Post subject: Can I use good quality home cinema speakers with my PC?

[steve_1979]

Hello,

My PC is mostly used for playing computer games but is also used for watching TV and listening to music and I'm sick of using the low quality surround sound speaker systems that are available for PC's. I'm considering buying some Boston Acoustics Soundware XS 5.1 home cinema speakers to use instead.

I have three questions:

1. Are the Boston Acoustics Soundware XS the best 5.1 speakers available for under £330?

2. What budget amplifier would you recommend I use with them?

3. How would I connect it to my 5.1 PC audio outputs (the small headphone type sockets)?


Thanks in advance for your advice,
Steve

 

[Ares]

Hello Steve, before we get into it I have one question what rig are you running?

(To the Mods it may be easier for this member to get the help he needs if his thread was posted in a higher trafficked part of the forum can you help a brother out)

 

[Nugu]

2 ways to do this.

1. Are the Boston Acoustics Soundware XS the best 5.1 speakers available for under £330?

No comment, though personally I'd look for something bigger. Quality is usually one of the first things to go when a speaker gets that small.

What budget amplifier would you recommend I use with them?

Find your speakers first and which method you will connect to the receiver, then ask.

3. How would I connect it to my 5.1 PC audio outputs (the small headphone type sockets)?

A) A receiver with Analogue inputs, run a Y splitter from the 3.5 jacks to the receiver for each speaker set

B) The easiest way is to purchase a sound card that supports live encoding to Dolby Digital to output to receiver by coax/optical

 

[steve_1979]

I used to think that the only audio outputs were the 3.5mm jacks but I've just had a closer look at the specs and it has a "Optical S/PDIF out port at back I/O". Could this be used to connect it to a reciever?

Click on this link to see details of my PC motherboard. www.asus.com/product.aspx?P_ID=e7Zic83PvQSr80Lm

As for the receiver, my budget is between £100 - £200. I'm not too bothered what features it has because the sound processing will be done by the computer (I think?). Bass and treble controls would be a nice bonus though.

As for the speakers I was only looking at the Boston Acoustics because they've had a lot of good reviews. Are there any better speakers that I could get for around £300?
I have considered using four budget hifi speakers setup for Quadraphonic surround sound. However this may prove too costly when you take into account the price of four tall (70-75cm) speakerstands to use with them.

 

[steve_1979]

I’ve seen a Yamaha RXV365BL 5.1 receiver for £120 and a Q Acoustics 1010i 5.1 speaker package for £300. Would I be able to connect these to the “Optical S/PDIF out port at back I/0” on my computer?

 

[its phillip]

Yes, you can do that. I don't know anything about those speakers though. I'm using an old yamaha receiver and some bookshelf speakers myself.

 

[Nugu]

I used to think that the only audio outputs were the 3.5mm jacks but I've just had a closer look at the specs and it has a "Optical S/PDIF out port at back I/O". Could this be used to connect it to a reciever?

Unless the sound card supports Dolby Digital live encoding you will get Stereo output via the optical out. So yes you can use it to get stereo, no you can't get surround without upgrading your sound card.