5.1 Sound on a Powerbook?

JeDiBoYTJ

macrumors 6502a

Original poster

• Nov 30, 2004

• #1

Any possible way of getting 5.1 sound on a powerbook, like through a USB adapter or something?

 

wrldwzrd89

macrumors G5

• Nov 30, 2004

• #2

JeDiBoYTJ said:

Any possible way of getting 5.1 sound on a powerbook, like through a USB adapter or something?

Click to expand...

I can't use a 5.1 surround system, as I have no place to put the rear speakers. I've gotten 2.1 sound to work on a PowerBook by plugging external speakers into the headphones port; I'd assume you could do the same thing with a 5.1 speaker system.

 

P

pncc

macrumors regular

• Nov 30, 2004

• #3

JeDiBoYTJ said:

Any possible way of getting 5.1 sound on a powerbook, like through a USB adapter or something?

Click to expand...

The hardware exists. Try Googling "USB 5.1 sound"

the Zalman and Trust units come up.

Trick is whether or not it will work under OS X as there are no OS X drivers available. 5.1 sound is built into OS X panther for the G5 that have it.

try it and let us know.

 

JeDiBoYTJ

macrumors 6502a

Original poster

• Nov 30, 2004

• #4

wrldwzrd89 said:

I can't use a 5.1 surround system, as I have no place to put the rear speakers. I've gotten 2.1 sound to work on a PowerBook by plugging external speakers into the headphones port; I'd assume you could do the same thing with a 5.1 speaker system.

Click to expand...

well, I already have 2 external speakers plugged in, and theres no real way to get "true" 5.1 out of stereo headphone jacks.

pncc said:

The hardware exists. Try Googling "USB 5.1 sound"

the Zalman and Trust units come up.

Trick is whether or not it will work under OS X as there are no OS X drivers available. 5.1 sound is built into OS X panther for the G5 that have it.

try it and let us know.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the info i'll do a google search, but if anyone else has an info, please let me know.
...I hope they arn't too expensive...

 

JeDiBoYTJ

macrumors 6502a

Original poster

• Nov 30, 2004

• #5

I found this on a quick search

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/SonicaTheater-main.html

looks like what im looking for, and it says it mac-compatible, which is great. 🙂

 

puckhead193

macrumors G3

• Nov 30, 2004

• #6

JeDiBoYTJ said:

I found this on a quick search

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/SonicaTheater-main.html

looks like what im looking for, and it says it mac-compatible, which is great. 🙂

Click to expand...

that's what the people at the apple store told me to get for mine because i wan to hook up a pair of logitech's, but discovered it was huge for my room.... so i just ended up with altec lansing speakers FX 6021. They match the pb nice and sound great, only down side is that there tall.

 

D

DanTekGeek

macrumors 6502

• Nov 30, 2004

• #7

creative also makes a sorround sound pcmcia card if you have a 15 or 17 inch model.

 

I

iceTrX

macrumors regular

• Nov 30, 2004

• #8

JeDiBoYTJ said:

I found this on a quick search

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/SonicaTheater-main.html

looks like what im looking for, and it says it mac-compatible, which is great. 🙂

Click to expand...

I have an M-Audio Transit (smaller, 5.1, cheaper version of the Sonica Theater) for my powerbook, its excellent. I can select the Transit as digital-out passthrough with the Apple DVD player (in panther) and have true 5.1 Dolby and DTS surround sound going to my surround sound receiver via TOSlink optical audio.