Onboard audio vs SPDIF out?

[Purplehazeffc]

I've done a bit of googling & couldn't find what I was after. 
SPDIF optical out on a motherboard. 
Does that go through the onboard codec like a Realtek 1150?
Or only though the 3.5mm audio jacks. 

I'm after a new motherboard & will be putting the audio out via SPDIF to my Yamaha theater amp. 
Which has a built in DAC of course. 
A cpl of boards I've found have the lower Realtek Codec, but with the features I want. 
Also a cpl of boards that have the Realtek 1150, but cost from $40-50 more. 

Cheers. 

[ZetZet]

I think spdif is digital so it should not go though anything

[Rohith_Kumar_Sp]

I've done a bit of googling & couldn't find what I was after. 

SPDIF optical out on a motherboard. 

Does that go through the onboard codec like a Realtek 1150?

Or only though the 3.5mm audio jacks. 

I'm after a new motherboard & will be putting the audio out via SPDIF to my Yamaha theater amp. 

Which has a built in DAC of course. 

A cpl of boards I've found have the lower Realtek Codec, but with the features I want. 

Also a cpl of boards that have the Realtek 1150, but cost from $40-50 more. 

Cheers. 

Did you copy paste that from somehwere else? can't see anything in Night theme 

[vlkn´]

That´s just a digital signal... you´ll need to use a soundcard to process the data into analog.

[TheMcSame]

Optical audio is optical audio, no matter what motherboard or soundcard you get it's going to be the EXACT same.

[Godlygamer23]

That´s just a digital signal... you´ll need to use a soundcard to process the data into analog.

SPDIF is digital no matter what you use. It can't be turned into analog - the connector doesn't work that way.

[vlkn´]

SPDIF is digital no matter what you use. It can't be turned into analog - the connector doesn't work that way.

what are you talking about dude.

If he uses the output from the mainboard to the input of the soundcard, the soundcard will process the data into analog signals to let us hear the signal.

Or what did you wanted to tell me ._.´

[Godlygamer23]

what are you talking about dude.

If he uses the output from the mainboard to the input of the soundcard, the soundcard will process the data into analog signals to let us hear the signal.

Or what did you wanted to tell me ._.´

It wouldn't make sense to do that. It would make more sense to just use analog from the get go and to just send it to the sound card right away.

[vlkn´]

It wouldn't make sense to do that. It would make more sense to just use analog from the get go and to just send it to the sound card right away.

What? Analog sound is already processed by the internal soundcard, that wouldn´t make sense to send already processed sounddata to a external soundcard to process it again. I think you mean a amplifier, or?

That´s why he wants to use the digital output to use his external soundcard.

[Godlygamer23]

That´s why he wants to use the digital output to use his external soundcard.

He doesn't have an external sound card. It's an amp.

[vlkn´]

He doesn't have an external sound card. It's an amp.

troll somewhere else XDD

"Which has a built in DAC of course"

[Godlygamer23]

troll somewhere else XDD

"Which has a built in DAC of course"

DACs are not sound cards. Sound cards contain DACs, but DACs are not sound cards.

[vlkn´]

DACs are not sound cards. Sound cards contain DACs, but DACs are not sound cards.

and you said it´s an amp. good for you

[bomerr]

If you can use HDMI instead of optical I would recommend it.

 

Optical has an issue with multichannel (>2) output.

By default windows will set the output to 2 channel stereo.

DD or DTS 5.1 will only be activated by sources that can force output 5.1. e.g. Movies

Most games use the system setting to determine how many channels to output. Since windows will report 2, most games will only output in stereo.

The work around for this is to get the unlock realtek audio drivers and then enable DD Live.

 

http://www33.zippyshare.com/v/72729438/file.html

 

In short if possible use HDMI output from your GPU because it's easier. Else you'll probably want those unlocked drivers. You won't need a sound card since the DAC will take place in the receiver. 

[xtroria]

If you can use HDMI instead of optical I would recommend it.

Optical has an issue with multichannel (>2) output.

By default windows will set the output to 2 channel stereo.

