Solved! 5.1 Surround Sound for my onboard 8-channel audio

cannond1396

Commendable
Aug 15, 2018
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2
1,585
I have an Asus Rog Strix B350-F gaming motherboard with a dedicated onboard 8-channel audio for a 7.1 surround sound I believe but I am planning on using a 5.1 surround sound.

As seen in the image below. My motherboard has (as color coded)

Rear: (2 rear channels)
C/Sub: (Center + Subwoofer)
Line-Out: (Stereo Left + Right) (Front speakers)
Line-In: (Stereo Left + Right) (Front Speakers)
Microphone


View: https://imgur.com/gallery/9Auvy34


What do I need to complete my setup?

My 5.1 contains an RCA connector.

Would I need these guys an RCA to 3.5mm adapter to complete my setup (speaker already has the male end of the RCA connector)? https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07F8SQFW8/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A21TE5CLHZDYA7&psc=1, one for Line-In (FL + FR), one for Rear (SL + SR) and one for my C/Sub for my center speakers and subwoofer bass?

I thought the white is for left speaker and red is for right speaker but is this still okay for the center and subwoofer RCA to 3.5mm? Or do I still need a special adapter?

I would like to make sure that I am getting my full surround sound experience and when I run the test in the Sound Control Panel, it is only ringing the left and right side speakers and everything else is silent because I only currently have the FL + FR connected to my PC.
 
Solution
"My 5.1 contains an RCA connector."
What is your 5.1? is it a multichannel amp? Is the "connector" (as a single female RCA type) a digital COAX? It would be color-coded orange and is incompatible with your MOBO's analog outs. That's a digital audio input, which uses the pre-amp's/ amp's own DAC. Since you're connecting to the MOBO 3.5s, you're using the MOBO's onboard DAC to output the analog signals.

From what I understand, you're using analog only - RCA and 3.5mm, so we'll deal with that.

Typically, the speaker (or analog amp) would have the female RCA jack inputs, so this is what's usually needed...

Sonic Illusions

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Feb 16, 2019
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"My 5.1 contains an RCA connector."
What is your 5.1? is it a multichannel amp? Is the "connector" (as a single female RCA type) a digital COAX? It would be color-coded orange and is incompatible with your MOBO's analog outs. That's a digital audio input, which uses the pre-amp's/ amp's own DAC. Since you're connecting to the MOBO 3.5s, you're using the MOBO's onboard DAC to output the analog signals.

From what I understand, you're using analog only - RCA and 3.5mm, so we'll deal with that.

Typically, the speaker (or analog amp) would have the female RCA jack inputs, so this is what's usually needed: https://www.amazon.com/JSAUX-Shield...dised-search-10&pf_rd_t=BROWSE&pf_rd_i=597546

If your speakers aren't active (with their own amps), you'll need to connect the PC outs to the amp's (or amps') inputs.

Regarding your question about the red/white for the C/SUB, the tip of the plug is for LEFT (white) for reference. I don't know (maybe others can opine) and it's not in the manual...because I never use the center. Reason: the L/R speakers placed on either side of the monitor, with the acoustic centers of them placed halfway up, centered vertically provides a much better acoustic image than any center would, because the acoustic image sounds like it's coming from screen-center. If you use the center with a sub and the MOBO has a stereo connector which has separate low-pass (sub) and high-pass (center) signals, then the "white" signal is the tip of the plug. If you connect and it doesn't sound right (no treble to center), just simply swap the RCA plugs.

Once everything is connected, if your MOBO didn't automatically detect the connections, then choose your speaker connections in the sound setup. You should be good to go.
 
Solution

cannond1396

Commendable
Aug 15, 2018
44
2
1,585
This is my speaker https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0851CZQ37/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 . It has a mono RCA which is already built into the speakers so for that case I need a female to male extension from my speakers to the output of my subwoofer. Now for my speaker input for RCA to 3.5mm in short. To simplify things, I understand what I want to do with my speakers for my front left and right and surround left and right speakers which can easily be done with the red and white rca to a single 3.5mm connector.

My main question that I only need to understand right now is would the red and white RCA to 3.5mm for example this guy https://www.amazon.com/DuKabel-Loss...aWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl&th=1 work for the C/Sub (Center + Subwoofer)? That is the question. To the extent of my knowledge, I know that white is left and red is right. Just simply remember R is right.

This is the back of my speakers. I took a picture of it.

View: https://imgur.com/gallery/YiT1G4N
 

cannond1396

Commendable
Aug 15, 2018
44
2
1,585
"My 5.1 contains an RCA connector."
What is your 5.1? is it a multichannel amp? Is the "connector" (as a single female RCA type) a digital COAX? It would be color-coded orange and is incompatible with your MOBO's analog outs. That's a digital audio input, which uses the pre-amp's/ amp's own DAC. Since you're connecting to the MOBO 3.5s, you're using the MOBO's onboard DAC to output the analog signals.

From what I understand, you're using analog only - RCA and 3.5mm, so we'll deal with that.

Typically, the speaker (or analog amp) would have the female RCA jack inputs, so this is what's usually needed: https://www.amazon.com/JSAUX-Shield...dised-search-10&pf_rd_t=BROWSE&pf_rd_i=597546

If your speakers aren't active (with their own amps), you'll need to connect the PC outs to the amp's (or amps') inputs.

Regarding your question about the red/white for the C/SUB, the tip of the plug is for LEFT (white) for reference. I don't know (maybe others can opine) and it's not in the manual...because I never use the center. Reason: the L/R speakers placed on either side of the monitor, with the acoustic centers of them placed halfway up, centered vertically provides a much better acoustic image than any center would, because the acoustic image sounds like it's coming from screen-center. If you use the center with a sub and the MOBO has a stereo connector which has separate low-pass (sub) and high-pass (center) signals, then the "white" signal is the tip of the plug. If you connect and it doesn't sound right (no treble to center), just simply swap the RCA plugs.

Once everything is connected, if your MOBO didn't automatically detect the connections, then choose your speaker connections in the sound setup. You should be good to go.
Man I feel so dumb, my built in amplifier on my subwoofer already indicates red and white so I could just simply plug in the red rca to the red SW and the white RCA to the CEN port. 🤦‍♂️
 
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