External soundcard / DAC; USB to optical

[poseidon_gmb]

hello,
with the following premises:
-I listen mostly lossless files, CD's, DVD's and some SACD's sourcing from a PC via optical cable to a Denon receiver, then to a 5.1 Heco setup (2 tower front, 1 center, 2 shelf surround speakers, and an old Boston Acoustics sub).

-I changed the motherboard of the PC and now i can't get a multi channel signal to the receiver (really do not know why), but only stereo, even if i play a DVD with Dolby surround sound.

-I'd like to eliminate the internal sound card hypothesis and get an external one, or an USB DAC, or simply an USB to optical converter and in the same time get the best quality sound possible at a decent price, ain't that eager to sell a kidney for a gadget, lol ...

What might be the best solution in your more view?
I got my eyes on the Behringer UCA202 and the M Audio Super DAC II, will they do the job decently? Are there any better options?

Thanks a lot!

PS. Does it even exists an USB to HDMI solution?!

 

[TLS Guy]

hello,
with the following premises:
-I listen mostly lossless files, CD's, DVD's and some SACD's sourcing from a PC via optical cable to a Denon receiver, then to a 5.1 Heco setup (2 tower front, 1 center, 2 shelf surround speakers, and an old Boston Acoustics sub).

-I changed the motherboard of the PC and now i can't get a multi channel signal to the receiver (really do not know why), but only stereo, even if i play a DVD with Dolby surround sound.

-I'd like to eliminate the internal sound card hypothesis and get an external one, or an USB DAC, or simply an USB to optical converter and in the same time get the best quality sound possible at a decent price, ain't that eager to sell a kidney for a gadget, lol ...

What might be the best solution in your more view?
I got my eyes on the Behringer UCA202 and the M Audio Super DAC II, will they do the job decently? Are there any better options?

Thanks a lot!

PS. Does it even exists an USB to HDMI solution?!

I don't see how that will solve your problem. The computer has to be able to send a multichannel digital stream to the DAC. If the data is not being sent to the receiver DAC it won't be sent to an external one either.

So you need to find out if your mother board supports multichannel audio, and if so how to set it up correctly.

There is no USB to HDMI converter and again it would not help you.

 

[slipperybidness]

hello,
with the following premises:
-I listen mostly lossless files, CD's, DVD's and some SACD's sourcing from a PC via optical cable to a Denon receiver, then to a 5.1 Heco setup (2 tower front, 1 center, 2 shelf surround speakers, and an old Boston Acoustics sub).

-I changed the motherboard of the PC and now i can't get a multi channel signal to the receiver (really do not know why), but only stereo, even if i play a DVD with Dolby surround sound.

-I'd like to eliminate the internal sound card hypothesis and get an external one, or an USB DAC, or simply an USB to optical converter and in the same time get the best quality sound possible at a decent price, ain't that eager to sell a kidney for a gadget, lol ...

What might be the best solution in your more view?
I got my eyes on the Behringer UCA202 and the M Audio Super DAC II, will they do the job decently? Are there any better options?

Thanks a lot!

PS. Does it even exists an USB to HDMI solution?!

I agree with TLS, you may have a config problem, or your new MB may not support what you are wanting to do.

First, be 100% certain that the new mobo can ouput multichannel. If it can, then you have a config problem. You mention a sound card????

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Toslink or Optical SPDIF should be able to support 5.1 with DVD, BD. Not sure how set up SACD, but it would tricky.
+1. I agree, you don't need external (btw: both your choices are stereo only). Check drivers, configs etc. Since this forum is more focused around Home theater, not specific to pc playback. There are possibly better forums out there to help you, like hardocp for example.

 

[poseidon_gmb]

Thank you, guys!
I was thinking that getting some kind of an external sound card or DAC and disabling the integrated sound card, the sound processing would be made entirely by the DAC, or USB sound card. Am I wrong?

 

[everettT]

If the MB doesn't support your goals with the integrated audio, why not install new av card that does. Then you have hdmi out with all supported av formats.