DD or DTS 5.1 will only be activated by sources that can force output 5.1. e.g. Movies

Most games use the system setting to determine how many channels to output. Since windows will report 2, most games will only output in stereo.

The work around for this is to get the unlock realtek audio drivers and then enable DD Live.

http://www33.zippyshare.com/v/72729438/file.html

In short if possible use HDMI output from your GPU because it's easier. Else you'll probably want those unlocked drivers. You won't need a sound card since the DAC will take place in the receiver.

If you can spend money to get external amp/dac but still want to use surround sound b.s, you might as well rot in hell

[Purplehazeffc]

Thanks for the reply guys. All are helpful.

 

My last board was a Sabertooth 990fx which had the Realtek ALC892 on board.

I ran from the SPDIF Optical out to my Yamaha 5.1ch amp. Which then ran speakers for my surround set up.

For when I watch movies or TV shows. Both Dolby & DTS worked very well.
Music played pretty good as well. When I wanted to use headphones I plugged them into the Yamaha amp.

 

The Yamaha amp has both inputs. SPDIF & RCA 5.1 audio jacks. So I could go from the motherboard either way.

 

My next build is going to be a Intel Z97 build. Since the boards I am looking at have the Realtek 1150, which is meant to sound better.

I was wondering should I plug the audio via 5.1 audio jacks & use the on board decoder.
Or stay with the SPDIF Optical & use the Yamaha's decoder. The only specs listed for the decoder is 192 kHz 24 bit on all channels.

 

Cheers
 

[NannerBeans]

Thanks for the reply guys. All are helpful.

 

My last board was a Sabertooth 990fx which had the Realtek ALC892 on board.

I ran from the SPDIF Optical out to my Yamaha 5.1ch amp. Which then ran speakers for my surround set up.

For when I watch movies or TV shows. Both Dolby & DTS worked very well.

Music played pretty good as well. When I wanted to use headphones I plugged them into the Yamaha amp.

 

The Yamaha amp has both inputs. SPDIF & RCA 5.1 audio jacks. So I could go from the motherboard either way.

 

My next build is going to be a Intel Z97 build. Since the boards I am looking at have the Realtek 1150, which is meant to sound better.

I was wondering should I plug the audio via 5.1 audio jacks & use the on board decoder.

Or stay with the SPDIF Optical & use the Yamaha's decoder. The only specs listed for the decoder is 192 kHz 24 bit on all channels.

 

Cheers

 

Keep using SPDIF. The kHz/bits mean nothing. Don't worry about that. It doesn't make a difference. 

[Stagea]

Thanks for the reply guys. All are helpful.

 

My last board was a Sabertooth 990fx which had the Realtek ALC892 on board.

I ran from the SPDIF Optical out to my Yamaha 5.1ch amp. Which then ran speakers for my surround set up.

For when I watch movies or TV shows. Both Dolby & DTS worked very well.

Music played pretty good as well. When I wanted to use headphones I plugged them into the Yamaha amp.

 

The Yamaha amp has both inputs. SPDIF & RCA 5.1 audio jacks. So I could go from the motherboard either way.

 

My next build is going to be a Intel Z97 build. Since the boards I am looking at have the Realtek 1150, which is meant to sound better.

I was wondering should I plug the audio via 5.1 audio jacks & use the on board decoder.

Or stay with the SPDIF Optical & use the Yamaha's decoder. The only specs listed for the decoder is 192 kHz 24 bit on all channels.

 

Cheers

 

 

SPDIF unless you want to playback Multi-Channel HD Audio tracks. Aside from digital data being less prone to the noise from your PC's innards, the optical connection offers galvanic isolation (so you don't get any hum or burnt inputs). Most AV Receiver analogue multi-channel inputs also bypass the AVR's bass management and equalization, which in most cases harm the sonic experience.

 

Are you using DD Live or DTS Connect? If you want positional audio during gameplay over SPDIF, either one would do. 

 

HDMI is an easier all-rounder connection, if that is available to you. Without HDMI or DD Live / DTS Connect, you can have both analogue and SPDIF connections on (switch to analogue for multi-channel gaming, then digital for media playback).

