Sound card questions

[Anton]

I have a few questions about 6 channel sound cards. I just bought a 5.1 sound system. Before this I was using 2 lousy speakers, which didn't even have their own power supply.

I'm currently using the onboard sound on this hp pavilion computer. There is only 1 audio output, so I had to buy 2 splitters, and run one splitter into the other, then into the computer, which gives me 3 outputs.

Why are 3 outputs necessary? My understanding is that there are 2 channels per output, why not have all 6 in one output?

If I buy a sound blaster live or audigy, would I notice a difference over my onboard sound and the way I have it set up?

Sometimes sound only comes out the left rear speaker. I noticed this happening when playing certain video files but not when listening to music. What would cause this? I also find that if I turn the volume low, the sound isn't distributed evenly over all 5 speakers; the left rear speaker is the only one I can hear when I turn the volume way down. any ideas?

I have no idea what kind of onboard sound chip I have at the moment. What would happen if I were to get a 6 channel sound card and play some music? Would each speaker play the exact same thing? What would a 6 channel sound card do differently for me than my onboard audio? thanks

[skahtul]

This is a lot, but here we go.

5.1 sound system, I assume you got speakers and are hooking up your computer to your reveiver?

First of all the splitter setup you have will not work, that right there is why you have problems with hearing certain types of media. Here is how it should be hooked up. Get you a cheap sound card (like a Creative Sound Blaster Live!) that supports SPDIF out or digital out. Then get an adaptor that goes from the 3.5mm (head phone type) jack to an RCA (like a composite video input). Plug in the 3.5mm jack into your new sound card, and plug the RCA into your Coaxial input on your receiver. It only does take one cable to do all of this. You "will,” notice a difference, the main one being that your current setup does not distribute the audio correctly.

All 6 speakers will not play the same thing with a music CD no matter your setup. Each speaker is setup differently and independently controlled via the receiver. There are actually 5 regular full range chanels and then a low frequency effects chanel. When you listen to a CD it is not AC3 (Dolby digital) encoded so the best you will get is Pro-Logic but it will sound better with it in stereo. There are CD's out there now that are Dolby Digital encoded and it sounds real good. Check your HP's book or somewhere and see if it supports SPDIF output, many newer onboard audio setup support this, but not the older ones generally.