Audigy 2 ZS connections to HT recei

Question

I recently purchased and installed an Audigy 2 ZS, and I'd like to connect it to my home theater receiver, which has one digital coax and two optical inputs, and a set of six mono RCA ins for multichannel analog. Currently, one optical (DVD player) and the coax (cable box) are in use, leaving only one optical and the analog multichannels free. I have a few inter-related but separate questions:
What is the best way (in both quality and cost effecti'veness) to connect the 5. analog outputs (3 pairs of stereo minis) from the card to the 6-RCA-mono analog inputs on the receiver?</LI>
Is there any kind of cost effecti've way to add an optical S/PDIF out to the Audigy 2 ZS?</LI>
What is the sound quality difference between using the analog connections (3-miniplugs-stereo to 6-RCA-mono) and the digital connections (optical or coax S/PDIF)?</LI>
Assuming that the digital connections are higher fidelity, there is still the need for the analog connections for DVD-Audio (as the product literature states everywhere). What is the proper setup for enjoying both DVD-Audio and the maximum sound quality for everything else?</LI>
Thank you in advance.
-Jordan
Message Edited by Jordan on 0-25-2004 09:36 PM

Answer 1

Jeremy,
Thank you for responding. I have a few follow-up questions (keeping the numbering the same):
) My receiver supports 6., but I only have a 5. speaker set, and the multichannel analog inputs are limited to 5. in any case. Therefore, rather than one /8" 3 pole (stereo) and two /8" 4 pole (video) minijack to RCA cables, the appropriate solution would be three /8" 3 pole (stero) minijack to RCA cables, wouldn't it's Or, is it absolutely necessary to have the 4-pole (video) minijacks because the Line Out 2 and Line Out 3 jacks are 4-pole, even though the third channels (Side Right and Side Left, respecti'vely) would go unused? I would hope the ZS would be engineered smart enough so that if you set the speaker setup as 5. in your computer, then it wouldn't send signals on those third channels, thus allowing the 3 pole (stereo) cables to be used without any negati've effect.
2) It is a shame that there is no cost effecti've way to add an optical output to the ZS, since it doesn't have one. Most receivers have more optical inputs than digital coax, as is the case with mine.
3) I didn't see an explanation of the sound quality difference between analog and digital connections in the article you referenced. I would appreciate some information on this.
4) I asked what the proper setup is for enjoying both DVD-A and the maximum sound quality for everything else (i.e., a digital connection). I'm unsure of how your answer addresses that.
Thanks again. I do appreciate your help.
-Jordan
Message Edited by Jordan on <SPAN class=date_text>0-26-2004 <SPAN class=time_text>0:54 AM
Message Edited by Jordan on <SPAN class=date_text>0-26-2004 <SPAN class=time_text>0:54 AM
Message Edited by Jordan on 0-26-2004 0:58 AM