Difference between digital and analog speakers

[thcdru2k]

eek, if you have to go creative, i'd say wait for audigy2..see how that turns out. maybe creative can redeem themselves.

[Fluke]

redeem themselves? What you mean, you think Creative actually thinks they have any problems with their hardware/softwre? Muahahahahahhahahahahaa. I pity the fools who buy their trash. I'd rather have a Hercules card that "does't" lag me period.

Please make the monopoly bigger, I guess!

[thcdru2k]

geesh your post are all the same aren't they . creative sucks my hercules is the best.

[Fluke]

well ya!? Creative does suck. Hercules is the best.

what actually uses 7.1? is Dolby Digital Ex or whatever 7.1 or "merely" 6.1

do movies even use 6.1

[Fluke]

To find something simpler for ya, just so I'm not beating around the bush... Just read this... instantaneously you will know...

http://www.timefordvd.com/ref/THXSurroundEX.shtml

Originally posted by Fluke
To find something simpler for ya, just so I'm not beating around the bush... Just read this... instantaneously you will know...

http://www.timefordvd.com/ref/THXSurroundEX.shtml

heh, yes, it was explicitly clear

[Nephilim]

Yes, the hercules cards are pretty cool, but do they support 5.1/6.1/7.1 in games?

[Cruz]

Just me 2 cents:

First, to be technical, all speakers use analog signals to output soundwaves. You can not hear digital (don't argue with me on this one, I can prove it). First, let me explain the difference on using an analog output vs a digital output.

Analog:
The soundcard converts the digital signal from the computer to an analog signal (If you don't know how that works, go to howstuffworks.com), sends it out 2-wire cable, and into the speakers. From there, the speakers take that analog signal and output it as soundwaves that we can hear (Once again, if you don't know how a speaker works, check out howstuffworks.com).

Digital:
The soundcard takes the digital signal from the computer and sends it directly out as is, bypassing the soundcards DAC. From there, it is sent via coax or optical cable (The difference between the two? howstuffworks.com) to the speaker. Then the speakers uses a internal DAC and converts it to an analog signal so it can output it as soundwaves that we can hear.

The bigger advantage with digital (in this matter) is that the signal is less susceptible to distortion and noise (once again, if you need to know details on that, go to howstuffworks.com, I don't want to explain it). But that doesn't necessarily mean that it is always cleaner, purer sound. Comparing a, let's say, regular vanilla Radio-Shack 2-wire cable to a optical cable, the optical would transmit a cleaner signal. But comparing a very high end 2-wire cable to a cheap Dollar Store optical cable, the 2-wire (being it's high quality, insulated, shield, etc, etc) would be less susceptible to distortion. Make sense to everyone?

The same applies to a sound card. Your digital signal is only going to be as good as as the DAC your component is using. For example, let's say you have a Audiophile2496 soundcard (which is suppose to have an outstanding DAC, I haven't heard one though). I don't know if it has a digital bypass, but let's say it does. Would you want to use speakers with an analog input, or a digital one? I doubt that common computer speakers with a digital input have a better DAC than that of a high end soundcard's DAC (like the Audiophile2496), so I would use the analog output of the soundcard since it's internal DAC will, more than likely, convert it to analog cleaner than the speakers' internal DAC. Make sense?

Lastly though, stop being media-driven.
Yes, digital is more reliable than analog, but it really makes a difference depending on its use. In my field (Communication System Controller/Analysist), depending on what system I'm working with determines which is superior. But that's not with audio.

I love music. I consider myself an audio enthusiast because of my love for music. And I've learned one thing. There is only one way to pick a soundcard and speakers, and that is to listen them yourselves. See if you like them. Personally, I use a Santa Cruz and the Z560s. I like the way it sounds, but also, I'm not trying to make it my stereo. For the money, Santa Cruz sounds good. And the Logitech are very decent speakers for the money. But I don't consider them incredible or anything like that. I have a stereo that I can be proud of and brag, if you want to consider what's best and what's not, but I don't care for bragging. I didn't buy those parts because of what people said. I bought it because it out of all the speakers in my price range, they sounded the best to me. And I recommend that all of you shop that way when it comes to music and/or games. Try them out first. If you are asking about compatibility, drivers, etc, then ask people, but for sound, nothing beats listening to them yourselves.

That's just my 2 cents.

[ricercar]

"Digital' speakers" simply means the DAC is in the loudspeaker cabinet instead of the CDROM drive or the soundcard. Engineers like to keep analog signals far from your CPU, translating to analog only far away from the interferance. Having the DAC in your speaker makes good sense.

However, there are various qualities of DACs, some soundcards have DACs that perform better than the DACs in some digital speakers. And vice-versa. YMMV.

Trust your ears not the reviews when buying loudspeakers.

[pelly]

Trust your ears not the reviews when buying loudspeakers.

Even then, it can be difficult to judge a loudspeaker fairly as many ( if not all ) can change their sound dramatically after a break-in period.

[Feanor]

Originally posted by Fluke
Creative Labs, on their newsgroups if you prefer, will say you are nuts if you can distinguish a difference between Analog and Digital. I got flamed on the newsgroups for saying Harvey Fong(Creative Rep) was nuts. I could tell a big difference when I had my FPS 2000 4.1 speakers with a live and digital turned on.

Creative Labs, and more to the point Harvey Fong is nuts if he thinks he can know matter of factly what every human being can and can not hear. People's sense organs are not 100% the same (nor is what the brain necessarily perceives), with some people being more accutely aware of some things then others.

For instance, there are people who are rather tone deaf on the one hand, and people who have a "musical ear" on the other, who can just hear a song, pick up an instrument and without a sheet of music reproduce it soley by ear.

My hearing seems to be better then average, as is my father's who could hear things that were mumbled from accross the room when I was young. (Used to get us in trouble too, that he could hear so well.)

Different people can be more accutely aware of certain things then others. I for instance have been able to smell some things that many others don't, but if I point it out and they walk up closer to where it seems to be comming from and closer then I'm standing, then they notice it too.