How to use all speakers of 5.1 system with smartphone?

[naroslife]

Hello there!

I have a Genius SW-5.1 1000 sound system.
Photo:

Spoiler

I am looking for ways to connect a non 5.1 player device (e.x. a smartphone or an old laptop) to the mentioned 5.1 speaker system and make all the speakers work. What causes the problem is, that I only have 1 output on the playing device, but 3 inputs on the subwoofer (as on the picture). I don't neccesarily need surround sound, so I basically need this to work like a 2.1 system, only with more speakers.


After looking around a bit I found 2 different solutions, and would like to know which one do you recommend, or if anything else comes to your mind, please share!

■ 3.5 mm jack splitter

• 
  ■ Macally 3-way
  ■ Belkin 5-way
  ■ Logitech 2 RCA to 3 Jack with a Jack to 2 RCA
■ External sound card

Which method do you recommend? Also would splitting the signal to 3 directions degrade the quality so much that it would be hearable?

Thanks in advance!
naroslife

P.s.

Spoiler

Currently I have a single 3.5 mm jack male-to-male cable to connect the phone and the "Center/Woofer" input and only the Subwoofer and the Center speakers work. (Which is quite logical.)

 

[iam2thecrowe]

it should be fine to use a splitter to split the signal and yes you may notic a degration in sound quality and/or volume, but should still sound ok. I would forget about using the centre channel it would sound wrong. I would just use it as a 2.1 or 4.1 system.

 

[ssddx]

if you have an old laptop... i would use a cheap 5.1 usb soundcard (can be had often for under $25) since you would get true surround sound out of it.

for a cellphone (or laptop if you dont need surround) you could connect up using a splitter however i would split the signal so that both the left and right channel target the center and subwoofer or it might sound odd. this could be done by taking one 3.5mm stereo lead and turning it into 2x mono then taking another and doing the same. then using a 2x mono to stereo adapter to pull the signals back together. what this would do is merge the sound so that both left and right play for the center and subwoofer. this would let you play over all speakers and perhaps not sound *quite* as strange. i agree that ignoring the center and going 2.1/4.1 is better as it wont sound as odd.