Hello guys!
I recently went and purchased the Logitech z906 bundle and a Creative Z sound card for my PC so I could try 5.1 surround sound. Had it running for about a month now and am finding I really like 5.1 surround sound.
However, I am not very happy with some parts of the logitech setup. Mainly the satelites, they look awful/cheap and they don't sound crisp, quite muffled actually compared with my previous 2.1 speakers (Creative Gigaworks T40's) http/. I also don't like how cheap the central unit feels and am worried it's going to pack up before long which will render the whole setup dead.
Anyway, I want to get a proper 5.1 system. Thing is, there are some areas I am confused about when it comes to av receivers. Specifically, If I was to buy an av receiver, I assume it would be best to connect to the PC through HDMI. BUT, I have a 1440p monitor and from what I've read, the HDMI connections on those receivers only allow for strict resolutions (1080p,4k etc). Then there is what I suspect will be added input lag while going through a receiver too. To be honest, I would just prefer to pass the audio through the receiver alone, not the video. Can you do that with av receivers?
Next thing. All I have is the PC. No consoles, TV, Blu ray players or anything like that. So the av receiver seems like overkill and all the fluff ups the cost but I don't need any of it. Is an av receiver actually what I absolutely need to have 5.1 with decent speakers on a PC?
Another thing. One thing I do like about the logitech setup is that it has an option on the (not sure the proper term ) central unit/amp thingy to change to quad audio output (stereo out of front two speakers, stereo out of back two, subwoofer enabled) center speaker disabled. I really like this option and use when I have media which is not in 5.1, music too. It helps fill the room. Do av receivers come with the same ability? I would miss it for sure.
What are your options for 5.1 on a PC with decent speakers?
I recently went and purchased the Logitech z906 bundle and a Creative Z sound card for my PC so I could try 5.1 surround sound. Had it running for about a month now and am finding I really like 5.1 surround sound.
However, I am not very happy with some parts of the logitech setup. Mainly the satelites, they look awful/cheap and they don't sound crisp, quite muffled actually compared with my previous 2.1 speakers (Creative Gigaworks T40's) http/. I also don't like how cheap the central unit feels and am worried it's going to pack up before long which will render the whole setup dead.
Anyway, I want to get a proper 5.1 system. Thing is, there are some areas I am confused about when it comes to av receivers. Specifically, If I was to buy an av receiver, I assume it would be best to connect to the PC through HDMI. BUT, I have a 1440p monitor and from what I've read, the HDMI connections on those receivers only allow for strict resolutions (1080p,4k etc). Then there is what I suspect will be added input lag while going through a receiver too. To be honest, I would just prefer to pass the audio through the receiver alone, not the video. Can you do that with av receivers?
Next thing. All I have is the PC. No consoles, TV, Blu ray players or anything like that. So the av receiver seems like overkill and all the fluff ups the cost but I don't need any of it. Is an av receiver actually what I absolutely need to have 5.1 with decent speakers on a PC?
Another thing. One thing I do like about the logitech setup is that it has an option on the (not sure the proper term ) central unit/amp thingy to change to quad audio output (stereo out of front two speakers, stereo out of back two, subwoofer enabled) center speaker disabled. I really like this option and use when I have media which is not in 5.1, music too. It helps fill the room. Do av receivers come with the same ability? I would miss it for sure.
What are your options for 5.1 on a PC with decent speakers?