MSI K8N Neo – Optical Surround – only front speakers work? [msi k8n neo] [optical cable]
Q: This is a brand new system I build for a friend . I have used this optical cable, so it should not be the problem. For whatever reason, I only get sound from my fronts . no center, sub, rears or . speakers are Logitech Z-680s. I have the configuration utility in Windows to test the speaker as well as they have used just . certainly only the fronts produce sound.
Any ideas?
All the speakers work fine, because I use them on my system (using 5.1 direct out). I do not know who the optical output on their systems, or I could borrow to test the cable, but Im pretty sure it works . I would not think a bad optical cable would result in only two channels through, especially when the test surround works well for them (circular sound effects, etc) 0.
I hope its not a hardware problem, and I really do not think it is, but . stranger things have happened. Just wondering if anyone out there has run into this at all. I think Im going to try to completely remove the drivers and reinstall them . see if that helps. Any suggestions on settings or anything else obvious that I might be missing, are very welcome.
Re:Your best bet is just to plug each of your five (or more) into the jacks in the back of the computer, instead of using the S/PDIF. S/PDIF is best for pre-encoded stuff, and it has to go into a Dolby 5.1 encoder box.
If you use the jacks, your realtek will control all five, and while it doesnt always have the surround, all of them will play.
Re:If you want all speakers to work in apps and games, you're going to have to use analog direct connect. Optical is stereo only unless you're watching DVD 5.1 movie or you're using Nforce Soundstorm.
Re:The digital out from your board is probably outputing a standard PCM signal, which is only stereo. If I am
correct, you need a digital (Dolby or DTS, or both) decoder to translate that signal to an AC3 Dolby 5.1
signal (Don't know what you need for DTS). Currently I believe only NF2 w/MCP-T Southbridge (Soundstorm), Audigy 2 or a Envy 24 Soundcard
(Audiotrak or M-Audio) can do this. A home theatre reciever could also do this probably. Good luck.
Re:Okay, so I'm an idiot… I didn't know optical worked like that. *blush* I hadn't a feeling I was going to end up looking like a retard over this. Heh.
Re:So even if I'm doing the speaker test that's installed with the audio drivers I'm still not going to hear anything but stereo? Now that's just plain old confusing. I also thought I read that the z-680's could up-mix… maybe I misread or that person was mis-informed.
I'm going to try a DVD out and see if that changes things. I would have thought that at least the sub would have worked in the speaker test, but hell… if this is how stuff is *supposed* to work, I guess that's my main concern.
Re:Unless you're passing through pre-encoded Dolby Digital or DTS material such as from a movie, stereo is the best you can get with the optical connection.
Re:Okay, I read a thread on the via forums saying something about optical out only sending stereo unless it's upmixed, blah blah blah… I'll be honest and say I get lost in the whole DD/DTS encoder/decoder etc. jargon… I just want this stuff to work, and I swear that it has worked before on a different system I built using its onboard optical out… that was an Abit IS7…
I am so frustrated right now… this *has* to be something simple and stupid that will make me look like an idiot when I finally figure it out…
Re:okay, seriously… what the hell?! If I switch my Logitechs to Stereo x 2 I get sound out of the rears, and if I click the little 'toggle voice' setting in MSI's sound effect app while I've got the logitechs on any other mode (which is when only the fronts work), then it switches from only the fronts working to only the rears working…
So basically, I'm only getting Stereo, and I have no freakin' idea why. Is it something with my speakers? Is it software? WTF is going on?!
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Tags: msi k8n neo, optical cable