Item 1: What I Want
Item 2: What I Have
How do I achieve item 1 using item 2?
What do I have to replace in Item 2? Do I just need a stereo reciever that supports 3d positional surround sound, or will I need a surround-sound supporting sound card? Or do I need both?
Can I keep my current speakers in addition to the other 3 I'll need, or do I need to buy those teeney-weeney computer-surround-sound speakers they sell?
Ideally, the three speakers up front should be identical. Otherwise you may notice changes as an event crosses between the three speakers.
Minimum speaker setup is: center channel, two front channels, two rear channels, and sub.
Don't spend too much on the receiver or speakers unless you'll also be watching movies with the setup. Games won't require the features or fidelity of a home theater setup.
Hope that's what you were looking for.
--Satan, quoted by John Milton
quote:
So quoth Bloodsage:
Minimum speaker setup is: center channel, two front channels, two rear channels, and sub.
When it comes to hardware, I am all about overkill.
Anyways, I have this spiffy input switcher that lets me switch input from my TV/DvD setup to my computer and back again. Whether or not I can flip the front and back channels when I do so (my TV is directly behind me when I sit at my computer) is a whole other batch of questions that I'm not even gonna delve into at this point 
In summary, yeah this'll be home theater as well.
While I understand what you're saying about the front speakers being all the same, I'm not going to worry about the minor discrepancies a different speaker could cause. Both my big expensive speakers have sub-woofers built in. Is another still nesscessary?
Basically this is budget budget budget.
What do you think a (reciever + sound card + rear channel + center channel) would set me back?
OPTIMAL setup is 5 speakers (center, 2 fronts, 2 rears) and a sub. (Hence the 5.1)
Now, there's three elements to 5.1 sound.
1) Sound Card. Your sound card can do 5.1 sound in one of two ways :
Digital : It passes a digital signal to the speakers through one jack, the signal is split into the 6 channels, and the speakers play it.
Analog : The signal is split into 6 channels in your sound card, and passed to the speakers through three audio jacks instead of one. (One jack for the center/sub, one for the two front, one for the two rear)
The sound quality is great no matter which you use.
2) Speakers. We've discussed these. Digital speakers tend to get more expensive, but can be used for more. IE : Cambridge Soundworks has two models speakers that are nearly identical. The Inspire! 5300, and the Inspire! 5700 (Technically, they're Creative Labs, but the true manufacturer is Cambridge Soundworks). The difference between the two models?
The 5300 is analog, which means the signal is split at the sound card, and passed to the speakers. These speakers are only for computers. (These cost 80 bucks)
The 5700 is digital, the signal is split by the speakers. Which means they can be used with a DVD player, PS2, computer, or anything else that supports 5.1 sound. (These cost 230 bucks)
3) An audio playback codec. You can have a wonderful 5.1 setup, but if your games don't support it, then you end up with 'emulated' surround sound. Not as good. The most widely-used codecs are A3D by some company I can't remember who they are, and EAX which is Creative Labs. The fact that EAX is so widely supported and stuff, is one of the reasons CL is so popular.
The ideal setup you'll probably want to take a look at is a decent set of 5.1 speakers (I have the 5300's, they're nice), and a Sound Blaster Live! or Sound Blaster Audigy. The Audigy series is good, when it works. Don't expect very good support from Creative Labs. CL support sucks ass.
I'm coming from a home theater perspective, so I was thinking a little differently.
~~~
Maradon,
The receiver will be your big ticket item in this setup.
I'd get a SoundBlaster card, and one of the speaker setups Khyron mentioned.
You'll also want to check the stats on the speakers versus the stats on the receiver, since you'll be using it for DVD playback as well.
You want to be sure your speakers can handle both the wattage and current your receiver pushes. Usually, one needs to be sure the receiver can push enough current to drive the speakers, but it may go the other way with gaming speakers.
--Satan, quoted by John Milton
So I've done a hellofa lot of research on 3D sound to find the best setup. Which is why I still try to use my Audigy, even though I HATE THE BASTARD FOR NOT WORKING FOR ME.
I drive two Bose 501s with an Onkyo stereo reciever. 
When I get back from Germany, though, I plan to use my current home theater setup for games, and buy a new receiver and speakers. It's a Yamaha RX-V870 receiver with 80 watts/channel (separate amps), and a matched set of Klipsch .5 speakers. 
That'll rock.
--Satan, quoted by John Milton
But they've been great for the past five years, and I'll probably get three or four more out of them before I upgrade, so it's been a good investment.
--Satan, quoted by John Milton
I checked with the manufacturer of my floor speakers, and they are surround-sound ready and support a digitial signal.
So, on my plate so far are as follows:
quote:
2 rear channel speakers
1 center channel
1 surround sound reciever
1 surround sound sound card
Can I purchase these individually? If so, any suggestions on inexpensive ones?
Ok, next issue, the sub woofer. Do I really need a sub woofer if both my current floor speakers have built in sub woofers? where the heck do I put a sub woofer anyway?
It doesn't really matter where you put it, since low-frequency sound is non-directional.
--Satan, quoted by John Milton
Thanks for all the help, btw
The sonud doesn't care, but center channel speakers are shielded so they can be placed directly atop TV sets.
--Satan, quoted by John Milton
BUT
You'll have to get a speaker/sub combo for your center channel, if you want to get good sound from it. You can't just use speakers with built-in subwoofers, mainly because the sound card will process bass sounds and shoot them through the center channel because it expects a sub to be there. It won't send really low sounds to the sattelites. You also won't be able to get digital sound. You'll have to go analog.
If you want Digital, you'll HAVE to either A) Get an external receiver (Not recommended, as the only one I know of costs as much as an entire set of analog speakers), [ 04-24-2002: Message edited by: Khyron ]
B) Get a full 5.1 digital package, and buy all speakers at once.
Can I hook floor speakers directly into a sound card?
--Satan, quoted by John Milton
quote:
Bloodsage stopped beating up furries long enough to write:
Internal cards are usually cheaper.
Is there an internal card that has the "Front/Rear/Center-sub" audio jacks in it like that?
Creative Inspire 5.1 Speakers will run you under 100.. I haven't seen them for 80 as was listed above but I have seen them for 90..
Don't dick around with mix and match stuff. If you want to go all out get a Sound Blaster audigy Platinum with a set of high End Boston Accustic or Klipsch(sp)
quote:
There was much rejoicing when Azizza said this:
Don't dick around with mix and match stuff. If you want to go all out get a Sound Blaster audigy Platinum with a set of high End Boston Accustic or Klipsch(sp)
Oh I'm dicking around with mix and match all right.
My goal is to get passable surround sound while spending as little money as possible.
I'm going to buy a Live! X-Gamer for 41 bucks, and I'm going to hook my 4 existing speakers up to it (two floor speakers, two smaller speakers I use for the TV). Then I'm going to dig the subwoofer that came with my computer when I bought it out of my closet and pray I can find an AC adapter for it.
I'm not even going to have a center channel, but god damn it I'LL HAVE POSITIONAL SURROUND FOR ONLY $41!! [ 04-24-2002: Message edited by: Koska Kintaro ]
If you are serious about using it for DVD and Gaming and your DVD has digital audio output. Get a hometheater setup and a Soundblaster Live or audigy card with digital outs (I think all of them do). Then hook up Both Dvd and computer to digital inputs of audio reciever.
Thats an expensive option, but you'll get the best sound for both.
You're talking to a guy who swears by onboard sound because he hears absolutely no quality difference from a $200 sound card.
