~External Surround Sound 5.1?~

Hey guys so i've been doing a bit a research and i'm having troubles if the m11x (seeming it has an internal 5.1 analaog) Would convert with:

-logitec 5.1 Surround system

link: YouTube

The surround sytem does have a *matrix* button that converts single 3.5 mm jacks into a 5.1. But my main purpose is to see if it would automatically output 5.1 display?

 

Hmmm.. I've thought about this too.

I have a receiver that can accept the 3 x 3.5mm jacks to RCA. This gives 5.1 analogue surround sound.

My receiver 'mixes' 1 x 3.5mm such that I get a 5.1 matrix, so it's a bit hard to know what is which.

I see some of the Logitech speakers can accept the 3 x 3.5mm jacks to give 5.1 surround sound.

I have AndrewLabs audio adapter which gives a pseudo surround sound on headphones/output (1 x 3.5mm) via Winamp. Sounds like music is in-front, beside and behind your head. Wicked.

Using winamp, AndrewLabs and 5.1 Realtek HD on a crap pair of head phones I can still get some banging tunes.

Music/Audio is not my field. Dissed a pair of $15,000 speakers in an audio shop and the audio man stopped talking to me.

 

I think you need a receiver with an HDMI input to get the true digital multichannel surround.

 

ah ok. So there are HDMI--->5.1 Mm sound jacks? hmm ill have too look at that. could u possibly hit me up with a link?

 

Ive actualy found a External 5.1 USB surround card adapter. that can plug in from the usb To the 3 Audio jacks. Is this really nessisary? doesnt the m11x have a 5.1 sound card itself seeming as it has 5.1 internal speakers?

i hear the Creative Soundblaster X-Fi 5.1 USB is exelent. but would it be logistical to get?

 

The M11X doesn't have 3 x 3.5mm audio outputs though, so you can't go this route.

EDIT : Whoops. Yes it does - there are 3 x 3.5mm jacks ! So you can output 5.1 analogue sound.

No - but HDMI is capable of carrying uncompressed multi-channel audio. You'd obviously need an AV Receiver to connect it to...

There are currently only three ways to carry multi-channel audio
1. As a set of seperate analogue streams, one for each channel. This requires six distinct connections (or three if you use 3.5mm stereo connectors, as each can carry two channels). The M11X doesn't have enough analogue outputs.

EDIT : Whoops. Yes it does - there are 3 x 3.5mm jacks ! So you can output 5.1 analogue sound.

2. As a single stream of Dolby Digital or DTS, carried over S/PDIF (Optical or Coax). This requires a device capable of encoding the 5.1 audio into DD or DTS in realtime. The M11X doesn't have the necessary sound card.

3. Over HDMI. This can carry either the uncompressed digital streams, or the compressed DD/DTS versions (and also the Blu-ray style HD Audio compression).

 

Have you tried plugging your 'rear' speakers into the 3.5mm microphone input/output port? (port with a microphone icon over it)

You get a pop-up with the options

1. Line In
2. Mic In
3. Rear Speaker out​

Select the Rear Speaker out for the rear left and right speakers.

Middle 3.5mm audio port is center and sub.

Front 3.5mm audio port is front left and right.

1 + 1 + 1 = 3 x 3.5mm = 6 channels = 5.1 surround sound (FL, FR, C, SW, RL RR).

Please correct me if I'm wrong. (Or if you've tried it and it doesn't work)

As my reciever is 'old' it only has HDMI passthru to the TV and thus audio is via the TV.

Using the THREE 3.5mm audio ports is the only why I can get 5.1 surround sound from DVDs using my reciever/TV setup via the M11x.

Some times I check the realtek HD speaker test setup just in case I plugged speakers into the wrong ports on the receiver (3.5mm/2xRCA).

Nothing worse than having helicopters coming at you from the wrong direction.

Dear Alienware, I've been very good and I would like an optical digital output port on the M11xR3 for Christmas.

 

My current experiment is plugging my m11x R2 into my Toshiba 42" TV via an HDMI cable and then an optical cable from the TV to my Logitech Z-5500 system, the screen on the Z-5500 reads Dolby II - Music, which it's outputting to all 5.1 speakers.

 

...? You guys do realise the second headphone and mic ports are secondary for 5.1 surround?

