Using PC audio card for playstation 3 sound...wow..just wow.

I recently purchased a sound card which has digital optical in and out. Once installed, I tinkered around with the options and realized that I can input sound source from a gaming console...so off to the store I went in search of a descent optical cable. I decided on a 2 meter one since I always want some spare room in case I need it. I installed it, went into the PS3 options and picked sound output as optical. You can use HDMI cable for video only and optical cable for sound. Pretty cool huh? I sure thought so. So once all the connections were made and configured I started up a PS3 game * Gran Turismo 5 * and I was blown away by the clear and crisp sound that emerged from my speakers. Compared to the HDMI audio through tv speakers, optical + good sound card blows hdmi away :) I can only imagine what a good receiver and studio monitors can do. I guess it's time to start saving money

Thorsen said:

Thanks for the post. that is an interesting idea. I haven't found many reasons to get a good sound card as onboard now-a-days is pretty good on its own.

Yeah I agree fully, onboard these days is good enough for most people. The reason I upgraded to a pcie sound card is due to my music background plus the onboard has limited connections / options and I am slowly putting together a top notch audio package PC->Sound Card->Receiver->additional peripherals. Oh, one more thing...guys, don't get fooled into buying *Monster Cables*...they are overpriced and have no real advantage over a generic cable

Thorsen said:

Good to hear. I was wondering about this for my living room as well. I wouldn't be putting sound from my TV through to the PC, so the only use for me for a sound card vs. a stereo system would be on things running on the PC or being channeled through the PC. I am guessing I would still need optical out from my PC to benefit from a good sound system...

I would like to know more about this... I originally thought HDMI would be suffecient... but looking around, I can't find any specific details. just opinions and confusing comparisons that don't really paint a true picture.

Blu-ray Audio Quality: HDMI vs. Optical | PCWorld

this is the best I could find, but looks like it is saying HDMI is better than optical as optical being a SPDIF format can't handle as many uncompressed tracks or I guess the bandwidth isn't as high, but I would think the opposite.

I have always considered digital optical superior to HDMI sound when it comes to console / game play. A good setup is PS3->PC with good sound card with decoding / encoding abilities with proper speakers, or PS3-> a good powerful amplified receiver -> Speakers, while using HDMI only for visual. That's my 2 cents. I am not a lab technician or an audiophile but I go by what my ears hear, and from the different setups I have listened to, the digital optical has always come out on top especially with the little minor sound alterations, a little dink here, a little bloop there...the small things that people miss.