How do I hook this up?

[ultranothing]

Hi all! I have an ASUS Strix Soar 7.1 PCIe sound card. It has multiple 3.5mm audio output jacks (Center, Front, Rear, etc.), including an S/PDIF port with an adapter.

And I have the Klipsch Home Theater 600 speakers and sub:

http://www.klipsch.com/products/high-definition-theater-600-home-theater-system

AND I've got a Denon AVR S510BT:

https://usa.denon.com/us/product/hometheater/receivers/avrs510bt

What do I need to get all of these things plugged in and pumping out some sweet surround sound? Plugs, wires, etc. Help me!

 

[lovinthehd]

Your avr has no multi-ch inputs for line level connections (the 3.5mm output jacks), nor a digital coax input to utilize the spdif (it has two optical only per the specs and your spdif connector on the soundcard appears to be the rca type). Find a converter from coax to optical so that you can use the spdif output on the soundard and input to an optical input on the avr. Get a coax sub cable, connect the pre-out of the avr to your sub, speaker wire from speaker terminals on the avr to each speaker.

 

[ultranothing]

Okay. Scratch the Denon AVR. I don't "actually" have it yet. Was going to order it based upon it having what I thought were the appropriate inputs.

Could you recommend a decent receiver which would be "plug-and-play" compatible with this sound card without all the adapters/converters/etc.?

 

[TLS Guy]

Okay. Scratch the Denon AVR. I don't "actually" have it yet. Was going to order it based upon it having what I thought were the appropriate inputs.

Could you recommend a decent receiver which would be "plug-and-play" compatible with this sound card without all the adapters/converters/etc.?

Your problem is not the Denon. Your problem is your computer/sound card. We are passed the analog sunset. You need a sound card that has lots of digital interconnects and not analog ones. The way you are going about it, your system will be awkward and second rate. Hint, HDMI makes everything handy.

 

[ultranothing]

Would this do anything for me?

http://www.vortez.net/articles_file/32729_asus strix raid dlx box cable.jpg

It's a cable that comes standard with the next-tier version of this sound card but is absent on the "budget" model.

 

[TLS Guy]

Would this do anything for me?

http://www.vortez.net/articles_file/32729_asus strix raid dlx box cable.jpg

It's a cable that comes standard with the next-tier version of this sound card but is absent on the "budget" model.

It will do nothing. That cable is a fraud an off no use what ever. HDMI is digital and you can not have analog plus on one end and an HDMI connector on the other! That is totally absurd and ridiculous.

Converters for HDMI are illegal because of DRM.

You really do need a different computer set up or your life will be miserable AV wise.

 

[lovinthehd]

Okay. Scratch the Denon AVR. I don't "actually" have it yet. Was going to order it based upon it having what I thought were the appropriate inputs.

Could you recommend a decent receiver which would be "plug-and-play" compatible with this sound card without all the adapters/converters/etc.?

Just need one with coax digital inputs, review the specs for the avr and it should be evident in the input/output section (best to use the manufacturer's website, not the dealer's). They are getting away from such connections, you may have to go further up the avr food chain from that unit you're considering; looks like the Denon 720 has a single digital coax input in addition to two optical inputs.

You'd get more audio possibilities if your source had an hdmi output....

 

[ultranothing]

Yeah, I'm starting to think that maybe this sound card wasn't the best choice. But! It's what I've got. So...

Will the Denon 720 hook up to this sound card and provide me with acceptable surround-sound with these speakers? Exactly what connectors would I need to get the sound card working with the Denon 720 and out to the Klipsch speakers?

Maybe these are all the wrong questions. I'm really, really new and confused with all this.

Here's a scenario: You have this sound card and these speakers. What do YOU buy to get them to work together. Receiver, cables, adapters, whatever. Be specific or I'll just end up asking more annoying questions

 

[lovinthehd]

Yeah, I'm starting to think that maybe this sound card wasn't the best choice. But! It's what I've got. So...

Will the Denon 720 hook up to this sound card and provide me with acceptable surround-sound with these speakers? Exactly what connectors would I need to get the sound card working with the Denon 720 and out to the Klipsch speakers?

Maybe these are all the wrong questions. I'm really, really new and confused with all this.

Here's a scenario: You have this sound card and these speakers. What do YOU buy to get them to work together. Receiver, cables, adapters, whatever. Be specific or I'll just end up asking more annoying questions

The digital spdif output is limited but you can get most 5.1 audio with this type of connection. Try this article on what connectors are needed for what codec.

