[Arc6]

I just purchased an external sound card with a digital line out to be hooked up to a Sony STR-DB930 A/V Receiver. Both of these items are apparently able to carry Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. Now, I plan to use my M50s to listen to this setup and I would like to know if they will be able to put out Dolby Digital 5.1? Thoughts?

 

[Arc6]

Any experts out there?

 

[imadome]

Your receiver might have the Dolby Headphone feature on the headphone out which would turn a 5.1 signal to a faux 5.1 stereo signal.

 

[Arc6]

How can I find out? I've tried.
 
It's a Sony STR-BD930.

 

[tlniec]

I will confess, I'm not familiar with your Receiver (I do own two Sony A/VRs -- an STR-DG910 and STR-DG510 -- as far as I know, neither does Dolby Headphone processing, and I would guess yours may not either).  If it turns out your receiver doesn't, you have a couple of options.  It's entirely possible your external soundcard may be capable of decoding the Dolby Digital stream, performing the Dolby Headphone DSP processing, and providing an analog output that you can plug your phones into directly.  If this is not the case, you will probably have to look for a standalone hardware device to do this (something like the Astro Mixamp).

 

[Arc6]

I purchased an external soundcard that can stream Dolby 5.1 once you download a driver from the site. My main concern is whether ATH-M50s can produce a Dolby 5.1 effect? Is it the headphone or the amp that makes the difference?

 

[GLrunner13]

Quote:

I purchased an external soundcard that can stream Dolby 5.1 once you download a driver from the site. My main concern is whether ATH-M50s can produce a Dolby 5.1 effect? Is it the headphone or the amp that makes the difference?

The headphones will only do a L and R, they can only get a signal from each.  They don't do any processing.  It is up to your soundcard or some other amp/mixer to process the 5.1 Dolby Digital, into a L and R analog using an algorithm.  I have no experience with this, but I believe this to be the logical method.