Speakers + PC

[jojo15]

Hi,

Sorry if this has been asked before or is in the wrong place. (I used the search)
Well this is what i want to do:
I have this old audio system, with two very good speakers.
I also have a 5.1 set connected to my computer.
Now i want to connect the speakers from my stereo to my computer to help the subwoofer delivering fat bass :cool:
But the thing is, i don't know how, because the subwoofer isn't connected to the pc with a "bass" cable, only the "front", "center" and "rear" cables.
I tried plugging the speakers in each of their plugs on my soundcard, but only the "center" plug gives me sound, and very quiet too... I put the volume to max,
and it was barely hear-able. The other two plugs gave no sound at all...

I hope this story is a bit clear,
and it would be cool if someone could help me fix this!

Thanks in advance.

Ps. I've seen some stereo speakers connected to computers through a side panel (which was therefore permanently removed), i want to avoid that, because it gives a lot of dust on my hardware and doesn't look too pretty in my opinion either.

[jojo15]

No one?

[Joe Fenton]

Hmm, never head of the "old audio system" before. Is that anything like a Sound Blaster Live? ;)

It would probably also help to post the OS, the drivers being used, and the settings in the OS for the audio. A simple diagram of the physical connections would also be helpful.

[Prodater64]

Surely, your 5.1 system deviates low frequencies to the sub-w. So forget your idea if you want to do it in an easy way.
You can't atacche a passive speaker to the PC output, as that output hasn't enough power to make speakers work.
You would need an amplifier between any of your outputs and the speakers, or need active speakers that have its own power supply.

[jojo15]

@Joe Fenton:
with the old audio system i mean my stereo tower, so a installation with a casette deck, cd deck, etc. and two large speakers.
My OS is Win XP, and i use the Audigy LS drivers from the cd that came with it...
about my set-up, see this pic -> clickme (http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/1013/example3bu.jpg) i hope that's a little clear...

@Prodater64:
thnx for that, if Joe doesn't have another option i'll see if i can get me an amp somewhere!

[chilledinsanity]

I'm not sure I fully understand the situation, but it sounds like if you replaced the 2 front speakers of your 5.1 setup with the ones from your stereo that might work. You might have to cut the wires and splice them together though. Even stereo sounds should come out of the front 2 speakers on a 5.1 setup. Then whatever you play on the 5.1 will come out of the 2 stereo speakers, with everything else still going to the sub and rears.

[Joe Fenton]

If the speakers are the amplified variety, the subwoofer would need to be amplified as well. If the speakers are being fed from an amplifier and do not do any amplifying themselves, what you are trying to do should be possible with proper wiring.

You seem to indicate that you have one wire that carries the center + subwoofer audio that currently goes to the center speaker. Sometimes, amplifiers feeding a center speaker will filter this line. This removes any low frequencies, so if you connected a subwoofer to this, you'd get almost no output. Sometimes, that filtering can be turned off in the amplifier. You might check that. When they do filter the center line, there is usually always a seperate line for the subwoofer. If the amplifier has a subwoofer line out, use that for the subwoofer. If not, you may need to get a splitter for the center line - this is a small box that plugs into line that filters the audio, sending the high signal to the center line out, and the low signal to the subwoofer out.

If you are trying to connect the subwoofer to the same line as the center speaker, how are you connecting them? In series or in parallel? Depending on the speaker impedences and the amplifier, it may work better one way than the other. I have my center + subwoofer connected in series. :D

[jojo15]

@chilledinsanity: yes, that works, but i want my stereo speakers to function as subwoofers, not front speakers, but thnx for your input!

@Joe Fenton: No my stereo speakers don't have amplifiers built-in, but my subwoofer does (at least i think so), but there's no connection to that, except for the center+sub-cable. And to clarify the connections: i have one cable that connects the subwoofer and the pc, this cable provides the center audio and the subwoofer audio, now from the subwoofer there doesn't need to be any cable to the subwoofer, the audio is already there, so there's no connection for that, but there's a seperate cable that is connected to the center speaker.

so it's like this in picture: pc -----> subwoofer ---> center speaker
the first ---> is the cable connected with the pc that provides audio for both, then at the subwoofer it "splits" and through the second cable the center audio goes to the center speaker.

I tried using a splitter like you suggested, but this gave me barely any sound..
i could only hear a little bit when i was holding my ear against the speaker.. so that doesn't really work.. or there must be something wrong with my speakers..

