NF7-S SoundStorm: Why an optical output?

[Wayne Youngman]

Greetings,

finally getting a bit of spare time to finish up my new puter. At the moment I am using just the simple 4-port analogue audio but I am keen to test out everything the SoundStorm can do, sadly I don't have a optical input on my Cambridge audio DTT2500, just SP/Dif.

I was speaking to a friend today who is a very successful D&B producer (and also a fellow PC nut) about how good onboard audio has become. He uses the ASUS nForce2 board which he has connected to some bad-ass AMP via Sp/Dif. When I told him that my only digital output was Optical he was perplexed? I also asked him about how I would go about *converting* my optical output feed so that I could connect it to my Sp/Dif input on my amp, and he told me it was possible but expensive (�100).

So why Optical instead of Sp/Dif? I will pursue tghis subject until I get digital output working, even if I have to buy a whole new amp/speaker system. . .

thanks you all (again)

 

[jt]

"Wayne Youngman" wrote:

I was speaking to a friend today who is a very successful D&B producer (and also a fellow PC nut) about how good onboard audio has become. He uses the ASUS nForce2 board which he has connected to some bad-ass AMP via Sp/Dif. When I told him that my only digital output was Optical he was perplexed? I also asked him about how I would go about
*converting* my optical output feed so that I could connect it to my Sp/Dif input on my amp, and he told me it was possible but expensive (�100).

So why Optical instead of Sp/Dif? I will pursue tghis subject until I get digital output working, even if I have to buy a whole new amp/speaker system. . .

Well just a design decision I guess - they went for the optical SP/DIF instead of the coaxial one. I'll leave the discussion which wiring type is superior to the audiophiles *g*.

Would have been nice if Abit provided both connectors but AFAIK most digital AMPs come with both connectors these days. Besides converters are not *that* expensive anymore either - I've seen some for less than 60 USD , e.g. http://www.zzounds.com/item--THKMIMC0

jt

 

[Zulu]

"JT" skrev i en meddelelse

"Wayne Youngman" wrote:
Well just a design decision I guess - they went for the optical SP/DIF instead of the coaxial one. I'll leave the discussion which wiring type is superior to the audiophiles *g*.

Would have been nice if Abit provided both connectors but AFAIK most digital AMPs come with both connectors these days. Besides converters are not *that* expensive anymore either - I've seen some for less than 60 USD , e.g. http://www.zzounds.com/item--THKMIMC0

I read somewhere that the "real" S/P-DIF is present on the NF7-S, you just have to find the right pins on the mb. I'll see if I can find the page where I read it.

Zulu

 

[Wayne Youngman]

"Wayne Youngman" wrote
<snip>

So why Optical instead of Sp/Dif? I will pursue this subject until I get digital output working, even if I have to buy a whole new amp/speaker system. . .

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ola Thor�n"

Hello Wayne..

If you check out the manual on the motherboard at page 3-15 you�ll find a pinout for the Soundstorm - pin 12 = spdif-in / pin 14 = spdif-out / pin 11 = ground

Just connect your spdif in/out to thoose points, I�m using thoose myself and it work�s just fine.

The Realtek ALC-650 with it�s analog outputs sounds very bad in direct comparison, it�s easy to make an "spdif in/out port" - use 2 RCA-phono jacks for chassis.

Good luck!

Hi Ola,

thanks for the email reply, thought I would paste it into this newsgroup. Cool I didn't know about the *FPI02* header and it's SP/Dif input.output. They look just like jumpers and mine has two little yellow jumper pins on them. Sorry for being thick but I can't begin to work out how to make my own SP/Dif output cable that would fit to these jumpers?

Did I miss something?

Thanks,

 

[Zulu]

"Wayne Youngman" skrev i en meddelelse

If you check out the manual on the motherboard at page 3-15 you�ll find a pinout for the Soundstorm - pin 12 = spdif-in / pin 14 = spdif-out / pin 11 = ground

Just connect your spdif in/out to thoose points, I�m using thoose myself and it work�s
just fine.

The Realtek ALC-650 with it�s analog outputs sounds very bad in direct comparison, it�s easy to make an "spdif in/out port" - use 2 RCA-phono jacks for chassis.

Good luck!

That's what I'm talking about! Thanx Wayne...

Zulu

 

[Mark H]

I've read several reports on the abit forums where the clarity is far better on the optical output, so I plan to try that soon.

Wayne Youngman wrote:

Greetings,