Hi
I just bought a Asus Xonar DX sound card (my mobo only has PCI-E 1X open no PCI).

My question is: Do I still need a dedicated receiver like an Onkyo etc, to hook up 5.1 speakers (not PC Speakers but real ones :))
OR
Can I just use a decent amplifier?

I think the receiver will make the sound card an overkill.

Any suggestions will be highly appreciated.

Thanks

If you run analog multi-channel cables (a "snake") from the card analog outs to the receiver, then you just need a good multi-channel amp (and speakers).
If you run digital out (Dolby Digital Out) then you still need a receiver that can decode Dolby Digital.

If you run analog multi-channel cables (a "snake") from the card analog outs to the receiver, then you just need a good multi-channel amp (and speakers).
If you run digital out (Dolby Digital Out) then you still need a receiver that can decode Dolby Digital.

If I run the Digital Out and let the Receiver decode it, then what is the point of an expensive card? Can I just use one of these?

Ebay Id: 180294893604 (sorry cannot post url)

Thanks for the reply.