I can confirm as I have my logitec 5.1 surround hooked up directly with no USB adaptors etc... Just plugged GRB (colour sequence from closest to furthest me). A logitec menu pops up and for you to configure and test if need be and it's good to go. Absolutely excellent and very useful.

I hope I have actually read your post correctly.

 

Ride_The_Solar_Winds, what 5.1 setup do you have? The Z-5500?

 

Well at least you and I know that.

I was going to ask what the question of this post was too, but I chose to wing it and give it a bit of old chat.

Probably, "Does the M11x support 6 audio channels via the 3.5mm audio/mic ports?".

YES.

End of post then.

 

ah good, Ive done a bit of resarch and ill end up picking up an external Sound card along with the 5.1 surround support.

 

Wait ur tellin me all 3 audio cables can plug right into the m11x? frount rear and center cords?

 

Er, no ! Whoops

I was under the impression the M11X just had a simple pair of 3.5mm outputs - but you're absolutely right. There are THREE 3.5mm jacks

So if you've got a 5.1 system with analogue inputs, then you can just connect them right up !

 

Yes !

Apologies for my earlier post - I was under the impression the M11X had just TWO x 3.5mm jacks...

 

Glad I could be of help, now enjoy your 5.1 GLORY!

 

Nice find! +1 Solar Winds

 

I've never understood the reason for a crappy 5.1 computer speaker set up, versus a high quality head phone or 2.1 set up.
Granted I watch movies in 5.1 but that's an entirely different system, I've just never had a game that wowed me enough in 5.1 to bother wasting my time, and I play a ton of FPS's.
Care to explain what you guys are doing other than movie watching?
Also the best bet for the m11X would be a USB sound card, the internal is pretty bleh. Nuforce uDac is what I am using with my Senn 650's.

 

Just picked up my Logitec 5.1 System & External Creative 5.1 sound card. Im Blasting Bass off the charts. Real time sounds owning up MW2!!!~~

But unfortunalty i guess the sound card does eat up a bit of CPU im getting like a 4fps less then the avg ingame however MW2 is a somewhat High Intense platform. still happy !

 

Hmm i wounder if the M11x R2 will solve the noticable framerate drop issue. since it does in fact have doubl the treds'. I Also Tried OC'in the Su7300 But It ended up crashing. Wich is very intresting. May relate to the USB issues or the instability while on Full 5.1 surround & OC paired . Hmmmmm

 

I also tested pluging in all 3 jacks into the m11x but I could only output 2.1. :'( I guess the Soundcard is needed for sure. Still testing

 

Did you set the speaker configuration in realtek hd audio manager to 5.1?

Mic in become surround L/R, the middle headphone jack becomes centre/subwoofer and the front headphone jack becomes front L/R

 

yeah. that only outputs 2.1 tho. the sound card does a more then fabulious job of sound display rather then the internal card. with that much frequencies ill end up using more CPU then even the sound card itself. only had to edit a few tweeks to in game settings like shadows off on MW2. & a few notches less shadows & draw distance on WOW and im back at optimal settings

 

No, it definately outputs 5.1 - you need to have a 5.1 source to output though. The software doesn't upmix stereo to 5.1. I used the following file and VLC media player (first link I found on google):

http://www.lynnepublishing.com/surround/www_lynnemusic_com_surround_test.ac3

 

It's 5.1 Fact!

You can do a sound check on each speaker by pressing the big blue arrow next to the selection button for 5.1 Speaker in the speaker configuration panel of Realtek HD Audio Manager.

The bing bong test also highlights the speaker it is testing in a walk around fashion.

Interesting to read that all the people posting from the southern hemisphere have 5.1 (6 channel) analogue audio via the 3.5mm audio ports.

Come to the southern hemisphere, the force is strong with us.

As KevinL noted stereo source and you only get stereo out.

And here is a picture.

 

^Exactly. +1'd. 100% true 5.1.

I still think the best use of 5.1 sound on a PC game is DOOM 3, been playing through it recently again on the m11x and it is INTENSE. Turn it up to the max and you'll see why it is far better than 2.1 Headphones.

 

Thanks "Ride The Solar Winds" +1rep for your concise input.
And KevenL too +1rep

I just played the Avatar DVD on my M11x with 5.1 Dolby Digital, 3.5mm/RCA analogue output via my ONKYO receiver.