[Joe Fenton]

If the subwoofer was amplified, it would have a volume control on it somewhere. All amplified speakers have a volume control (that I've ever seen). It would also either plug into the wall or have batteries. You can't have an amplified speaker without power, and the power doesn't come through the audio wire. :)

If the subwoofer is not amplified and you are running it off the line-out on the PC, you aren't supplying enough power to drive the speaker. Also, the line-out uses an impedence designed to match the input of an amplifier, not the impedence of a speaker. That would give you virutally no sound at all - which sounds like what you have.

So assuming all the above, what it sounds like you need is an amplifier.

PC------->Amplifier----------->Subwoofer--------->Center

[jojo15]

Cool, that cleared it up for me, thnx.

And to set it straight, i forgot to mention that the sub has indeed a power supply (adapter which is connected to the power from the wall) and it has volume controls for the front speakers (both under one knob), the center speaker (one knob), the rear speakers (also both under one knob) and the amount of bass (one knob again)...

But i'll go save some money for an amp, because i searched for some and they're not very cheap... do you think THIS (http://www.otto.nl/mall/cgi-bin/ottonl.ofottonl.entrance?pURL=ottonl.ofottonl.hauptframe%3FpAnzeige=1%26pArtNr=638676&pWkorbid=122902092492104055) one could do the trick? (if you want to know the description i can translate it for you)

Thnx for all the help!

[Joe Fenton]

No idea. My system looks like this:

PC
|
|
Amplifier
| | | | |
Speakers

The line outs for the PC go to the amplifier which drives a left and right front speaker, a center speaker, and a left and right rear speaker. None of the speakers are amplified. It's the most common setup you see for surround sound.

[jojo15]

But your speakers are connected to the amp,
how come they're not amplified then?
Or do they only connect through it to the PC without getting further power supply?

[Joe Fenton]

Uh - you don't use amplified speakers because the amplifier does the amplifying. That's why it's there.
:D

The PC outputs line level audio (peak-to-peak 1V usually at a low power - say a couple milli-watts), the amplifier then amplifies the audio to a high wattage (maybe several hundred watts), then the speakers connect to amplifier. You can see, amplified speakers aren't needed because they're already getting maybe a hundred watts from the amplifier.

[jojo15]

Ok i understand
so i need to get an amp an place it between my pc and speakers, like you did, right?

(this late response is due to my holiday btw)

[Prodater64]

Ok i understand
so i need to get an amp an place it between my pc and speakers, like you did, right?

(this late response is due to my holiday btw)

Sure, as I said in the fourth post of this thread.

Surely, your 5.1 system deviates low frequencies to the sub-w. So forget your idea if you want to do it in an easy way.
You can't atacche a passive speaker to the PC output, as that output hasn't enough power to make speakers work.
You would need an amplifier between any of your outputs and the speakers, or need active speakers that have its own power supply.(BTW:Usual PC speakers)

[Smile2]

@chilledinsanity: yes, that works, but i want my stereo speakers to function as subwoofers, not front speakers, but thnx for your input!



I don't think this will work quite well, since Stereo speaker is not designed for Low Frequency Bass.

[Joe Fenton]

I don't think this will work quite well, since Stereo speaker is not designed for Low Frequency Bass.

Many speakers filter the bass since they figure you'll be using a separate subwoofer. So using one of these type speakers for your bass will give you no output at all. Check the response curves for the speakers to determine if they can be used for bass.

Anyway, this "fun" you're having is exactly why many companies sell all-in-one systems: an amplifier and all speakers (including a subwoofer) so that you don't have to guess if it will all work together.
:cool:

[jojo15]

Check the response curves for the speakers to determine if they can be used for bass.

And how do i do that??

[Smile2]

You can't unless you have some decent tools.

Some Speakers do provide them on the manual.

[Joe Fenton]

Look them up on the net. You can find damn near anything with a little patience on Google.

[jojo15]

Many speakers filter the bass since they figure you'll be using a separate subwoofer. So using one of these type speakers for your bass will give you no output at all.

I just re-read everything and mentioned this..
Why should my speakers filter out the bass, when they're the only 2 ?? (remember they're from a stereo-system, which includes the two speakers and the thing with which you can control everything)
So i don't think what you said counts for the speakers i have...

[Smile2]

Yup, I think it would be fine

however, I don't think the bass will get deep enough, in term of Quality
since the response curve for Stereo Speaker is higher than most Subwoofer.

I suggest, you get a decent Subwoofer, and leave the stereo speaker as front left/right channel.

[jojo15]

I already have a subwoofer, but thanks for the advice,
will i still need an amp?