Connecting active speakers to a pc

SPDIF is digital signal, toslink is just the specific optical terminal that is used, so in this context they are basically one and the same.

I am no expert on the working and setting up of sound cards, but if you only have the speakers connected via optical cable then I would have thought that it would only work via the SPDIF device?
 
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What doesn't help is that people are saying Toslink when they should be saying S/PDIF. Toslink cables have a different connector from S/PDIF and some optical cables have clip-on caps to convert from one to t'other.
 
The OP went on to say what speakers he was using and the rest of the thread made it pretty clear they were active speakers. It's not our fault if you don't know the difference.
 
Snapsh0t said:
What doesn't help is that people are saying Toslink when they should be saying S/PDIF. Toslink cables have a different connector from S/PDIF and some optical cables have clip-on caps to convert from one to t'other.
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Thats wrong. Spdif is the protocol, toslink is the cable/connector.
Sony / Philips Digital Interconnect Format.
Spdif can be transmitted via coaxial (rca) or TOShibaLINK which is optical.
 
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I understood that S/PDIF was the squarish optical connector that we're talking about and Toslink was the skinny round one. A bit of googling seemed to support me but I admit that's no guarantee of accuracy.
 
Ones I bought labelled as Toslink are square with a central pin.
Digital signal is presumably the visible red light that can be seen at the end of the cable
 
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Snapsh0t said:
I understood that S/PDIF was the squarish optical connector that we're talking about and Toslink was the skinny round one. A bit of googling seemed to support me but I admit that's no guarantee of accuracy.
Click to expand...
No. Optical is square or can be the skinny round one, and the square are toslink, and the round are mini-optical.
Coaxial is another digital option, and that is a single rca connection, usually orange.

This explains it quite good....

SPDIF Connections Explained

Meta Description Spdifconnectionsexplained
www.lindy.co.uk www.lindy.co.uk
 
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tijuana taxi said:
Thanks, so what is SPDIF that shows in the playback device list?
When I click on that the speakers still play, but have a very different sound
Click to expand...
Which sounds better?

The TOSLINK optical connector is digital only, so it can't be using the analogue output from your sound card's DAC. Maybe one setting processes the signal in some way? Unless your computer has Bluetooth, has cleverly paired with your speakers wirelessly, and with the 'speaker' setting your sound is at the mercy of the Bluetooth codec...
 
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Retune said:
Which sounds better?

The TOSLINK optical connector is digital only, so it can't be using the analogue output from your sound card's DAC. Maybe one setting processes the signal in some way? Unless your computer has Bluetooth, has cleverly paired with your speakers wirelessly, and with the 'speaker' setting your sound is at the mercy of the Bluetooth codec...
Click to expand...

Not sure what is going on, but it isn't Bluetooth, that's turned off.
Settled on the device in the list named speakers, sounds a lot better then the previous integrated Realtek audio.
Made one other change, connected the cable from the front panel headphone jack to the pins on the soundcard.
Can now use that instead of having to use the jack on the soundcard itself.

All good and glad I made the effort, definitely a big improvement and not overly expensive either.
 
tijuana taxi said:
Yes, no other physical connection.
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Ok, thats odd then. I'd have thought spdif would need to be selected for you to hear anything, as that would mean you were using the digital output rather than the analogue outputs.
Unless its automatically outputting the digital signal because you have an optical cable connected, but by telling it your using speaker's it knows you're sending the digital signal to an active speaker rather than another audio interface.
 
Bobsyeruncle said:
Ok, thats odd then. I'd have thought spdif would need to be selected for you to hear anything, as that would mean you were using the digital output rather than the analogue outputs.
Unless its automatically outputting the digital signal because you have an optical cable connected, but by telling it your using speaker's it knows you're sending the digital signal to an active speaker rather than another audio interface.
Click to expand...

Think that must be the case, happy with the increase in quality so will leave it at that now.
 
Changed plans again, latest update and all moved to the spare or hobbies room
Stripped out Toshiba Netbook with music player software connected to DAC via usb
Quick word about the DAC, its a Topping E30 and very impressed with the sound, seems nicely made too.
DAC connects via RCA to Speakers which in turn are wired to the Sub

PC in back room now has new speakers, they are Edifier 1280DB, much better suited to the bookshelf and very nice sounding.
Think they are more dedicated nearfield than the larger Kanto YU6 that they replaced

Job done for not too much cash and better sound now in two rooms, still got the large Hi-Fi in the front room.
Tempted to try and play the same track on all three systems, maybe slightly our of sync to give a reverb effect
Something like Radioactivity from Kraftwerk or Iron Maiden's Hallowed Be Thy Name or ???????????
 
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