Asking help to improve 2 audio sources output

[darxnake]

Hi everyone,

Can anyone please help me on this one ? I have a setup like this :

It allows to display 2 different sources in front of me while the audio output is managed by an old 5.1 system. 4 speakers are placed in front on me (2 on the left, 2 on the right) and I use the 5.1's remote to balance screen 1 & screen 2 audio output (let's call it audio 1 and audio 2). Balancing is not just a switch, it's a slider, so I can hear both audio while 1 is louder than 2 for instance.

The issue i'm currently facing with this setup is noise. My 5.1 is old and if I set the main volume very loud, without sound out of it I can hear a big noise. I assume it's the 5.1 itself that causes this disturbance while connected to a jack 3.5, although not very sure... (disconnecting the jack stops the noise)

Anyway, I'd like to lighten my installation a bit to achieve a 2 speakers solution only, solve the noise issue, while keeping the same audio balance output possibility :

I could buy a more recent 5.1 solution but acquire one and not use it for what it's meant to be kind of feels wrong. Do any of you know how I can achieve any of these installation ?

Thank you

 

[americanaudiophile]

You may be getting noise because you have to go through the screens for audio in your current set up. The volume you set the output of each monitor may be so high that it's noisy. You can try connecting an analog audio output from one of the sources directly to your 5.1 system and see if that eliminated the problem. The VCR would be easiest to use I think.
Your first target set up would require two HDMI audio extractors connected between the matrix switcher and each screen and one of these
https/www.amazon.com/C2G-Cables-40573-Amplifier-Compliant/dp/B0048U1WHI
to connect to passive speakers and would bypass the screens completely.
Your alternate set up would require just the linked to mixer amp. Because it won't bypass the screens there may still be noise.
If you used self powered speakers then you would need just a stereo mixer rather than a mixer amp.

 

[darxnake]

Thanks americanaudiophile,

I tried to figure out what was causing the white noise I hear following what you suggested, bypassing the screens. I set the main volume on the 5.1 system to the max and here are the results :
- Nothing plugged -> no noise
- Pluging to a computer, NOT set the jack as the output -> loud white noise
- Pluging to the HDMI 6x2 matrix jack output -> loud white noise
- Pluging to my smartphone -> no parasite noise, even if I set the phone's volume to the max (it kinda scared me when I pressed play actualy...)
Conclusion : The screens volume output are not what is causing the noise. Just pluging the jack seems to cause it... but not with my smartphone. Weird... I don't get it... 🙁

Instead of the mixer you recommanded to change my 5.1 to a 2.0 speaker kit, would a device like these allow me to fade channels according to what I'd like to do ? Yours is a little expensive :
- http/a.co/d/f4wcD84
- http/a.co/d/32Unbn7

Thank you for your time