So, what more can we say, 5.1 Dobly Digital/Surround sound works fine via the three 3.5mm analogue output ports on the M11x.

The 3.5mm analogue Dolby Digital sound eclipsed the 11.6" display.
For big sound you really need a big screen.
And for that Alienware gave us HDMI.

Oh and via my ONKYO receiver the sound track of Avatar DVD sounds great, I wouldn't waste money on buying extra auto adapters unless you're a hard-core muso and know what you're doing.

Guessing something like the Logitech Z-5500 Digital 5.1 Speaker System sounds pretty good too given it supports Dolby Digital, THX and DTS.

 

Ah wow nice finds! soo do you guys reccomend me returning my External Sound 5.1 Card? the sound quality is really nice & may as well be even better. It was kinda cheep. I got a discount since i work at best buy.

 

I would say you're in the best position to make that decision.

Ensure that Realtek HD is set to 5.1 speakers and speaker configuration you require is selected.

Looking at the Z-540 manual we see the following:

if jacks on your soundcard are not color coded, plug the audio input as follows:​

• green to front L/R (or #1) -> port #1 on M11x
• orange to center/sub (or #3) -> port #2 on M11x
• black to rear L/R (or #2) -> port #3(Mic in) on M11x

​

Compare the two methods of connection and use the one that best fits your needs.

 

One provides directional audio, the other two do not. Without some form of Surround-Audio, you have no idea where the bullets are coming from in an FPS !
Why would you choose a "crappy 5.1 computer speaker set up" ? I connect mine to my Home Cinema system - it's most definately not "crappy"

There's no "wow" factor - it's simply that you can hear what's going on around you. If you're playing something like MW2 or BFBC2 then you can't compete if you can't hear where anyone is...

 

I hooked up my Z-5500 5.1 system to my R2 with the cables and got 6 Channel Direct 5.1, fantastic!

The Real Tech detected all the channels and the test ran accordingly. Good stuff.

 

AH tyty I just needed the "realtek" Update. For some reason it wasnt even installed. I run the Speakers srieght off the M11x Ports now instead of the sound card. Im getting no Frame drops or nothin in game and the Sound quality is Almost Just as Good. Im returing the Sound Card for money Back :_)

 

Is this the same for the Studio XPS 1640?

 

That is hilarious!

I used to work at a high end home theatre store where we sold speakers of that price. I'm with you, I think after a certain level you can't tell the difference in audio quality unless you're a serious musician or audiophile.

There's so many other factors to having good sound such as the shape of the room the speakers are going in that I would never spend that kind of money on speakers even if I was a billionaire.

And I know the kind of sales reps you're talking about. Those guys are pretty frakked. Ha!

Total hustle.

 

Looking at the tech spec for a Studio XPS 16 it notes, "Audio jacks (2 line-out, 1 Mic-in)"

Now if it's got the drivers for 3x2 channel 3.5mm output there is no reason why the device couldn't output 5.1 surround.

I have an ONKYO TX-SR575 receiver (Old and it does have it's failings) with 7.1 KHT1005 KEF speakers.
But it does go off like a frog in a sock on a good audio track.
One day I'll get a good audio track, get to REALLY know it on my system and then compare it on other systems...one day.

Listening to internet radio on my M11xR1 at the moment via receiver and twitching in a way that would make Flat Eric look like a puppet.

I think the M11x standard audio quality is fine given it is a notebook and not a $1000 receiver with 7.2 surround sound and Dolby-TrueHD etc.

I haven't read (which doesn't mean it's not written) of anyone connecting an M11x ( With latest ALC665 drivers) up to a receiver on a 5.1 surround system using the 3.5mm ports and saying they thought the experience was lacking. Those that have seem to be happy at least.

On the negative all I see is flippant comments with no reference to what hardware they connected the M11x to, or what audio tracks were listened to and etc. Crap source in, crap source out, that goes for games, audio tracks or videos.

The Avatar DVD played on the M11x with audio via the receiver from the 3.5mm ports sounds great.
Getting a good colour profile via HDMI on the 40" LCDTV is more of a challenge than the audio.

The Realtek ALC665 specifications can be found here