 

[poseidon_gmb]

If the MB doesn't support your goals with the integrated audio, why not install new av card that does. Then you have hdmi out with all supported av formats.

Can you please give me an example of such av card that might do the trick?
I'd avoid any kind of internal card due to interferences. And here we go to the starting point of the USB Gizmo...

 

[jinjuku]

What motherboard do you have?

Everett is talking about doing MCH PCM over HDMI for multi-channel audio. Hence the add on display card (at least that is my read w/o clarification).

If you have integrated HDMI you should be able to do this already.

 

[everettT]

He is the Nvidia chart for example

http://nvidia.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/2796/~/which-hdmi-audio-formats-do-nvidia-gpus-support?
Edit:
Yes mch pcm for sacd.

 

[TLS Guy]

Thank you, guys!
I was thinking that getting some kind of an external sound card or DAC and disabling the integrated sound card, the sound processing would be made entirely by the DAC, or USB sound card. Am I wrong?

We don't know, because you did not tell us what you have. However and HDMI video card is a good idea.

I know there can be ground loop issues when computers are connected to audio systems by other than an optical cable, but those problems are solvable if you know what you are doing.

 

[poseidon_gmb]

What motherboard do you have?

Everett is talking about doing MCH PCM over HDMI for multi-channel audio. Hence the add on display card (at least that is my read w/o clarification).

If you have integrated HDMI you should be able to do this already.

I have an Asus Maximus Formula 1 or 2, 775 socket anyway. Asus is stating that it does 5.1 via optical/Spdif. Neither in Windows 10 nor win7, it does not... Besides a huge pain to find drivers.
It doesn't have any integrated HDMI, the video card does but being a not fancy MSI 6670 Radeon I couldn't get any sound through HDMI.
As mentioned B4, I'd avoid any internal sound processing device, I hope to find some USB sound processing device that could do 5.1.
I would like to add that the Denon 2807 receiver I have, received multichannel via optical cable with my previous Mobo, Asus P5w DH Deluxe, which unfortunately died at some point...
Again, thanks for your time

 

[slipperybidness]

I have an Asus Maximus Formula 1 or 2, 775 socket anyway. Asus is stating that it does 5.1 via optical/Spdif. Neither in Windows 10 nor win7, it does not... Besides a huge pain to find drivers.
It doesn't have any HDMI, the video card does but being a not fancy MSI 6670 Radeon I couldn't get any sound through HDMI.
As mentioned B4, I'd avoid any internal sound processing device, I hope to find some USB sound processing device that could do 5.1.
I would like to add that the Denon 2807 receiver I have, received multichannel via optical cable with my previous Mobo, Asus P5w DH Deluxe, which unfortunately died at some point...
Again, thanks for your time

Sounds like a config problem at this point.....

 

[poseidon_gmb]

Sounds like a config problem at this point.....

I thought so since the very beginning, then I stopped looking into it. Got to know that other people had the same problem with that Mobo with no concrete solution...
That is why I want to escalate the issue externalizing the sound processing to an USB device that could simply do 5.1 via optical cable to my receiver. At a decent quality of sound I'd dare do add...

 

[poseidon_gmb]

We don't know, because you did not tell us what you have. However and HDMI video card is a good idea.

I know there can be ground loop issues when computers are connected to audio systems by other than an optical cable, but those problems are solvable if you know what you are doing.

 

[poseidon_gmb]

We don't know, because you did not tell us what you have. However and HDMI video card is a good idea.

I know there can be ground loop issues when computers are connected to audio systems by other than an optical cable, but those problems are solvable if you know what you are doing.

I have a real problem with the ground connection in this apartment, I tried anything without any noticeable result, it verifies with the washing machine and other devices around. I have an aquarium with 14 fishes and 54 volts inside, measured accurately )).
Also a reason to go for an USB device and optical to receiver.

