It's for a 2(.1) speaker setup. You plug the speakers into the jack next to the square black connector (the optical digital output). If you want to run 5.1 then you can't use the "high sample rate mode," just select 5.1 as the speaker type and ignore the rest of the guide (making sure to plug the speaker's audio connectors into the appropriate jacks on the back of the soundcard, as indicated on the back of the soundcard's box). If you're using the high sample rate mode and you want to use your headphone they also plug into the black jack next to the square connector. The output on that jack isn't very high so there's a good chance that your headphones won't be able to be properly driven directly from it and a headphone amplifier (such as a CMOY or PIMETA to give some examples) is highly reccomended if you're using that configuration. The front left-right connector you shouldn't have power issues, but it's quality is worse than the other configuration.

Thanks for the answers Radar. What are the best drivers currently out for this card? I'm about to install the card and am wondering what drivers to install. I have 1.43, but just found 4.51c available for download at download.com (link --> http://www.download.com/VIA-Envy24-F...-10433969.html) And then there are tons inbetween. Which is best?

I plan on getting a CMOY for my MS-1 in the near future. I'm just curious, would a CMOY improve the sound from my 2.1 PC speakers??

And what's better, ASIO or KERNEL STREAMING? Don't they pretty much do the same thing? Which one is less of resource hog? Which produces better sound?

LOL, I keep thinking of things to ask. What jumper setting should I use?

And, what is Q sound? Should I enable or disable this?

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The guide is pretty outdated as it is now. I'd reccomend using the latest drivers unless you have problems with them (then try older versions).

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Probably not. The only way you could use a CMOY with 2.1 PC speakers is as a preamp and unless your speakers have a very poor quality volume control (or you bypass their built-in volume control) then I don't see any reason why it would improve the sound.

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Kernel Streaming is less of a resource hog. Both create the same sound quality (though like anything in this hobby, there are people who say that one sounds better than the other). Also, ASIO isn't supported naitively by the Chaintech's drivers (at least the last time I looked) so this should be a no-brainer: use Kernel Streaming (if possible).

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I'm not quite sure by what you mean here.

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Q-Sound is a sound "enhancer" and 3d sound simlator. It can be interesting when used with movies and games, though for music listening I'd reccomend leaving it off.

Doesn't the sound card have little pin like things called jumpers that you can move around to adjust stuff?

Also, should I disable onboard sound in my BIOS settings?

Should I disable the onboard audio in my BIOS settings? Or leave it on?

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I remember something about that (from an earlier thread on the AV-710, possibly the review in the Full Featured reviews sub-forum) but I don't remember the specifics.


Should I disable the onboard audio in my BIOS settings? Or leave it on?[/QUOTE]
It usually doesn't matter whether you leave it on or turn it off. I'd just leave it on unless you're having driver conflicts.

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I'm trying to install the 4.51c drivers now and it's saying that it's going to change my internet options. What does that mean?

edit: I just went ahead with it and realised I hit the setup.ins file instead of setup.exe file. I clicked "OK" when it said it would change my internet settings. I haven't noticed any changes in my internet. Anybody know what it did?

Quick question, I just purchased one of these to go along with a Panasonic xr55 and a pair of axiom m3ti speakers (the onboard sound on this motherboard, EVGA SLI, is fairly poor and doesn't even have optical out.) So I will be using the optical out on the chaintech to the receiver + 2 speakers.

The question; why is it that you need to disable the high sample rate mode if you're only using digital out?

Also how is this thing for gaming? I know it won't have EAX etc but does it cut into the cpu process more than my current onboard sound? I think it's a realtek codec. It's an NF4 mb without soundstorm. The CPU is an A64 @ 2640mhz

Ok, I've scoured this thread. Once again, thank you Mr. Radar for everything. I will be using the av710 for the digital(optical) out, and with concerns to the foobar setup, what is better:

Kernal streaming- 2 chan - 24 padded to 32 - SSRC resampling to 96k
Or
Waveout - 2 chan- 24 bit padded to 32 - no software resampling

And I cannot use Hi Sample Rate with optical out, correct?

