[tasty danish]

I have a rather extensive background in computers and high end gaming, but am a horrible nooB to the home theatre side of things.


i finally took the plunge and purchased a panny ae900u, i'm building a screen now.


i was going to connect my pc via DVI/HDMI to the panny, and my xbox 360 to it via component video.


my computer has an audigy 2 zs hooked to a klipsch promedia 5.1 system.


i want to integrate the xbox to the promedia system, but it has no digital or coax in, nor does the audigy.


what would be the most painless way to make this work?


an external receiver? i have 0 experience with anything of the sort. i'm rather afraid of it without asking questions because i'm not sure how the amplification on the receiver may affect the soundcard jacks or the inherrent amplification on the klipsch system.


a different soundcard with a digital in would work i know, but my current one works fine and the extra connectors an external receiver would offer intrests me because i have about 5 other video game systems that arent hooked up now i may want to play later.


if this should be in the audio section i apologize. thanks for any advice, i simply have no knowledge of HT equipment (i'm trying to learn) and am wondering if there's a device out there for me.

 

[stickygreen]

nice system, sounds just like what I'm running, only I got an ae700u. The klipsch pro medias are super expensive and no digital input, I was bummed when I discovered that just after christmass. If your going to get into movies, I would suggest the receiver and upgraded sound card, with a digital output. I just got my soundblaster Xfi, the reciever is next. I figure the speakers from the promedia system will make good surrounds for a 7.1, haha


sounds like your on the right path, just gotta select the right receiver now

 

[tasty danish]

my audigy does have digi out, just not an in.

so i do need to look into an external receiver for this set up yes?

any particulars to look for? i honestly don't have any way to afford what a serious solution probably costs, so i'd most likely be interested in just a way to connect my devices for now and get into the real high end side of things later.


now with a receiver, i'm going be relying on it to do the processing, doesnt my soundcard become essentially useless?

 

[tasty danish]

i've been doing some reading and came across a thread about connecting an audigy 2 zs to a receiver (i can't post the link with only 2 posts)



it's very helpful. now i suppose my issue is with the klipsch.

should i simply purchase a receiver and hook all my speakers to it, with the single rca sub out going to the promedia box?


as you may or may not know, the promedia 5.1 has the computer style 3 plug 5.1 inputs and only those, an internal amp for the sub and all speakers and speaker connections.


so, would an RCA from the receiver to the sub box work, and then all my other speakers connected to the receiver itself? i could potentially then purchase 2 more speakers and get 7.1.


do receivers typically amp the sub out? how available is pre-amp?

 

[adamt]

If the sub has a single RCA cable coming out of it, you can plug it directly into the sub out of most receivers. I would say most AV receivers have at least one sub RCA out. If the sub has it's own amp, then you would be good to go. I'm not familar with the klipsch speakers. Do they have 2 terminal connectors on them?

 

[tasty danish]

yes, see the back of the sub has the typical 5.1 computer input of 3 rca's, one rear, one sub/center, and fronts. this is the input from the soundcard. then hooked to the internal amp of the sub are the amped outs for the 5 satellites. the satellites use a standard 2 wire live/ground (red/black) connection.


i've been doing nothing but reading all day and i think i have this figured out.


i'm going to pick up an onkyo tx-sr702 as i found a used one for really cheap and this seems like a very nice receiver.


i can use RCA adapter's to mate my soundcard' headphone type outs to the L/R in's on the receiver, as well as a sp/dif cable for dvd audio.


i can route the sub preamp from the receiver to the sub as it would be from my computer, but instead of hooking my speakers to the sub's amp, i'll hook them to the receiver's amped outs, use my 5 existing speakers as a center, and the surrounds, and buy some new speakers (maybe paradigm atoms) for fronts for a 7.1 set-up!


as time goes on i can eventually phase out all the promedia parts for some real audio componentry, i just don't have the jack now and want to make due with what i've already bought. whatever budget pieces i buy for the fronts now may make nice surrounds when i really step it up.


have i figured this out?

 

[stickygreen]

good find, I'm jellous

but don't use rca's to connect the sound card to the receiver, use the digital output of the 2 zs, and connect that to one of the optical inputs of the receiver, and then hook your X-box up to another, and DVD player to another, use the receiver to do all the work, it does it better than your PC can.


as far as connecting the sub your idea of hooking the rca from the receiver to the klipsch sub will work, but I would upgrade. The sub is the crappyiest part of that system, and without any other load on the amp(the satelites), it might not like that??


another thing I found, with the pro-media setup is to upgrade the speaker wire to 16G I got this stuff from home depot it's blue and works great, plus super cheap!

 

[tasty danish]

on the audigy cards (maybe not x-fi) you will not get surround or any EAX effects with digital out, you have to use analogue.


digital only works for dvds and such, thus i have to use the RCA's as i game PROFUSELY.


i'll upgrade the wire, that sounds like good, cheap fun.


sub will come soon, just need to save.

 

[stickygreen]

that sucks, I would ditch that card, and get something with a proper optical output. But if budget is a concern then what you've got planned sounds like it will work.