Can't get surround sound working

[Jethryn Freyman]

Hi guys.

Got a G5 Power Mac here running 10.5.8 and Logitech 5.1 Z-5500 Digital speakers, connected with a digital optical TOSLINK cable.

My problem is that I can't set my speakers up for surround sound. In Audio MIDI Setup, I can only select Stereo, and not the 5.1 option.

In System Preferences I've selected "Digital Out - Optical digital-out port". That's all fine. Music plays fine through the speakers.

In Audio MIDI Setup, the only choices I have in the Default Output and System Output drop down boxes are "Built-in Audio".

Under that, in the Audio Output area, for the Source I have "Digital Out" selected.

Clicking on Configure Speakers, I have it set to Multichannel, but it only allows me to select Stereo from the drop-down box.

Any help is appreciated!!

 

[Dark Dragoon]

The Audio MIDI Setup for surround sound is used when you have a soundcard that is capable of outputting on multiple channels.

However what is happening here is that the digital optical out (S/PDIF) can only carry two channel PCM (what you are seeing in the Audio MIDI Setup) or compressed surround sound (Dolby Digital, DTS) which is sent to the reciever (Logitech Z-5500d).

If you have any DVD's with surround sound this would be the easiest way of checking this. Play the DVD in the built in DVD Player making sure that you've selected the surround sound track if the DVD has the option, you might also need to go into DVD Player's preferences and on the Disc Setup tab set the Audio Output.

What will happen then is you will see on the control pod of the Z-5500d the Effect changes to something like "DTS Digital" and you get the surround sound. It's been a while since I last used my Logitech Z-5500d's so it might show something else on the pod.

With this setup you will only get surround sound from sources that are encoded with Dolby Digital or DTS like DVDs.