5.1 Surround

[ojnihs]

I'm not too good at home theater stuff, so I need some help.

I need some suggestions on the absolute cheapest way to get 5.1 surround sound out of my tv, using it's optical out, and then going to Logitech Z-5300e speakers. The connectors for the speakers are 1/8's, so obviously this poses a slight challenge. I'm stressing cheapest, cause medical school is killing my wallet.

Thanks,

Dave

[Dusty Chalk]

Alright, so these are powered speakers, sounds like what you need is a prepro, sometimes called a surround preamp. And it needs to take (optical) digital in. You mention 1/8's, but don't those connect to the sub? Usually the multichannel amp is built into the sub in those 5.1 systems. So what sort of inputs does the sub have, also 1/8's?

Any chance you can just sell them and buy the Logitech Z-5500 Digital (or equivalent)? Then you wouldn't need the prepro at all.

Alternatively, your other best bet would be to haunt garage sales, yard sales, and eBay and look for an ancient pre/pro, or 5.1 receiver with pre-outs. Someone on AudioKarma mentioned the old Denon receivers, I think.

[n_maher]

One word: Craigslist.

Seriously, you can probably find a cheap old receiver that'll do the job just fine for under $100.

[ojnihs]

You mention 1/8's, but don't those connect to the sub? Usually the multichannel amp is built into the sub in those 5.1 systems. So what sort of inputs does the sub have, also 1/8's?

Totally forgot to mention that they do indeed connect to the sub and the inputs going into the sub are also 1/8s.

Any chance you can just sell them and buy the Logitech Z-5500 Digital (or equivalent)? Then you wouldn't need the prepro at all.

I was thinking about just selling these and getting ones with a digital input, which seems like the easiest and best way to go about it. Definitely will have to think about that.

Alternatively, your other best bet would be to haunt garage sales, yard sales, and eBay and look for an ancient pre/pro, or 5.1 receiver with pre-outs. Someone on AudioKarma mentioned the old Denon receivers, I think.

One word: Craigslist.

Good idea guys, thanks a lot for the advice. I seriously didn't think of looking at any of those places for a receiver. I was looking at some receivers online and saw that most of them don't have pre-outs for either A/V cables or 1/8's, which made the search extremely frustrating. I'm assuming that from what you guys are saying is that older receivers will have these types of outputs while newer ones won't?

[ojnihs]

you could always use RCA->Mini adapters.

I was thinking about using this idea, but my tv only outputs audio 2 channel if I use RCA. I figured the best way (and cheapest) would be to use the optical out. HDMI seemed like an option, but receivers that take that are expensive.

[ojnihs]

I fucked up. The speakers connect to the woofer via RCA inputs while the input from the source into the woofer is 1/8's.

[Dusty Chalk]

I was thinking about using this idea, but my tv only outputs audio 2 channel if I use RCA. I figured the best way (and cheapest) would be to use the optical out. HDMI seemed like an option, but receivers that take that are expensive.

Sounds like you've already figured this out, but just to make things explicitly clear -- he's still talking about a prepro, or a receiver with pre outs, but saying that it's okay if they're RCA's, as you could just get cables that are RCA on one end and 1/8's on the other, if that had been what you needed. Now, it sounds like you just need regular old RCA interconnects.

[n_maher]

I fucked up. The speakers connect to the woofer via RCA inputs while the input from the source into the woofer is 1/8's.

So does it take a bunch of these to get the job done? I can't imagine the speakers/sub doing the surround processing but I could be wrong.

[ojnihs]

I'm ever so slightly confused...

See I found this [ame=http://www.amazon.com/Console-Adapter-Convert-Plugs-Single/dp/B0006U3ACY/ref=pd_bbs_sr_5/104-7336059-3418343?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1189456753&sr=8-5]thing[/ame] on Amazon, but obviously it won't give me 5.1 surround at all, just give me stereo sound out of all 5 speakers (which already works without this adapter thingy). But by looking at the picture, you get the general idea of what I'm working with. The RCA's would be coming from the source and the three 1/8's would be going into the subwoofer.

