Help with basic setup! Thanks!

[Crucio]

Hello Audioholics.
I need some help in figuring out a simple setup I was hoping you pros could give me some pointers.

I'll get right to it. I want to get full surround from my Xbox and Wii with these products.

-Logitech Z-5300 5.1 Speakers
-LG 42L V4400 LED HDTV
-Xbox 360 with HDMI to TV
-Wii with Component to TV

My TV has one Audio OUT to route my audio to the speakers but I'll only get one or two in the set working with one jack.

How do I get all the audio (3 cables: Orange, Black and Green) into the TV OUT? Is there any adapter/merging cables that could do this?

Thanks for any help! I really appreciate it!
Crucio.

 

[Adam]

Welcome to the forum!

You can't get true 5.1 surround sound with the equipment that you're using, but you can get surround sound. Also, by routing all of the audio through the TV, I believe that the TV is going to downmix it to stereo anyway (I don't see it mentioned in the owner's manual, but almost every TV downmixes audio from an HDMI input to two-channel stereo). After looking at your equipment and the Logitech owner's manual, here's my suggestion:

• Select the "2CH" option on the source selection switch on the back panel of the Logitech subwoofer
• Run the analog audio output from the TV to the green plug input on the back of the Logitech

With that connection, the Logitech will upmix the stereo signal and create sound in all of the speakers (according to page 4 of the manual).

 

[Crucio]

Wow thanks for the prompt reply.
Your research works. All speakers are go for this setup! Although its not the same as direct Green>Red/White rca was.(Because of 2CH)

Are there any HDMI splitters that would offer the possibility of connecting to my analog audio directly?

 

[Adam]

The issue is that you need something to decode the audio signal from a single stream into 5.1 channels. It's not just a digital to analog conversion that you need.

There are decoders available. I just did a quick Google search and found one for about $130. There might be less expensive ones. If you were going to spend that kind of money, I'd go for a surround sound receiver (like maybe the Onkyo 309 for about $180). You could connect your speakers to that receiver, and connect the subwoofer to the subwoofer output on the receiver. You would need to convert the RCA connection on the Logitech speakers to one that works with the receiver, but that's not hard (you can buy them premade).

Now we're talking about buying new gear, though. Is that something that you are interested in doing?

 

[Crucio]

I'm willing to spend another 100$ bucks if its gonna help me use my Logitech setup to a tolerable degree.
That Onkyo looks like a good idea. It offers a lot of options and gives the option for upgrade.
I'm going to look for less pricy solutions though. But it seems they don't come less than 100$ or so?

Edit: I noticed the Onkyo doesn't have an Input for the Green, Orange and Black cables though.
This kind of device seems more like some I need: 4 x 2 HDMI Matrix Amp with 7.1 Audio Routing but that one has no component.

 

[Adam]

You might be able to find something, or someone else here might have a better idea. I'd say give it at least until tomorrow morning when people start to come back (it's pretty late, after all), and maybe post again to bump this thread back up near the top of the recent ones.

I'm off for tonight. Have a good one!

 

[Crucio]

Yeah! I certainly stayed up way too late looking up this stuff after I saw Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol last night. It was awesome.

Thank you for the help.

I'm still looking for some thing that has HDMI, Component INP/OUT and also 5.1 OUTPUT

 

[Nomo]

For $100 bucks (maybe a bit more) you may be able to find a used receiver on Ebay or Craigslist.

Just a thought.

 

[Crucio]

So I found some small boxes I think could work.
They're simple HDMI to Surround switches.
HDMI to Surround 1
HDMI to surround 2

All I need to figure out is which of the 3 cables from my Logitech Z-5300 go. I think Green would be left, black center and sub, orange right?
I think this would work, All I would need is another HDMI cable.
Any thoughts?