Connecting computer/USB sound card/Receiver

[Peteman990]

I am trying to connect my Macbook Pro to an external Creative USB sound card - http://www.soundblaster.com/products/product.asp?category=1&subcategory=208&product=17751&nav=1. And from the external sound card directly into my home theater Yamaha receiver. Hopefully retaining the digital signal all the way to the receiver to get Dolby Digital 5.1 sound.

Currently, I have a minitoslink to toslink cable running from my digital headphone out jack on my MBP to a toslink connection on my receiver. This warrants me sound but does not give any surround sound and does not work for gaming which is why I am going to buy this external usb sound card if all goes well.

I was thinking judging by the connections on the back of the Creative USB card that I could connect a mini jack cable from my digital out on the MBP into the headphone in jack on the sound card. And from there just connect a toslink from the sound card to my receiver and get sound that way.

This is what I am super confused about. Would this work to get digital sound all the way through? If not, is there any way that I could make the connections from MBP--->usb sound card--->yamaha receiver?

Here is a link to the connections on the macbook pro if that would be of any help! - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1596 -

Thanks!!

 

[Adam]

Hi. There are two things that I'd like to mention:

1. You should be able to get surround sound using the optical connection in the MBP. I can from my regular MB. I had to change a setting or two, though (years ago, so I forget). I found out how by Googling it.

2. The external sound card connects to your MBP using a USB port. You would not connect the audio output from the MBP to the audio input on the external sound card.

 

[Peteman990]

Hi. There are two things that I'd like to mention:

1. You should be able to get surround sound using the optical connection in the MBP. I can from my regular MB. I had to change a setting or two, though (years ago, so I forget). I found out how by Googling it.

2. The external sound card connects to your MBP using a USB port. You would not connect the audio output from the MBP to the audio input on the external sound card.

Thank you for your response!

I have been doing a ton of research on google and it is actually not possible to get Dolby Digital/DTS unless you are playing a DVD or any type of prerecorded video with Dolby Digital already encoded.

However, it is possible to get fake surround only using 2 channels if your receiver is capable of doing Dolby Pro Logic I/II.

You my friend have stated the somewhat obvious, the obvious that for some reason was clogging me up before . So I now realize I may have asked a somewhat stupid question heh.

Connecting the USB sound card via USB to the MBP, and connecting an optical cable from the optical out directly into the receiver should do the trick I believe as long as the sound transfers through the sound card and such would I would guess it does.

If anyone could confirm this that would be super before I throw down a bunch of money to buy this card! Thank you very much!