Buy two coax cables like this (adjust for length needed), one from sound card to avr, one for avr to sub. In order to determine correct speaker wire gauge needed try this wire table for your speakers' impedance rating and longest run of wire you'll need; then take the total length of runs from avr to speakers, and from that same monoprice site find the appropriate spool of speaker wire length. If you want banana plug connectors I'd recommend those with set screws rather than the crimp style.http://www.roger-russell.com/wire/wire.htm#wiretable

 

[ultranothing]

Okay. But how would I get the coax to fit into my sound card? They're all just 3.5mm outlets. I have an SPDIF output with an adapter that looks like this:

http://sayal.com/images_c/APS-1091.JPG

But even that isn't "coax". Explain it to me like I'm five

 

[lovinthehd]

Is this your soundcard? It's the top result when I search ASUS Strix Soar 7.1 PCIe sound card

 

[vsound5150]

Okay. But how would I get the coax to fit into my sound card? They're all just 3.5mm outlets. I have an SPDIF output with an adapter that looks like this:

http://sayal.com/images_c/APS-1091.JPG

But even that isn't "coax". Explain it to me like I'm five

Instead of a coax use a TOSlink (optical S/PDIF) cable and use the 3.5mm adapter as your link above but only on one side of the cable into the sound card. The other end of the TOSlink cable would go to the Denon 720 without using the adapter, there's two TOSlink Inputs on the 720 labeled OPTICAL.

The adapter in your link is nothing more than a hole through the adapter to allow the optical light through to the 3.5mm jack. Apple uses this on their Mac mini computers and users mistakenly connect analog 3.5mm to 3.5mm cables to pass audio not knowing it's an optical (light) jack not a headphone jack.

 

[lovinthehd]

Instead of a coax use a TOSlink (optical S/PDIF) cable and use the 3.5mm adapter as your link above but only on one side of the cable into the sound card. The other end of the TOSlink cable would go to the Denon 720 without using the adapter, there's two TOSlink Inputs on the 720 labeled OPTICAL.

The adapter in your link is nothing more than a hole through the adapter to allow the optical light through to the 3.5mm jack. Apple uses this on their Mac mini computers and users mistakenly connect analog 3.5mm to 3.5mm cables to pass audio not knowing it's an optical (light) jack not a headphone jack.

Couldn't tell what that thing was....he could go back to the 510 for that matter.

 

[vsound5150]

Oh yes the 510 from his first post will work I thought that was his sunset dream AVR.

 

[lovinthehd]

Oh yes the 510 from his first post will work I thought that was his sunset dream AVR.

Now I see on that spec page for the soundcard I linked in the accessories an optical adapter.....missed that on my first look.

 

[ultranothing]

Ah, okay. I wasn't too clear on the whole SPDIF/Optical. The card came with an adapter which is just a plastic tube with an end on it that will fit an optical cable.

So I can just plug that adapter, with an optical cable into the soundcard, and then plug the other end of the optical cable into the AVR of my choice with an optical input...?

One neat and tidy optical from PC to AVR, and then from AVR out to speakers?

What can you tell me about optical connections? My research gave me lots of mixed opinions: it's incapable of 7.1 sound, it can't transmit true 5.1 sound, the audio quality is inferior, it's inferior only to HDMI, it's one of the best modes of transmission, etc., etc.

 

[lovinthehd]

Ah, okay. I wasn't too clear on the whole SPDIF/Optical. The card came with an adapter which is just a plastic tube with an end on it that will fit an optical cable.

So I can just plug that adapter, with an optical cable into the soundcard, and then plug the other end of the optical cable into the AVR of my choice with an optical input...?

One neat and tidy optical from PC to AVR, and then from AVR out to speakers?

What can you tell me about optical connections? My research gave me lots of mixed opinions: it's incapable of 7.1 sound, it can't transmit true 5.1 sound, the audio quality is inferior, it's inferior only to HDMI, it's one of the best modes of transmission, etc., etc.

Sure it can transmit "true" 5.1 sound; it's not lossless but its still quite good (it can transmit Dolby Digital or DTS codecs, but not Dolby TrueHD or DTS MA-HD). Optical has the added benefit that it avoids an electrical connection between gear (can be handy with ground loops). Beats heck out of analog 2.0 connections and if you don't have hdmi then its as good as its gonna get for a digital transmission.....

 

[ultranothing]

That's great! Thanks everyone for the information.

IS there an option, with this soundcard, to transmit lossless audio? And if so, what would be needed? Or will the optical be my best choice?

 

[lovinthehd]

That's great! Thanks everyone for the information.

IS there an option, with this soundcard, to transmit lossless audio? And if so, what would be needed? Or will the optical be my best choice?

Unless it has an hdmi port, no. Optical is next best....did you read that article at blu-ray.com that I linked earlier?