[sephka]

Forgive me if this is an elementary question, but I'm building a new computer and, in the process, shifting the burden of primary listening setup from my 963SA to a computer source. My question, then, is it possible to run speakers and an amp from the same source (not simultaneously)?

 

[Jasper994]

Sure, there are a variety of ways this will work. If the amp or speakers allow for digital input, then you can run one off the analog outs of the sound card and one off the digital outs of the sound card. Another way is if your amp has a loop or monitor output. You can then pass the signal through the amp (works like a preamp in this case) to your speakers/receiver. In my case, I have it set up to work either way. You may also be able to find some switch boxes that allow for multiple outputs. Other cards like the E-MU 1820m have mulitple sets of outputs and you can again do both at the same time.

 

[sephka]

Alright, i'm actually planning to implement such a setup at this point. I suppose the speakers I choose may be able to be run from the digital output of the sound card (2.1 setup most likely)? My amp, it seems, doesn't have the appropriate connections - it has the standard left/right RCA input and another solitary hole that says "input"... So, if anyone has other suggestions regarding my specific setup, i'm all ears!

 

[Ozric]

I use an M-Audio Delta 410 card, which has multiple RCA outputs, and I have my speakers (Altec Lansing 621s) hooked up to one pair, while a second pair feeds my amp--> headphones. This way, I have them output sound simultaneously.

 

[sephka]

Can anyone please assist?

 

[DanT]

Many modern sound card is configure for surround sound but if your only using stereo then you can setup so that the rear channel give the same signal as the front channel so just plug in your headphone in the rear and the speakers in the front. Just be sure to set it up properly and not get a weird virtual Surround processing.


EDIT:I just notice your sig so if your using a 2.1 setup just setup your sound card so that front speakers = rear speakers then plug your headphones amp in rear and speakers amp in front or vice versa.

EDIT2: I just check the chaintech website and it seem that you have 4 line out so you should be cover just chose one for headphones and one for speakers. I don't have this soundcard so I don't know the specific but it should be easy

 

[Geek]

Yeah, just get a 1/8" splitter, or buy a soundcard with multiple outputs.

Cheers,
Geek

 

[adhoc]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geek Yeah, just get a 1/8" splitter..

correct me if i'm wrong, but shouldnt doing this prove to be quite a current draw on the card's outputs?

 

[lan]

You can get a line level switcher or preamp.

 

[sephka]

Ok, here I am now, a few months after the original post... and here's the situation.

I've found that yes, I can run two things simultaneously from the Chaintech AV-710. However, for whatever reason, i have to set the audio deck to 2 Channel - NOT 2 Channel High Sample Rate. If I set it to the later, only one output is available (the one with the black hole, closest to the infrared port). When I set it to 2 Channel, the green hole outputs sound. I suppose there's no way around this, so a splitter may be an option, correct? However, would this have any advantage, in terms of convenience, over simply swapping between headphones and speakers via their respective cords?

For reference, my amp, etc is in the sig, and my speakers are Altec Lansing MX5021.

 

[IdiotTech]

The way ive done it is that i use a splitter out of my soundcard. Ive got a 4.1 system so i only split the front channels. That runs off to my amp. I figure it shouldnt be anymore of a current draw because i only run one at a time and not bot simultaneously.