Need sound card w Toslink for DTS playback from WAV/FLAC

[DanielTheGreat]

G'day guys (& gals?),
I'm a newbie to this forum, so forgive me if this topic has already been covered at length (please just direct me to the thread in that case).

I recently acquired a couple of Squeezeboxes, and have set up one with my Hi-Fi system, streaming the audio from my 'server' PC via a wireless router. The Squeezebox connects via Toslink to a surround receiver, and works perfectly playing DTS tracks from either WAV or FLAC ripped DTS files.

But I also want to hear these same tracks on my second surround receiver connected to the SlimServer PC (in a different room), also via Toslink. Trouble is my present sound card (HDA Digital X-Mystique 7.1 Gold with X10 SPDIF Input Extension board), though connected via Toslink to my second DTS receiver, won't play DTS WAV/FLAC files correctly (I just get the usual analogue white noise).

This board correctly plays DTS CDs & DVDs when the 'S/PDIF In Loopback' option is selected, provided the disc drive's digital output is plugged into the Mystique's (internal) digital input (the board is then simply passing-through the DTS bit-stream from the disc to the Toslink output). But playing a ripped DTS track (via any of several player applications, including SoftSqueeze) somehow corrupts the DTS stream. I'm guessing it's changing the gain via the board's software mixer, even if I disable all inputs other than 'WAV' and set its 'volume' to maximum.

So what I'm looking for is a (preferably low-cost) sound card that allows playback of uncorrupted DTS WAV and FLAC files via a Toslink output to an external DTS surround receiver, using any common player software (but particularly SoftSqueeze). The board must also have a Toslink input, for digital recording.

Anybody have experience with such a board? Recommendations?
Incidentally, I'm running Windows 2000 in a PC with PCI slots, if that's relevant.

Regards,
Daniel

 

[JonUrban]

The orignal Sound Blaster Audigy's did this, but the newer X-Fi's do not (without some serious tweaking). I "backed and forthed" it with Creative Tech Support and finally gave up. The new cards operate in some bizarre state where the card gets put into "Game", "Music Creation", and "Entertainment" modes, each mode configuring the card differently. It's a nightmare.

Find an old Audigy and you should be OK. Also, many of the sound hardware on motherboards (like ASUS) will work as well, and play DTS right off your hard drive.

 

[DanielTheGreat]

Jon,
Thanks for this information.

I found a bewildering array of 'Audigy' boards on eBay, and while a few mentioned X-Fi, most did not, but they were all different. So it wasn't entirely clear to me (I'm not 'into' sound cards) which ones you might consider 'old'. But I skimmed through the specs on each, and none appeared to have Toslink I/O (one claimed coax S/PDIF I/O, but needed another module [not supplied] to make this work, plus I'd need 2 external converters to get back to Toslink).

So not having much luck so far. Hopefully others will respond with other suggestions.

Daniel

 

[JonUrban]

Here's one on eBay that's a good deal. You need an Audigy with the "extra box" to get the TOSLINK in and out.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170146349579

The seller is the manufacturer. These sold for over $300 when new. Your results may vary. I would advise contacting the seller BEFORE you buy, and I may not have the same understanding of your needs than you do, and I don't want to to spend any cash on my word only to find out that it does not do what you want it to do.

 

[DanielTheGreat]

Jon, Thanks for that extra info.

Unfortunately the seller only ships to north America, but I'll keep a lookout for one available to Australia.

Daniel