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How can we mount surround sound speakers on the wall?

Is it possible to send sound from a computer 5.1 sound card to a standalone 5.1 surround receiver? How?

  • I have a Windows 7 tower computer which I use for playing movies. It currently uses a Logitech 5.1 surround speaker system, which plugs into the 5.1 sound card built into my motherboard. I use it for all my home theatrical stuff, including streaming movies and watching blu-rays and DVD (with a USB blu-ray drive). The thing is, these 5.1 speakers are nice for working with a computer, but they're a little anemic for the bigger living room in my new apartment. I'm thinking of getting a television to mount on the wall above it, and possibly upgrading to a real surround system with larger speakers. The thing is...as far as I know, standalone 5.1 receivers use an entirely different set of plugs from computer speakers. How would I go about connecting one to the other?

  • Answer:

    If you have an optical or HDMI output on your computer, yes, most definitely.  This will be the simplest most straightforward way assuming your receiver also has these inputs. Otherwise, if both your soundcard and receiver support Dolby ProLogic II, you can send the encoded signal via stereo RCA to your receiver where its onboard processor will mix it down into surround.  You will most likely need a 3.5mm to RCA connector, also commonly known as an AUX or auxiliary cord.  It is the thing that you would use to connect your mobile device to the receiver through the headphone port.

Andrew Gutsch at Quora Visit the source

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Optical is fine if you're going to play DVD, but optical cannot carry the increased Blu Ray bit rate for audio, as a result BR audio over Optical will typically only give you stereo sound. HDMI is your best bet by far. It sends high quality video and sound over a single cable. The other advantage to HDMI is that you're sending a digital signal and letting the sound processor in your receiver turn it into sound rather than asking your anemic internal PC soundcard to generate the sound and send it to the receiver (It will sound much better if you let the receiver turn the signal into sound than if you ask your computer to do it normally) If your PC doesn't have HDMI, then you can buy a low end video card with HDMI that will handle movies just fine pretty cheaply, for example this one http://amzn.to/1lMYNqb for about $30 should do the trick. If you REALLY don't want to spend money then yes, as Anonymous said, you can run analogue in one form or another to most receivers. If we could get an image of the back of your PC and back of your receiver it would make things much more simple of course.... or even the model numbers (assuming the PC is pre-built).

Ben Boggs

Other than HDMI/Optical - you can use the same analog plugs. Most midrange receivers have at least one 6 channel analog input. You'd just need 3 stereo 3.5mm to RCA cables. Only do this if HDMI isn't an option.

Anonymous

If you want to stream high quality and multiple audio channel  movie to a HDTV in another room from your computer or to say let it act as a source device. The best way is wireless HDMI transmission. It brings two benefits everyone likes Excellent  HD video and audio quality and link robustness in both 2D and 3D mode A  HDMI cable maybe fine within a short distance for an old system  upgrade. But if  you  may need a 30 feet HDMI cable running across all your furniture, that picture may be something you don’t want to imagine. Wireless HDMI transmitter bring you a best way than HDMI cable With this wireless HDMI transmitter and receiver, you’ll be able to  place your HDTV anywhere you’d like without having to deal with  installing tedious cables and/or wiring.  - See more at: http://www.portablehifi.com/nyrius-aries-wireless-hdmi-transmitter-and-receiver-review/#sthash.0yRJh66h.dpuf

Amy G Kendrick

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