5.1 sound for games or theater from your PC

[Happy Joe]

I originally got into 5.1 sound for my DVD viewing since I generally like music (at one time I had audiophile tendencies) and found that combining my stereo and video experiences resulted in vastly improved DVD movie viewing pleasure.

5.1 channel surround sound adds a rear set of stereo speakers as well a a monophonic (single channel) center front and a monophonic low frequency speaker (subwoofer) to a basic stereo sound system. The individual audio for each speaker is generated by the source or can be simulated by processing through a receiver. There is some equipment that supports 7.2 channel sound (adds a rear center and left and right center speaker to the 5.1 channels) however there are few signal sources.

Most DVDs and games have 5.1 channel audio streams that benefit from the upgrade from stereo.

After getting a PC (and experiencing the joys of Diablo II, when it was first released) I connected the entertainment receiver to the computer (via a 5.1 sound card and found that game enjoyment also improved (you get more realism from the improved ambient sound and can sometimes hear enemies sneaking up behind you).

Now days many/most recent computers and motherboards support 6 channel sound (although this is not always apparent or emphasized in the literature).

After answering some questions from friends about my latest investigation into home theater PCs (HTPC) I found a pretty good article that explains how to implement 5.1 sound on PCs, and felt that some folks here might have similar interests, so I thought I would post a link;

How to Connect 5.1 Speakers to Your PC | Hardware Secrets

The audio output from the computer is barely enough to drive a pair of very small stereo speakers. For additional channels you need to place an amplifier/receiver in the line or use powered speakers. Of course you need 5.1 speakers or at least quadraphonic sound (4 speakers) to benefit in games (5.1 adds a monophonic center and subwoofer channels to the front/rear, left/right quad setup), some people don't have the room to add a powered subwoofer to a gaming computer (you can just leave the subwoofer output unconnected if this is the case (but you will miss some awsome explosions)).

Some cheap powered computer speakers will work as a trial to implement this on your PC, but many people find that at least bookshelf sized speakers and a moderate amount of power from an amplifier/receiver or powered speakers gives better sound and more enjoyment.

Now days I use a 5.1 entertainment receiver to power my gaming (100 watts/channel), this also has the side benefit of allowing me to listen to some pretty good sound at my PC (when playing Cd's/ or music files) and and while viewing movies in my library.

Enjoy!