5.1 dolby digital output

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For a start, is there any that can do this? Send a Dolby Digital signal to my 5.1 home theatre surround sound via opticle, that will work with games that have 5.1 output like CS:S and BF2?

I think that the HDA Digital X-Mystique 7.1 does it, but slightly pricey (looking at one in the 'you know place'.) Can you confirm this will do it? Is it any good?

Thanks, Trif.
 
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Cards that will do DDLive are:

HDA X-Mystique
HDA X-Plosion
Turtle Beach Montego DDL
Soundstorm (integrated in NForce 2Ultra mobos only)

And maybe one or two others based on the C-Media 8768+

To be honest you're better off getting a proper gaming card with EAX (e.g. Audigy 2, 4, X-Fi) if gaming is going to be your main use as the DDLive cards can only do EAX1 and 2, and I think only the Soundstorm has a hardware audio processor.
 
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As well as gaming it will be used for listening to music (Everything is converted from iTunes format to MP3 via a burnt disk, as well as CD's that have been imported into MP3) but I have wanted 5.1 for a while for games.

Do you think it will be a bad idea getting the HDA X-Mystique for gaming?

(I am not too clued up on the EAX, how much of a difference will it make?)
 
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Well I bought a HDA X-Mystique card, Only used it for about 1 month, mainly cos the pc and the card didnt get on 100% cos of the drivers. I sold my card on ebay, and went back to my sb live card.. Ive ordered a X-Fi Xtreme Music card now, so hopefully it should be much better then the HDA X-Mystique and sb live card

Games do sound dull with the HDA X-Mystique. Stick with analog and buy a X-FI card with 5.1 speakers
 
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Well i'm using an hda-d with optical out and i find it ok with everything.

I do have another pc with xfi music and the test track i used sounded much worse on the x-fi but i didnt spend much time setting it up.

I much prefer using optical to analogue because of the neatmess apart from anything else. TBH people who recommend analogue probably dont have a separate 5.1 decoder.
 
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:( I can not live with dull sound.

It seems kind of stupid to have a second 5.1 system in the room, but I know the Creatives are better cards. It will have to wait to get a 5.1 and a nice sound card till late/after summer. I suppose it is the better thing to do though...
 
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Creative as a company are not doing very well but did mention that the 'high margin' pc sound card market was a bright spot. This did concern me slightlt ie rip off?
I dont think you'll find many audiophiles recommending creative but i dont know maybe somebody will. I'm still not convinced its possible to get decent sound out of a pc.


I've never particularly noticed eax (i do have an audigy 2 in another pc and play bf2 on both))
 
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Well, what is the best sound card, for say £60? Will it be noticeably better than intergrated on a NF4 board? Otherwise I will spend the money on better speakers than I would have done.
 
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Slam62 said:
I've never particularly noticed eax (i do have an audigy 2 in another pc and play bf2 on both))

Play BF2 on Hardware - High/Ultra High quality (EAX) sound and then use your onboard sound at about Software - Medium (no EAX) levels.

The difference in quality is immense, the standard sound is very dull compared to the high quality settings.
 
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I agree theres better soundcards out there for playing music, but creative are tops when it comes to games, and a nice all round card. The only thing wrong with creative is no dolby digital output.

But to be really honnest the sound quality of the HDA Digital X-Mystique is nothing to get excited about. I couldn't really tell much diff going from a sb live 5.1 card, and I have the z680 speakers. The only thing going for the X-Mystique is the dolby digital live, with coaxial and optical connection.
 
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