Please help with my 2.1 system...

[Loctus]

Here is what I have
- 2 passive speakers,
- 2 channel amp (with no lfe out),
- 1 active/powered subwoofer with only LFE input and no high level input
- m-audio audiophile sound card with 2 channel output
- creative audigy 2 sound card with 6 channel output
- onboard realtek audio 7.1 channels

Here's my problem: I get very nice 2 channel output from creative and m-audio to my speakers... but I can't make them make any sound on the subwoofer unless I connect it instead of one of the speakers and it sounds very crappy.

I only managed to get sub to work along with speakers through realtek onboard audio and that was by plugging sub into headphone jack. Nothing else works... and it still sounds extremely horrible.

What are my choices? sub, amp and speakers are expensive and heavy so I can't sell them and they must stay. What are other options? Is there a sound card that can play stereo music and has sub/lfe out? At this point I don't care about price, I just want to listen to music and I am very frustrated(

 

[KingDiamond]

Unless the sub has a built-in crossover, I wouldn't plug the sub directly to a speaker output on the sound card.

Usually there is a way to connect the subwoofer to the soundcard and set it up for 2.1 sound. Look for the documentation.

 

[Loctus]

Unless the sub has a built-in crossover, I wouldn't plug the sub directly to a speaker output on the sound card.

Usually there is a way to connect the subwoofer to the soundcard and set it up for 2.1 sound. Look for the documentation.

well I had to check that subwoofer is working at all, I read documentation - no help, I went a step further and tried all possible connections and settings possible, wasted half a day on this. That's why I decided to look for a new sound card with dedicated LFE or something.

 

[GuyClinch]

This is what I would do. It might not be a perfect solution but it won't cost you anything to test out.

You can either use the onboard sound or the audigy 2 card for this. I suspect the audigy 2 card would sound better. First identify the sub out of your audigy 2 card. I think its shared with the center chanel. If you plug an 3.5mm to RCA cable in there (and it sounds like you have one) hook it up to the subwoofer (it will say line in on the back).

Secondly hook up your amplifer to the front speaker jack (or what you hook up your headphones with on the rear panel). Then select 2.1, 5.1 or 7.1 in the control panel. Of course 2.1 is the logical choice but I have found many sound cards don't support that. You need that .1 so you can make your sound card to bass management. Then once your sub is plugged in test it with the speaker test. In bass management set the crossover to the highest possible. And if its working right when you click on the subwoofer (in the speaker test section) you will hear it say 'subwoofer" You should also hear your right and left speakers as well assume your amp is turned on and the speakers are wired up to it.

If you hear nothing swap the center channel with the subwoofer (you should see that option in the control panel). Once everything is hooked up like this you should hear sound from all your speakers when you play music and such.. After that tweak your bass management. Turn down your crossover to a few hz above your speakers lowest sound range. If you don't have that guess 80 or 100 if your speakers are small bookshelf ones. Large ones will go down to 60. Then set your speakers to small.

This should be sounding decent. At this point just fiddle with the subwoofer level nob until the bass level sounds reasonable in music and games.

Pete

 

[Loctus]

Thanks Pete for tutorial but the audigy is only making sound from one output for some reason to left/right speakers... even when set to 5.1 or 7.1. Realtek on another hand, makes sound from all outputs but doesn't do dedicated sub out, it just treats the subwoofer as 1 speaker and makes it play left or right channel. I think the best choice is just getting a different sub amp... like one of those daytons from parts express with high level inputs and just doing it the right way..especially since I mostly use this setup to play music and don't need that .1 channel thing.

Now the question is will those aftermarket sub amps fit the box)

 

[obobski]

the realtek should have re-configurable output jacks, so you can really get it to do whatever you want (you don't have to use the headphone out, you can clone front L/R) the Audigy 2 is going to be a bit more "rigid" in its configuration, but offers you CMSS and similar

although 5.1 on the Audigy 2 will give you an LFE channel, you must enable CMSS in drivers, in order to re-sample audio to 5.1, and therefore to the sub, otherwise it will play stereo material as stereo material, the issue is that it also expects a center and side surrounds, so it may change acoustics a bit on you

one solution would be to build an external passive crossover that handles the impedance on the soundcard's line out, and keeps the signal at line level, an active crossover/speaker management system might work as well, or a new amplifier/sub with appropriate terminals, or a new receiver/amplifier with appropriate terminals, and so on

as far as soundcards that can actually do 2.1 out, I can't think of any off hand (at least that I know 100% to do this), the Onkyo SE-200 probably supports it, the M-Audio 1010's probably support it (but you probably need a signal for that LF channel generated by something else), and I'm not sure at all on E-MU boards or anything "more pro" than that, so I'm not really sure where to suggest you as far as a new card if that was something you'd want to entertain (maybe that poster knows of something else?)

 

[Uncle Jim]

Thanks Pete for tutorial but the audigy is only making sound from one output for some reason to left/right speakers... even when set to 5.1 or 7.1. Realtek on another hand, makes sound from all outputs but doesn't do dedicated sub out, it just treats the subwoofer as 1 speaker and makes it play left or right channel.

To me it sounds as if Relatek was not assigned LFE the way you wanted
As for Audigy doing the same it is either not set to surround, audio jacks are put into the wrong output or the card is broken. Or the bass redirection is not on - but this would not explain why only stereo works. Might be a combination of factors though.

If I am not mistaken in the Creative driver there is a Speaker Settings option with Bass Management tab. You could verify if this is set. This is a software crossover filter sending LFE signal to one of the rings on the center socket (orange) - not sure was it the tip or the ring, but if you split the signal using stereo minijack into 2 RCAs and try one after another as the input on the sub you should be getting something.

Also: try that with an ac3 file that is 5.1 to see if it works on either card. It should - without any special bass redirection, cmss and similar settings, e.g. from http://www.lynnemusic.com/surround.html

 

[obobski]

If I am not mistaken in the Creative driver there is a Speaker Settings option with Bass Management tab. You could verify if this is set. This is a software crossover filter sending LFE signal to one of the rings on the center socket (orange) - not sure was it the tip or the ring, but if you split the signal using stereo minijack into 2 RCAs and try one after another as the input on the sub you should be getting something.

it changes driver version to version, regardless of card, a lot of the CD drivers hide bass redirection/speaker settings in the THX panel, the download drivers have it on a tab, and so on, consistency isn't Creative's strong suit

 

[GuyClinch]

Thanks Pete for tutorial but the audigy is only making sound from one output for some reason to left/right speakers... even when set to 5.1 or 7.1. Realtek on another hand, makes sound from all outputs but doesn't do dedicated sub out, it just treats the subwoofer as 1 speaker and makes it play left or right channel. I think the best choice is just getting a different sub amp... like one of those daytons from parts express with high level inputs and just doing it the right way..especially since I mostly use this setup to play music and don't need that .1 channel thing.

I suppose your way is the right way. However I don't feel using a 5.1 setting with a 2.1 speaker set up messes up music. Still it would be nice if card manufacturers gave us the option in the driver because it does mess up things like 'virtual speakers'.

Pete

 

[obobski]

However I don't feel using a 5.1 setting with a 2.1 speaker set up messes up music.

the only issue with the 5.1 setting is if you have to use CMSS/DPL, where its actually resampling stereo to 6ch, but only connected to stereo, thats where things could become a problem