Sound Blaster ZXR no sound through Optical output

NickEclipse said:

Thank you. Speakers device is not only for 3.5m audio jacks, it fools Windows into thinking the TosLink is actually 5.1 (3.5m cables) instead of 2.0. And works in conjoncture with the DTS Connect & Dolby Digital Live Encoders. I was able to get audio out of Speakers before, not anymore. And Encoders won't load like yourself. S/PDIF is only 2.0 audio except for originally DTS or Dolby encoded sources. Example: Movie track.

Otherwise it always outputs 2.0 audio. Many PC games have real positional uncompressed surround sound that is not DTS or Dolby licensed, and need HDMI or the 3.5 jacks to output the 5.1 correctly. Or DTS Connect / Dolby Live Encoders through Toslink.

My scenario is the same as yours, except I only have a Sound Blaster Z (basic), and don't use 3.5m cables.

But if you have the 3.5m cables, use that instead of TosLink for now. It will be infinitely better. At least you'll get uncompressed 5.1 from supported sources.

I have a Home Theater myself so I'm stuck with TosLink, or HDMI. I use HDMI right now, better than S/PDIF 2.0 from the SB card...Downside is you loose the Creative's audio enchantments, which are great.

You don't get that downside yourself with the 3.5m cables. You still get 5.1 and have the bonus of the enchantments. That's the best scenario for you.

DTS Connect and Dolby Digital Live is mostly for TosLink. Don't need it with 3.5m cables as far as I know.

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Awesome PC build by the way. Get yourself a Corsair K70 and a M65 Elite to go with that :P. You use your PC mostly for work with that trackball mouse?

When i use an optical cable hooked to the sound cards output i do get sound out of all 5.1 speakers now and even before regardless of the source Movie, Music and Games. You are saying the optical output on this card has or uses only 2 channels unless there is a encoded source e.g. Dolby Digital ?

I was told before my type of card would do better through 3.5mm jacks rather then optical output unless using A/V Receiver especially a good one.

HDMI is all i use for my Home Theater since High Definition came around.

As said before most likely the culprit may be part of the drivers software Dolby Digital and DTS Packs you'll find them showing separately in installed programs.

Thanks, could use an even better motherboard, i love this K800 keyboard so smooth for typing not much into mechanical style keyboards unless using it for gaming but have a Razer Orbweaver Chroma Mechanical Switch Gaming Keypad - Razer Orbweaver Chroma
for games and an XBOX Elite Controller https://www.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-one/...ess-controller

And this Trackball is nicer then the previous Logitech i used M570 and no i use PC for pleasure not business.

jds63 said:

When i do use a optical cable hooked to the sound cards output i do get sound out of all 5.1 speakers now and even before regardless of the source Movie, Music and games. You are saying optical ouput on this card is only stereo unless there is a encoded source e.g. Dolby Digital ?

I was told before my type of card would do better through 3.5mm jacks rather then optical output unless like you using A/V Receiver especially a good one.

I said before most likely the culprit may be part of the drivers software Dolby Digital and DTS Packs find them showing separately in installed programs.

Thanks could use a better motherboard though, i love this K800 keyboard so smooth for typing not much into mechanical style keyboards unless using it for gaming but i have a Razer Orbweaver Chroma Mechanical Switch Gaming Keypad - Razer Orbweaver Chroma
for games and an XBOX Elite Controllerhttps://www.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-one/...ess-controller

And this Trackball is nicer then the previous Logitech i used M570, no i use PC for pleasure not business.

The xBox One Elite Controller looks sweet, but damn is it pricey. Optical is only able to output 2.0 from uncompressed Surround sources. So if you get sound on all speakers no matter what the source is, you're most likely using some kind of fake Surround on your device. AKA Dolby Pro Logic/DTS Neo:6.

But since you're not using an A/V receiver, I don't get how you're able to get all speakers to output audio no matter the source with S/PDIF selected. Let me show you screenshots that will maybe make you understand what I mean.

If you test DTS/Dolby here, it's compressed, so it will output audio on the 6 speakers:

Imgur: The magic of the Internet

But now see how it says 2 Channel here, and see how Configure is grayed out on the left:

Imgur: The magic of the Internet

Now compare this to the Speakers device, which works with 3.5m cables, or Optical with the Dobly and DTS Encoders from Creative that are now broken. And see how you can configure the setup as Surround:

Imgur: The magic of the Internet

And if you go to Advanced, the same place where it says 2 Channel for S/PDIF, it doesn't says 2 Channel anymore. Because it is 5.1 or better.

