[scm207]

Seeking an upgrade from my current M-Audio Revolution 7.1, I purchased an HT Omega Claro Plus sound card. Much to my dismay, this card is incapable of true 2.1 output and outputs a separate subwoofer signal only in 4.1, 5.1 or 7.1. Looking at the manuals for the Asus D2 and the Auzentech Prelude, it appears those cards do not offer true 2.1 output either.

I don't want to route the audiosignal through my subwoofer and then to my stereo amplifier and prefer to run a true 2.1 with the stereo signal running straight to the stereo amplifier and the subwoofer/LFE signal running to the sub.

Are there any cards that provide true 2.1 output or has that gone the way of the dinosaur?

 

[ph0rk]

Do those other cards actually perform any bass management in the surround modes, or just spit out when the source material has for the LFE channel?

I'd run a pre out from your amp to the sub if you can, and let your sub do the crossing over.

 

[scm207]

I can't say what the other cards do in surround mode since my interest is in 2.1 only.

In my system I'm running a power amp which won't have a pre-out and as I stated in my original post, I don't want to run signals through my subwoofer. I want stereo signal to go straight to the stereo amp and low-frequency signals to go straight to the sub. What I need to know is whether there are any current sound cards that are capable of doing that in 2.1 mode. What I am afraid of is that the market is moving to only two playback worlds, headphone users and multi-channel gamers.

 

[iriverdude]

Quote:

I can't say what the other cards do in surround mode since my interest is in 2.1 only.

Bass management is not just for surround material, but for everything. Even mono. There is no such thing as "2.1" unless it's from a DVD, with stereo + LFE channel. Stereo is 2.0.

Hi-Fi people with standard analogue pre-amps would send a full-range signal to the sub as well, then dial in the sub's crossover around the stereo speakers. Or if they use a av pre-amp, use onboard bass managment and set mains and sub to the same, disable crossover on the subwoofer itself, dial in sub volume.

What you should do is do the former, send a stereo, full-range signal of the main channels to the sub.

Or use a soundcard with some kind of bass managment regardless of material. But this isn't classed as direct throughput with no processing. But I understand what you want though, I noticed when I set to small 80hz THX in X-Fi and play a CD, no bass is outputted to the sub. Perhaps it only works for discrete .1/LFE soundtracks, which is pants because any av amp/av pre-amp has bass managment and filters/directs bass accordingly.

 

[scm207]

Quote:

Originally Posted by iriverdude /img/forum/go_quote.gif What you should do is do the former, send a stereo, full-range signal of the main channels to the sub.

What you suggest is specifically what I stated I didn't want to do. The crossover contained in most subwoofer amps isn't very precise. It also doesn't allow adjustment of the crossover frequency via the soundcard's software or to easily switch sub management on/off at the keyboard.

 

[iriverdude]

Well people with Hi-Fi's do that, as analogue pre-amp has no bass management. As do I on one of the systems.

You could use ffdshow audio's feature LFE crossover/mixer LFE feature.

Or buy a av pre-amp, use digital out from your soundcard. Job done.

 

[ph0rk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by scm207 /img/forum/go_quote.gif What you suggest is specifically what I stated I didn't want to do. The crossover contained in most subwoofer amps isn't very precise. It also doesn't allow adjustment of the crossover frequency via the soundcard's software or to easily switch sub management on/off at the keyboard.

Then you are probably out of luck, or will require a more complex solution - like an outboard active crossover. Or a sub with more features.

Bass management is usually a sound reinforcement or home theater thing. Stereo music is 2.0.