Digital Audio which connector for Audigy2 ZS

[Ultra Wide]

Let me start by saying I have not seriously looked at the sound part of my system since the AWE32 days....

I have an Audigy2 ZS, I am using my old old HK-595 speakers that I got with my Dell XPS500, yeah I know it's time to upgrade them speakers.

So, I see that the Audigy2 has a SPDIF connector in the back. Is this the digital connector?

Ok, what kind of speakers can take advantage of this? Also, if I get speakers that can use the SPDIF connector, will I need another connectors or does this output all 5.1 channels via 1 cable?

I mostly watch DVDs and listen to mp3s, I do play warcraft3 now and then. For the DVDs I have a lot of DTS and DD5.1

I guess I don't need anything out of this world, but I have been looking at Logitech Z-5500 and Klipsch 5.1, but they seem to occpy a lot of space. Is there a design the fuses some of the speakers together? like center + left (front + back) + right (front + back) + sub?

Thank you for the education.

 

[towert7]

Are you bent set on speakers, or are you open to headphones as well? Headphones give you a much greater bang for the buck for sound quality over speakers.

The digital jack on your audigy 2 zs is a "3.5mm mono mini" jack. You can connect this to any receiver or other thing that accepts digital, although you may need a mini to RCA coaxial cable. For general computer usage, your only going to get stereo out of a digital connection. If you want true 5.1, your audigy would have to send the DTS (or DolbyDigital) signal to what your have it connected to, and that thing would need to have a DTS (DolbyDigital) decoder if I remember correctly. Games you would be stuck with stereo if using the digital connector.

~Hope this helps

 

[Ultra Wide]

Do those speakers that say THX-certified have a decoder in them? Like the Klipsch 5.1 or the Logitech Z-5500.

Or do you just have to connect all the cables to get all the channels? This is confusing me a little.