[Stagea]

Optical audio is optical audio, no matter what motherboard or soundcard you get it's going to be the EXACT same.

 

Timing / Jitter issues can make them not the same. Most devices have a high tolerance for it though, which makes the impact very small (if any).

[Lauen]

SPDIF is digital no matter what you use. It can't be turned into analog - the connector doesn't work that way.

Yes SPDIF is digital, but the digital signal can be converted by a DAC to an analog signal which then can be amplified by an amplifier.

 

It wouldn't make sense to do that. It would make more sense to just use analog from the get go and to just send it to the sound card right away.

What do you meeean "analog from the get go"? the PC makes a digital signal, which then is processed by a DAC into an analog signal. a soundcard does that too, because (as you said) it contains a DAC (and an ADC too for the mic and line in), which can process digital signals. Sure, a soundcard can use the ADC, and then send it back out via the DAC and amp, but that wouldn't really do anything unless you want it to be amplified, but he has his Yamaha receiver for that anyway.

 

 

also OP's amp / receiver has a DAC and amp, if not there would not be a reason for it to have optical or HDMI in.

[Godlygamer23]

Yes SPDIF is digital, but the digital signal can be converted by a DAC to an analog signal which then can be amplified by an amplifier.

 

What do you meeean "analog from the get go"? the PC makes a digital signal, which then is processed by a DAC into an analog signal. a soundcard does that too, because (as you said) it contains a DAC (and an ADC too for the mic and line in), which can process digital signals. Sure, a soundcard can use the ADC, and then send it back out via the DAC and amp, but that wouldn't really do anything unless you want it to be amplified, but he has his Yamaha receiver for that anyway.

 

 

also OP's amp / receiver has a DAC and amp, if not there would not be a reason for it to have optical or HDMI in.

What I meant is it wouldn't make sense to send it to a sound card if it's going to end up there anyways. (I mean an actual sound card. Not the DAC/Amp the OP has. What I said was in response to Vlkn. Not the OP's thread.)

[Lauen]

What I meant is it wouldn't make sense to send it to a sound card if it's going to end up there anyways. (I mean an actual sound card. Not the DAC/Amp the OP has. What I said was in response to Vlkn. Not the OP's thread.)

what do you mean end up in a soundcard? do you mean from whatever media player OP is using, through onboard, internal soundcard or external soundcard? and analog from that and into the receiver? cus the simplest way is just straight optical from onboard and into the receiver. the other ways are of course HDMI, and analog jacks, but with both optical and analog jacks you can use many solutions, but onboard (unless it's broken or really old) is the easiest solution and you probably won't hear a difference because it's amplified by the receiver and not an onboard amp or a soundcard amp.

[loony979]

SPDIF is less cables to worry about it's what i use ,it's better than to worry about the 5 or so cables .

Quality is not going to change from it leaving the MB ,infact it's going to carry it smoother than rca's .

 

I use the Sound Blaster X-fi Titanium Fatal1ty ,Only grab a sound card if you need 1 ,The MB

sound with the SPDIF is going to do just fine .

I even use it for the output to my receiver it's great.

 

Check my build log for a more depth view on how i got mine if keen . You will be fine with it.

[bomerr]

If you can spend money to get external amp/dac but still want to use surround sound b.s, you might as well rot in hell

for gaming surround sound is quite nice. 

[Godlygamer23]

what do you mean end up in a soundcard? do you mean from whatever media player OP is using, through onboard, internal soundcard or external soundcard? and analog from that and into the receiver? cus the simplest way is just straight optical from onboard and into the receiver. the other ways are of course HDMI, and analog jacks, but with both optical and analog jacks you can use many solutions, but onboard (unless it's broken or really old) is the easiest solution and you probably won't hear a difference because it's amplified by the receiver and not an onboard amp or a soundcard amp.

I had a major misunderstanding. I thought he was using a regular amp that you would normally hook up to a PC. Then I re-read the OP and realized it was a Theater amp. Forget what I said.