[mythtv-users] PCI (or USB) soundcard that can passthrough SPDIF to surround sound amp

[Phil Bridges]

On Mon, Mar 10, 2008 at 10:00 AM, Kevin Kuphal <kkuphal at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> On Sun, Mar 9, 2008 at 12:54 PM, Rob Beard <rob at esdelle.co.uk> wrote:
>
> > Hi folks,
> >
> > I'm hoping someone might be able to advise me on an issue I have trying
> > to find a sound card.
> >
> > Basically I've upgraded my PC to a new Phenom 9600 with MSI K9A2
> > motherboard (the cheap version).  Now my old motherboard (an MSI P35
> > Neo2 with Pentium Dual Core E2160) had SPDIF output on the motherboard
> > which I was able to use an SPDIF header with to output AC3 and DTS audio
> > to my surround sound amp.
> >
> > The new board does have an SPDIF header on the board but it is only
> > 2-pin rather than a 3-pin header.  I have tried enabling the SPDIF
> > output in the Alsa mixer and sending the DVD audio to SPDIF using the
> > passthrough but I don't get anything (despite trying different
> > combinations of the 3 pins).
> >
> > So, after giving up on that I decided to look for a sound card that
> > would enable SPDIF passthrough.
> >
> > I've bought an external Sweex USB 5.1 Sound Card which has TOSLINK
> > in/out.  It's supposedly based on the CMedia CM106 chip.  This works in
> > Windows perfectly well as far as Windows sounds are sent over the
> > TOSLINK connection to my amp.  So far so good.
> >
> > I then reboot into Ubuntu 7.10 and although I can play sounds through
> > the analogue outputs on the card I can't get anything through the
> > TOSLINK connection, if I try SPDIF passthrough I get what sounds like
> > noise (a bit like if I was going to play a data CD in a CD player).
> >
> > I've also got a SoundBlaster Live 5.1 Digital (I think it's from an old
> > Dell) which I've tried connecting the digital out to my amp using a
> > 3.5mm to 2 x Phono cable and this doesn't seem to work either (I've
> > tried all sorts but from what I can tell it needs some specific commands
> > sending to the EMU chip?).  The analogue connection works but the
> > digital connection doesn't do anything.  I wasn't able to try this in
> > Windows as I can't seem to download a driver, just a driver update which
> > won't install!!!
> >
> > So I'm on the lookout for a new sound card which is supported by Ubuntu
> > 7.10 (or 8.04) AMD64.  I have an coax SPDIF to optical TOSLINK adaptor
> > (which does work - my amp has optical input) so either with optical
> > TOSLINK, coax SPDIF outputs or both would be ideal.
> >
> > Would something on the CMI8768+8CH chip (such as this:
> > http://www.ebuyer.com/product/106539) be suitable?
> >
> > If anyone has got any suggestions, or even knows how to get the SPDIF
> > output on a SB Live 5.1 Digital working then that would be ideal.
>
>
> I can *strongly* recommend two cards:
>
> TurtleBeach Riviera:
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829118105
> AOpen Cobra AW870LP
>
> The first is a 5.1 with optical that *just works* out of the box with ALSA
> and passthrough (no crazy asoundrc files) and the second is a low profile
> card that works just as well in case you have a smaller case and are looking
> for that.  I cannot recommend the Riviera strongly enough for optical
> passthrough.
>
> Kevin

Kevin -

I also have one of the AOpen Cobra cards, and use the cmipci module.
I had this card working fine for AC3 and DTS files in a previous box.
I updated a frontend the other day to digital output (and 0.21) , and
put in this card.  I have digital audio working, but it's in stereo.
I have tried speaker-test, but I only get audio from the front left
and front right channels.  Is there any direction you can point me in
to get multi-channel working over the SPDIF?