A8N-SLI - digital out stereo only?

[TrollMan]

Hi,

I am having a strange issue with my new A8N-SLI Premium - whenever I use either the optical or coaxial SP/DIF connections, I only get a stereo output! The speaker set I am connecting to is a Scan AV-6 (5.1/DTS) and I get 5.1 fine when using this set and the coaxial cable with my previous motherboard (Epox 8RDA+) but can only get sound in games (eg Half Life 2) if I set to stereo... Run speaker test in software and only get test tone from from front speakers (as opposed to running the test mode on the speaker unit itself, which works with all 6)... Also if I manually force to 5.1 speakers and then play mp3s, sound is duplicated to rear and centre speakers...

Is there some setting somewhere I need to change?

 

[Aquila76]

Originally posted by: TrollMan
Hi,

I am having a strange issue with my new A8N-SLI Premium - whenever I use either the optical or coaxial SP/DIF connections, I only get a stereo output! The speaker set I am connecting to is a Scan AV-6 (5.1/DTS) and I get 5.1 fine when using this set and the coaxial cable with my previous motherboard (Epox 8RDA+) but can only get sound in games (eg Half Life 2) if I set to stereo... Run speaker test in software and only get test tone from from front speakers (as opposed to running the test mode on the speaker unit itself, which works with all 6)... Also if I manually force to 5.1 speakers and then play mp3s, sound is duplicated to rear and centre speakers...

Is there some setting somewhere I need to change?

Unfortunately, that is what happens with the new nForce mobos since they no longer have SoundStorm audio procs (Dolby Digital Live Encoding). Your old board (nForce 2) had SoundStorm via the nForce MCP. The newer nForce 3 & 4 use the Realtek audio codec which cannot 'upmix' stereo to Dolby Digital. It will pass-through 5.1 and higher to the receiver when playing a DVD with the proper player, though.

 

[NokiaDude]

I have a high-end Onkyo home theatre system and I'm pretty sure you can use Dolby Pro Logic 2 to get surround sound from your receiver. MP3's are stereo anyways.