This took me a while to figure out, so I thought I'd try to conglomerate this whole mess in one thread. First, there are 2 ways to connect the SB Audigy ZS 2 to your receiver.
Digital
Use a mono minijack to RCA connector. If you don't use a mono connector, it doesn't work. The part you need is this: RS 274-897 Plug this adapter into the digital out hole on the soundcard and then run an RCA from it to the receiver. With this connection you will be sending a Dolby Digital signal to the receiver and the receiver will decode the signal. Realize that a DD signal doesn't mean that it will always be multichannel audio. A DD signal can be multichannel (DD5.1, DTS, etc) or it can be uncompressed 2 channel stereo. When you play a DVD the DD signal will be multichanne;. With all other sounds the DD signal will be only 2 channel stereo.
Analog
Use three stereo minijack to RCA connectors. This part will not work because the adapter is too big and the holes on the sound card are too close together: RS 274-369. I just ordered three of these cables and I expect them to work just fine when they arrive: Belkin F8V235-12 Plus these cables into the three holes in the sound card and plug the six RCAs into the analog inputs on your receiver (left, center, right, left surround, right surround, and subwoofer). With this connection you will be sending an analog signal to the receiver. When you play a DVD the soundcard will decode the DD5.1 signal and send the sounds to the correct speakers. With all other sounds, the soundcard decides which speakers get the sound.
So you want to play DVDs?
Both connections can give you multichannel audio, the difference is where you want the DD signal decoded. If you want the receiver to do this work, use the digital connection. If you want the soundcard to do this work, use the analog connection. I have a Denon 3803 receiver and so I would hope my $850 receiver is better at decoding the DD signal than an $80 soundcard. Any comments? In reality you probably can't tell the difference.
So you want to play games?
Most games sounds use EAX, which is something Creative invented just for that purpose. EAX provides multichannel audio and also applies effects to the sounds so that when you are in a tunnel sounds reverberate, when you are under water sounds are muffled, etc. With the analog connection the soundcard will apply the EAX effects and you will get multichannel audio. With the digital connection, games will only be 2 channel stereo.
What about this nForce2 Soundstorm thing?
Nvidia has a motherboard called the nForce2, but what we care about is that it has an MCP-T southbridge chipset. Any motherboard with this chipset has the ability to encode a DD multichannel audio signal. When you play a DVD the multichannel DD signal is passed through to the receiver. With all other sounds the DD signal will be only 2 channel stereo, except this chipset can handle EAX 2.0. Games that use EAX 2.0 and below will give you multichannel audio in the form of a DD multichannel encoded signal that your receiver will decode. However, the very latest version of EAX is 4.0, so motherboards with this chipset won't be giving you the latest and best EAX effects. I'm not sure if there are even any EAX 4.0 games at this time. I would assume that HalfLife 2 will be EAX 4.0, can anyone confirm?
Please feel free to add any info or comments.
Digital
Use a mono minijack to RCA connector. If you don't use a mono connector, it doesn't work. The part you need is this: RS 274-897 Plug this adapter into the digital out hole on the soundcard and then run an RCA from it to the receiver. With this connection you will be sending a Dolby Digital signal to the receiver and the receiver will decode the signal. Realize that a DD signal doesn't mean that it will always be multichannel audio. A DD signal can be multichannel (DD5.1, DTS, etc) or it can be uncompressed 2 channel stereo. When you play a DVD the DD signal will be multichanne;. With all other sounds the DD signal will be only 2 channel stereo.
Analog
Use three stereo minijack to RCA connectors. This part will not work because the adapter is too big and the holes on the sound card are too close together: RS 274-369. I just ordered three of these cables and I expect them to work just fine when they arrive: Belkin F8V235-12 Plus these cables into the three holes in the sound card and plug the six RCAs into the analog inputs on your receiver (left, center, right, left surround, right surround, and subwoofer). With this connection you will be sending an analog signal to the receiver. When you play a DVD the soundcard will decode the DD5.1 signal and send the sounds to the correct speakers. With all other sounds, the soundcard decides which speakers get the sound.
So you want to play DVDs?
Both connections can give you multichannel audio, the difference is where you want the DD signal decoded. If you want the receiver to do this work, use the digital connection. If you want the soundcard to do this work, use the analog connection. I have a Denon 3803 receiver and so I would hope my $850 receiver is better at decoding the DD signal than an $80 soundcard. Any comments? In reality you probably can't tell the difference.
So you want to play games?
Most games sounds use EAX, which is something Creative invented just for that purpose. EAX provides multichannel audio and also applies effects to the sounds so that when you are in a tunnel sounds reverberate, when you are under water sounds are muffled, etc. With the analog connection the soundcard will apply the EAX effects and you will get multichannel audio. With the digital connection, games will only be 2 channel stereo.
What about this nForce2 Soundstorm thing?
Nvidia has a motherboard called the nForce2, but what we care about is that it has an MCP-T southbridge chipset. Any motherboard with this chipset has the ability to encode a DD multichannel audio signal. When you play a DVD the multichannel DD signal is passed through to the receiver. With all other sounds the DD signal will be only 2 channel stereo, except this chipset can handle EAX 2.0. Games that use EAX 2.0 and below will give you multichannel audio in the form of a DD multichannel encoded signal that your receiver will decode. However, the very latest version of EAX is 4.0, so motherboards with this chipset won't be giving you the latest and best EAX effects. I'm not sure if there are even any EAX 4.0 games at this time. I would assume that HalfLife 2 will be EAX 4.0, can anyone confirm?
Please feel free to add any info or comments.
Hopefully people can find it with a search!
Help!!!