Thanks for everything guys, especially to Mr. Radar for writing this terrific guide!

S

Hi sample rate with digital out works for me, my receiver even says it detects PCM 96 over optical with it selected. Why is it that I shouldn't have this enabled ? Could someone please explain?

Edit: I think I may have discovered the reason, all though audio plays back over optical in 2 channel hi sample rate mode my receiver is unable to automatically switch to DTS, Dolby Digital etc. Nice guide but it would be beneficial to include this information I also wanted to ask if there is any loss of sound quality using one mode over the other? My receiver is able to decode 96/kbs 24 bit but I'm unsure whether or not the sound quality is better or worse one way or the other.

Just purchased a AV-710 with a ASUS A8V deluxe, and for the life of me I can't get the 5.1 to work through the optical. Just stays stuck in 2 channel PCM. Not even 2.1

Using a JVC home receiver. Downloaded the latest VIA drivers, disabled the onboard audio, left the jumpers on the 710 a default settings. I can click on the rear and center speakers in the software just no sound comes out.

Very disappointing because I can't hear any bass through my sub and my AC3 encoded movie files don't have any sound.

Anyone have any ideas at all. This av 710 was bought at a hole-in-the-wall computer shop so I can't return it for a refund, so it seems like I just wasted $30 because my ASUS board comes with an optical out which caused me the exact same problem, so I wasted $30 to fix nothing.

I should add I fiddled with the settings in the sound card software a hundred times now.

Editted. Argh, my audio equipment knowledge is horrible.

SPDIF volume and wave are set EXTREMELY loud by default, at least in the v473b drivers. I think I might have permanently damaged my headphones a little (and possibly hurt my hearing) trying out the output before messing with the volume controls. Just thought this was important enough to point out.

Hello...
I seem to be having abit of an isuse here, have A710 hooked up to logitech Z580 5.1 set via optical. Overall i'm happy with sound quality when it works... but i have few isuees... would really appreciate any input on these ones:

1. I use fb2k for audio playback, tried variety of settings but in most cases after a while (couple of hours at least) sounds starts to bork... it comes clearly distorted and there is some heavy clipping going on. I never got kernel streaming to work with optical spdif so i use DS2.0, data formats i tried are: 16, 24, 24 padded to 32 and 32 bits. no dithering no gain. in DSP i have crossfader, channel mixer and volume control. i have tried using it with no dsps - not much change. Same problem affects most games as well now - after a while sounds gets distorted and problem can be fixed by restart of affected application.

2. I like idea of controlling pseudo upmixing of 2 challels ls to 5.1 with channel mixer... but i'm not sure how to get it working properly, so foobar actually feeds 6 independent channels and they get delivered to speakers as DD/AC3. Currently it has no effect whatsoever, on reciever i see only 2 channels and only way to get more than 2 speakers working - use of DPL.

3. Very strange but if i run tests in audo deck - i get only stereo output, left and right channles are working - rest is silent desipte what i see in VU meters. On the other hand 5.1 AC3 tests in media player classic with default AC3 engine or AC3Filter work great.

4. AC3Filter or any other means of doing direct App-to-SPDIF sound output is extremely loud (like +12dB), and no volume controls i have access to affect that any. Audio deck, builtin windows, application itself or AC3Filter fail to change anything about sound level. Another strange thing about ac3 filter than i can only select either 16bit pcm or float pcm, 24 and 32 are not available as options.

drivers are v4.73b (Envy24HF.sys - 5.12.1.3647)
fb2k - v0.8.3
AC3Filter - v0.73b
Windows - XPSP2
DirectX - v9.0c

sorry for this type of noob question but what are the benefits of doing 96k over 48k or 44.1k?