plus it's all 2nd hand goods.

Nonetheless, worth considering, thanks.

This post has been edited by Gurdian: Aug 26 2008, 09:12 PM

it's 2nd hand goods?

This particular model is too old la. Just get a USED AV amp from around jalan pasar. Then cut ur pc speakers lead to use with the amp. With the sub, u need to be more creative.

Hi guys.. hope this is not off topic but I have the Pioneer HTZ171 DVD Home Theather System and would like to know if there is any way to connect a coax cable thru it.

It has no coax connections .. is it possible?


Connectivity Output: HDMI x 1; component-video x 1; composite-video, Input: analog line-in x 1; USB x 1.


http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/home_av/other...3738011p,00.htm

Borneo928,have you received your speakers?how's the performance?might get one myself hehe

yup got my speakers already..i'm really satisfied wit it! i'm using it for my room use. i connect all sorts wit it. optical cable to my ps3, coax cable to my DVD player, and 3.5mini jack to my TV BOX. works great! looks good too!

Great.. finally u can satisfied playing PS3 wif surrounding... speaker

Off Topic:
I have survey from Davis bout wireless or bluetooth headphones..(lelong.com)
but dunno which model..(less bout Rm500 budget) suitable wif PS3..

can u help me Bro?..
which model itzit?

u want a wireless/bluetooth with 5.1 surround sound headset?

either 2.1 or 5.1 is okay for me as long it compatible wif PS3..
Thanks..

nice..share with us your new setup lah bro

lol, now still messy cables every where and all..so u getting one of those 5700?

Fuyoh ...new speaker ho...
congrat maan..try out Eagles-Hotel Califonia DTS on them..sure siok one.

congratz man... i'm jealous !

guys can this work???? creative audigy2 nx

using this to connect xb360 and normal 5.1 speaker.... any one have tried this?

lol sure gonna try that out, so far played LOTR on DVD, and played bad company on ps3..insane! need to try get some blu-ray movies as well

lol, thanks bro. no need get jealous ler

i'm not sure if it can work, on gaming consoles after reading the review from IGN


IGN's review

but i still think it's still possible to use it as a stand-alone decoder for ur 360, but the lack of DTS n Pro logic..u wont be happy wit the out come. just my 2 cents based on the review.

This post has been edited by Borneo928: Sep 4 2008, 01:56 AM

i am using extigy to convert the optical output to coax output for my altec lansing ada885. It works fine. but just that when i tried it with games, there are no vocal voice. tried with movies also not voice for the vocal. I am a xbox360 user. Anyone can help me. I understand ada 885 is 4.1. is there any solution where i can add in the centre speaker? I did tried the settings at the xbox instead of digital 5.1 output, i selected the digital 2.1 output also the same.

yup i'll be getting one as it's the cheapest option available hehe

anyone know where can buy the cable for pc speaker link to my xbox??
is speaker plug(female) to composite (white n red) (female also)..
i m looking somewhere in pj area...

all u need is this



and this




and it would be better if u can get this..but hard to get.





** i think electronic hardware stores got this. sometimes i found it at computer shop ! hehehe.. easiest is u save this to ur mobile and show to them.the best thing to do.

This post has been edited by msn83235502: Sep 5 2008, 02:54 PM

thx bro...
can i know lowyat got sell it??

dunno. go search for it. just go to small electronic hardware store..they sure got.. the place where ppl go repair tv, or find spare parts for electronic stuffs... jalan pasar maybe? me dunno. haha..

ok thx u very much bro..