Since my tv only outputs 2 channels if I use RCA, I thought Toslink optical would be the best, but I have no idea what to look for in a receiver since I have not dealt with receivers at all. Could someone explain how I'd hook this all up if I did go the prepro route?

[Dusty Chalk]

Okay.

As is:

stereo outs from TV into sub, sub connects to satellite speakers (sub also acts as amplifier for satellites) via whatever provided cables. You don't get 5.1 with this option.

If you get the Logitech Z-5500 Digital or equivalent:

digital from TV into sub (they need either to both be coax, or both be optical), sub connects to satellites via whatever provided cables.

If you get a prepro:

digital out from TV into prepro (again, needs to be the same), pre outs via RCA into 5.1 analog inputs on sub, sub to sats via whatever.

If you get a receiver:

same as prepro, or, just use the receiver traditionally -- speaker outs to speakers, sub out to sub -- I wouldn't recommend this if the documentation with the 5.1 system says not to, as that means that there's some special processing that the sub does, which your receiver won't.

I tried to make this post as short as possible so that I didn't muddy up the works, so feel free to ask questions.

[Dusty Chalk]

So what are the sub's 5.1 analog inputs, RCA's? 1/8's? Other? The standard (since forever) for HT is RCA; for some computer-oriented audio gear such as the Logitechs it's stereo 1/8's. So if it's RCA's, you just need 6 normal RCA-RCA interconnects. If it's 3 stereo 1/8's, then you need 3 of these.

Your sub should have something that says "output to speakers". Those are also 1/8's? How do they get to the speakers? Are they stereo on one and and mono on the other? This is basically just speaker wire, as the amplifier is housed in the sub. Connectors can be adapted, modified, or just bought anew, no big deal.

[n_maher]

I tracked down a copy of the users manual for these speakers online. The 5.1 inputs are designed to be used with a sound cards outputs so what you need to do is find out what the industry standard is for 5.1 output from a soundcard. My guess is that since they are line level signals that each 1/8 connector carries two channels and that it's probably L/R Front, L/R Rear, and C/Sub on the 3, but I'm guessing based on no information. I've never used a sound card's 5.1 output before. If it does work out to something like that I'm sure that you could find someone to build you 3 mini/RCA cables that you could run from your preamp outputs of your receiver to the sub. Then you'd be good to go.

[ojnihs]

My guess is that since they are line level signals that each 1/8 connector carries two channels and that it's probably L/R Front, L/R Rear, and C/Sub on the 3, but I'm guessing based on no information.

Absolutely correct Nate. There are three 1/8 connectors that go into the subwoofer (L/R Front, L/R Rear, and C/Sub). The speakers have cables attached to them, which are terminated with male RCA's, which you plug into the subwoofer's female RCA sockets.

So say I get something like this. Are the stereo ports on the back for RCA? I get confused when I look at the back of receivers because the stereo out ports are raised out of the back panel and don't look like the rest of the RCA outputs on the back. As you can tell, I have absolutely no experience with receivers or home theater.

[n_maher]

So say I get something like this. Are the stereo ports on the back for RCA? I get confused when I look at the back of receivers because the stereo out ports are raised out of the back panel and don't look like the rest of the RCA outputs on the back. As you can tell, I have absolutely no experience with receivers or home theater.

I don't think that'd work all that well. What you really want/need is something with preamp outputs. And seriously, I'd think you could find what you're looking for used for less than that and get a whole lot more bang for your buck. Odds are that low-end new receivers are not going to have the preamp out option.

Where in the world are you located?

[ojnihs]

I'm in Baltimore

[n_maher]

I'd probably try and have a look at this. Based on a bit of research that should have the necessary preamp outputs and actually would make a half decent receiver in its own right if you ever got real speakers. I had the 27TX for 6 years or so and liked it a lot.

[ojnihs]

Awesome, thanks much Nate.

[jinp6301]

nate ftw!