Solved! How To Combine/Mix PC audio and PS4 audio into Reciever

Feb 25, 2019
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I'm trying to combine audio from two sources, PC audio and PS4 HDMI out.

Why? I have a dual LCD monitor setup - I like to game on PS4 on my left monitor, but I also want to watch tv shows/youtube videos/listen to music from my PC on my right monitor while I game on PS4. So, I want to hear both audio at the same time through my headphones. I was able to achieve this by connecting PS4 to my AVR receiver and routing the receiver's audio to my PC. I would prefer to keep using my receiver/headphones combo but

Question 1. I'm wondering if there's something better to my current setup or if there's some work around?

[My Current Setup]
A. PC video is connected directly to my right LCD monitor through nvidia card HMDI out.
B. PS4 video/audio through HDMI out to my Sony STR-DH790 receiver's HDMI in connection (the one labeled as "Game").
C. The receiver's HDMI out connects to my left LCD for my PS4 video (I switch the knob on my receiver to "Game" input when I want to see/game on PS4.
D. 3.5mm audio out wire from receiver headphone jack (it has the bigger size on receiver, so I used an adapter to connect the 3.5mm wire) to the 3.5mm "line-in" on back of PC.
E. Headphones are connected to 3.5mm headphone jack on front of PC.
F. I have the PC sound settings set to the motherboard Realtek audio as default playback device.
G. I set the Realtek line-in as default recording device, with the "Listen to Device" checked, otherwise I won't hear the PS4 audio through my PC.

Question 2. I'm wondering if I'm losing sound quality with this setup?
Question 3. I don't know if the PC is altering the sound, if it's just the difference in volume decibels between the PC and receiver, or if it's because there is a loss in sound quality through the 3.5mm wires?

I ask because the audio isn't sounding the same with this setup compared to when I just hook up the headphones directly to my receiver to hear my PS4.
The PS4 audio volume sounds lower and it sounds less full/punchy when I listen through PC, and I don't have any PC sound settings turned on such as equalizer or anything like that.

Question 4. If there is a loss in sound quality, would it be better if there was a way to combine/mix the two HDMI wires (PC's audio through nvidia HMDI OUT and PS4 video/audioHDMI out) into one HDMI wire and then just hook up that one wire to my receiver?
Then I could just listen with my headphones connected to my receiver and bypass the PC's motherboard audio/mixer. I'm not seeing any devices that do this when I search google, I just see HDMI splitters that turn one HDMI wire into two, which I do not need, I think. I want to keep using my headphones through AVR receiver.

Any help/info would be greatly appreciated!
 
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Solution
So you want two sources, with independent volume control, mixed into one signal? I have an ASUS Xonar Essence STX in my PC and I have successfully mixed the line in and CD/AUX ANALOG signals for stereo only, with both inputs enabled in the mixer. You can use the analog or digital out from the PC card to your receiver. OR- another interesting one: one source for one channel and the other source for the other. Personally, that would drive me nuts, but just an idea that would work. I don't think you'd be able to do anything with HDMI only, without some fancy wiring mods, but I may be mistaken. Good luck!

Sonic Illusions

Prominent
Feb 16, 2019
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So you want two sources, with independent volume control, mixed into one signal? I have an ASUS Xonar Essence STX in my PC and I have successfully mixed the line in and CD/AUX ANALOG signals for stereo only, with both inputs enabled in the mixer. You can use the analog or digital out from the PC card to your receiver. OR- another interesting one: one source for one channel and the other source for the other. Personally, that would drive me nuts, but just an idea that would work. I don't think you'd be able to do anything with HDMI only, without some fancy wiring mods, but I may be mistaken. Good luck!
 
Solution