Audio connections advice please

Swallowtail · **2nd June 2008, 11:03 AM**

Can I please get some advice from all you experts out there...

I have a Vista Media Center PC and a Samsung 32" LCD. Sound from the TV speakers is ordinary but it's carried easily over HDMI from the ATI HDMI audio, so that's an advantage.

At the moment I have a high quality Arcam 2 channel amplifier with some Linn speakers that I am using for when I want to have better sound than the TV speakers. My connection options are:

1. headphone socket from TV to the amp. Advantages - easy, as it disconnects the TV loudspeakers when you plug it in (although still not ideal - I have to connect / disconnect a cable to change it over), the headphone-out volume on the TV can be independently set-and-forget, and Windows is still outputting sound via the HDMI cable, so no Windows config change is needed. Disadvantages - the sound quality is average at best.

2. cable from the motherboard's ALC889 audio (via back panel) to the amp. Advantages - better sound by miles. Disadvantages - Windows has to be told to send sound that way as its default device, and Media Center has to be restarted. Hardly WAF-friendly.

With either option, I am setting the Arcam's volume to about 35%, and changing volume via Media center so it's remotely controllable.

So for current setup - any sugestions?

For future setup I have been looking at getting a home theatre amp, in which case I assume it will be connected PC > HT amp > TV all via HDMI? What about SPDIF? How does everyone set it up with sound from the TV or speakers? Mute the TV's internal sound and always use the HT amp? What about controlling the volume remotely - Media Center or amp? The 889 seems to provide better sound quality than HDMI audio... which should I use andwhat is the best way to set it all up? Ideally all remotely do-able from my Harmony 525 for maximum WAF!

i would appreciate any advice please...

aceman · **2nd June 2008, 09:19 PM**

Hi mate, i have my HTPC connected to my Samsung 42 inch plasma via HDMI (audio as well!) I also am using a 2 channel amp and all I do is run a high quality RCA analogue from the analogue audio out of the back of the tv straight to the amp. I'm assuming that your tv has 2 channel analogue out. Then I switch on the amp to a preset volume and the wife can then control the volume with the MCE remote!

Hope this assists you.

Swallowtail · **2nd June 2008, 09:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by aceman

Hi mate, i have my HTPC connected to my Samsung 42 inch plasma via HDMI (audio as well!) I also am using a 2 channel amp and all I do is run a high quality RCA analogue from the analogue audio out of the back of the tv straight to the amp. I'm assuming that your tv has 2 channel analogue out. Then I switch on the amp to a preset volume and the wife can then control the volume with the MCE remote!

Hope this assists you.

Thanks Aceman - so do you just manually turn down the volume on the TV when you do that?

aceman · **2nd June 2008, 09:44 PM**

yes you must turn down the volume on the tv to zero.

A cable such as this should surfice for you:

http://www.cablechick.com.au/cables/...rca-cable.html

krypto · **2nd June 2008, 11:12 PM**

Given the quality of your audio components you should notice a step improvement going from the onboard sound to a dedicated sound card.

I switched from the onboard 889a to a auzentech explosion cinema and the difference when playing music from my VMC through my 2 channel amp was amazing.

Swallowtail · **2nd June 2008, 11:31 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by krypto

Given the quality of your audio components you should notice a step improvement going from the onboard sound to a dedicated sound card.

I switched from the onboard 889a to a auzentech explosion cinema and the difference when playing music from my VMC through my 2 channel amp was amazing.

I agree - but I'd end up in the situation of audio over the HDMI cable having to be selected in Vista for using the TV's speakers for everyday TV viewing and then having to switch it in Vista (Set Default etc) and restart MC to get it through the sound card to my stereo wouldn't I? This is the sort of frustrating confusion I am trying to get my head around...

vlad · **2nd June 2008, 11:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swallowtail

For future setup I have been looking at getting a home theatre amp, in which case I assume it will be connected PC > HT amp > TV all via HDMI? What about SPDIF? How does everyone set it up with sound from the TV or speakers? Mute the TV's internal sound and always use the HT amp? What about controlling the volume remotely - Media Center or amp? The 889 seems to provide better sound quality than HDMI audio... which should I use andwhat is the best way to set it all up? Ideally all remotely do-able from my Harmony 525 for maximum WAF!

i would appreciate any advice please...

I have a sony amp connected to a set of B&W speakers.
I connect TV to HTPC via HDMI, but never use TV speakers. I have coaxial S/PDIF from my motherboard to the amp.
HDMI audio is not up to specs now in PC's. But I would get a HDMI and HD Audio capable receiver. When we will get full HDMI audio support, then you will connect your HTPC to the receiver with HDMI cable and receiver to TV with another HDMI cable.

Swallowtail · **4th June 2008, 12:02 PM**

Tempted to go down this path and always have the amp / speakers in use, and just mute the TV. Will get around the occasional issue I have with HDMI audio not re-initialising too...

DDH · **4th June 2008, 01:30 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swallowtail

Tempted to go down this path and always have the amp / speakers in use, and just mute the TV. Will get around the occasional issue I have with HDMI audio not re-initialising too...

My preference has always been to use the Amp and disable / mute the TV. The only trick with using the mute function on some TVs is that it leaves a red "MUTE" wording on the screen, hopefully not on yours. If it does have this issue you can normally either disable the signal in the first place or set the volume to zero.

Swallowtail · **4th June 2008, 01:36 PM**

Yup, it leaves a big floating "Mute" on the screen. Even moves it around to prevent burn-in... LOL... Not an issue with Vista anyway thinking about it, as putting the sound out of the onboard Audio Out will automagically stop it from going down HDMI to the TV anyway... One of the pain in the ass issues that is leading me to have to stuff around with deciding which one to use instead of just being able to easily turn one up and the other one down like you could with XP MCE.

krypto · **4th June 2008, 06:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swallowtail

I agree - but I'd end up in the situation of audio over the HDMI cable having to be selected in Vista for using the TV's speakers for everyday TV viewing and then having to switch it in Vista (Set Default etc) and restart MC to get it through the sound card to my stereo wouldn't I? This is the sort of frustrating confusion I am trying to get my head around...

Correct, however I use media control which has a one button shortcut for switching the default audio device. I have even been able to show SWMBO how to do it.