Now, Speakers device is totally silent for me through Optical, and Encoders won't load, just like yourself, since the 1903 Update. I don't get how you get sound from all speakers through Optical with S/PDIF-Out. Maybe your Speakers Set come with an artificial Surround method, like A/V Receivers do, but that would surprise me.

Be sure it isn't real positional surround if you're on S/PDIF-Out though (Again, unless the source is originally compressed Dolby/DTS). And yes, if you got those cables, use them instead of Optical. You won't even need the DDL/DTS Encoders that aren't working at the moment. And you'll still get the audio enhancements from Creative. Something I myself loose because I now use HDMI audio for Surround.

You will only get Surround from compressed AND uncompressed 5.1/7.1 sources on the 3.5m cables though. Not from Stereo music or YouTube videos for example. But at least it will be real Positional Surround, not fake Surround. With S/PDIF-Out through Optical, you can't get uncompressed Surround, only compressed Surround. Most games don't have that. Most movies do though. Again, if you're getting sound from all 6 speakers with S/PDIF-Out through Optical, there's some sort of fake Surround being applied.

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If you want more details on this confusing subject, here's a website where a guy explains the same thing to me in more details. And I can confirm 100%, fake Surround doesn't sound nearly as good as real positional Surround. The Surround I get through HDMI is way better, and I don't have to use fake Dolby Pro Logic/ DTS Neo:6 on my receiver anymore. Downside is I loose Creative audio enhancements (Crystallizer, Dialogue Plus, etc.).

Well, I still use fake Surround, when the source is 2.0. But when the source is 5.1, I stick to the PCM on DIRECT Mode on the Receiver. On Optical, I had to use Dolby Pro Logic in games through S/PDIF, because it wouldn't output uncompressed Surround. That was the purpose of the Dolby Digital Live/DTS Connect Encoders before they broke (Didn't have to use Pro Logic on the Receiver then). To encode uncompressed Surround on the fly so the bandwidth of Optical could output it.

Many games output uncompressed Surround which will only work with HDMI or 3.5m cables. Diablo 3, The Division, DOOM, etc. Most big AAA titles have that. A few games with less budget will only output 2.0. Now fake Surround is a viable option. But uncompressed positional Surround blows it out of the water in matters of quality and immersion.

Here's the thread where it's being discussed. Starting at the end of page 1: 1903 v145 and SoundBlaster Z - Microsoft Windows - Neowin

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To be more specific if you're confused, there's little difference between compressed and uncompressed Surround. It's still real Surround. The point is, Optical can only output compressed Surround (From originally compressed Dolby/DTS 5.1 sources, or sources encoded by Dolby Digital Live/DTS Connect on the fly). The difference is between fake Surround (simulated Surround from a 2.0 source) and positional Surround. Compressed, or not.

Again, if you're always getting 5.1 no matter the source, be it YouTube or Stereo music, there's some sort of fake Surround being applied. It's not really a problem, but it is when the source is really 5.1, and you're either on Optical with DDL/DTS-C Encoders, 3.5m cables, or HDMI. Because it overrides the true positional Surround in such a situation. In short, you loose true Surround if you don't disable the fake Surround.

I know it is kind of confusing, but that's pretty much how that works. In short, only apply fake Surround on 2.0 sources, otherwise disable it if you can. Now, the source of your fake Surround since you're not on a A/V Receiver is still a mystery to me. Maybe someone else could figure it out.

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Logitech Z906 5.1 Surround Sound Speakers System, THX, Dolby, DTS Certified

That is your Speakers set right? Well you got a decoder included with it. I'm not familiar with such product, but the name speaks for itself. "Decode". Dolby Digital Live and DTS Connect ENCODE the 5.1 signal so the bandwidth of TosLink can transport it, then your receiver DECODES the signal.

But since DDL/DTS-C are now broken, how are you still getting sound on all speakers from any sources? I don't know. Maybe there is a fake Surround option on that thing. Otherwise, I don't know...

I see a Stereo indicator with a 3D, 4.1 and 2.1 LED. That may be your fake Surround right there. Anyway, I advise you to use 3.5m until Creative fix the issue, if they ever do. And make sure your Logitech Receiver isn't using 3D/4.1/2.1 Stereo Mode when you know the source is 5.1.

If the receiver doesn't switch to Direct Surround automatically when it detects real Surround (The LEDs on the Right). Maybe it does. But right now, since you're on Optical, it's definitely using fake Surround in most occasions. Should not happen with 3.5m cables.

Pay close attention to the LEDs.