 

[slipperybidness]

I have a real problem with the ground connection in this apartment, I tried anything without any noticeable result, it verifies with the washing machine and other devices around. I have an aquarium with 14 fishes and 54 volts inside, measured accurately )).
Also a reason to go for an USB device and optical to receiver.

If you are not putting out 5.1 on the existing optical, it may not be reasonable to think that you will get 5.1 on the USB output either.....right?

Do you have someone that says they did this with that mobo, and it worked correctly?

You say "do the processing" external......but if you are not feeding a 5.1 signal, then you may not solve the problem with more h/w.

 

[poseidon_gmb]

If you are not putting out 5.1 on the existing optical, it may not be reasonable to think that you will get 5.1 on the USB output either.....right?

Do you have someone that says they did this with that mobo, and it worked correctly?

You say "do the processing" external......but if you are not feeding a 5.1 signal, then you may not solve the problem with more h/w.

It's perfectly logical what you are saying but...
As my mobo with its sound processing chip is actually decoding and feeding the audio stream through optical, whatever it's capabilities, I would disable the integrated soundcard and use whatever external device, obviously an asynchronous USB device, to act as a soundcard, sound processing unit, whatever. As long as it meets those 2 requirements: 5.1 and optical.
It sounds quite simple to me, but since I haven't got any solution by now...

 

[TLS Guy]

It's perfectly logical what you are saying but...
As my mobo with its sound processing chip is actually decoding and feeding the audio stream through optical, whatever it's capabilities, I would disable the integrated soundcard and use whatever external device, obviously an asynchronous USB device, to act as a soundcard, sound processing unit, whatever. As long as it meets those 2 requirements: 5.1 and optical.
It sounds quite simple to me, but since I haven't got any solution by now...

Well it's not simple. You have a mother board 10 years out of date. It supports a multi channel codec I have never heard of which is ADI.

It can not handle enough RAM for modern needs.

The fact is that we are in the Windows 10 era which does native decoding.

Your current computer I believe belongs in the recycling bin.

I don't know all you current uses. If this is just an audio computer, then you need to build a basic DAW.

If you are using it for AV then a computer built round an Ivy Bridge i5 integrated CPU will serve you well. You can get that on an Intel NUC, which could be a very good solution for you. It will run Windows 10 which you need to do.

For you my friend it is time to switch horses which will be your cheapest and best solution.

The fact is the MOB, and I could change the first letter to S, belonged in the recycle bin when you opened the packet!

I use an HTPC with the i5 and also have a NUC at our other residence. I have just built a DAW to replace the DAW I built 13 years ago. That is waiting to go in the bin I think, unless I can update it for one of the grandchildren but I doubt it.

I doubt your ground issues are due to your apartment. I bet they are because you don't know how to lay out your grounding to avoid ground loops.

 

[panteragstk]

I'm surprised nobody has asked what software is being used for playback. Decoder settings matter quite a bit in this scenario.

I'd be very surprised if the optical out only supported stereo. I've had many motherboards much older than that and they supported 5.1 no problem. I'm willing to guess (like others) that this is a config issue.

 

[TLS Guy]

I'm surprised nobody has asked what software is being used for playback. Decoder settings matter quite a bit in this scenario.

I'd be very surprised if the optical out only supported stereo. I've had many motherboards much older than that and they supported 5.1 no problem. I'm willing to guess (like others) that this is a config issue.

Good point we don't know the playback software, if he has it.

Here is the manual for his board. Last update for that board was 2007.

Here is the info on that obsolete codec it says it supports.

We also don't know the OS he is running.

What I have found out is that in the audio and AV world you pretty much are forced o Windows 10. Flash is going the way of the dodo and I don't even have it on my devices now.

I will say that Windows 10 is a superb OS. It has really expanded the possible in my opinion.

My HTPC originally had Windows 7, but the 10 upgrade was huge.

My new DAW running 10 is amazing.

So in our arena it is getting like HDMI, there is an increasing forcing of Windows 10.

The latest version of Firefox with Windows 10 now supports streaming in FLAC.