5.1 sound out of a port replicator?

Hey guys,

I've got an Asus u6sg and im looking to get a port replicator to plug in a couple of usb devices and my 5.1 sound system. I'm just wondering if a port replicator is actually smart enough to make this possible?

Thanks

EDIT:

Something like this, http://www.targus.com/us/product_details.asp?sku=ACP45US
It has digital audio output i think the SPDIF? How would i connect that output to my sound system which just has the conventional three 3.5mm jacks / would it work?

 

I believe the Asus U6Sg already has a built-in S/PDIF port.
In order for you to use all 3 of your 3.5mm jacks, you'll need an 5.1 receiver such as this.

 

Well if it does then i don't know what / where it is haha...

What i want to know is if the sound data from my laptop going to the hub would be a 5.1 signal, so then i could just get an adapter from the S/PDIF port of the hub to connect to my conventional speaker system? Would this work?

Edit: or another idea i just thought of, i am already running a dual display setup through the vga output on my laptop. how about if i ran audio and visual through the hdmi port and used a simple splitter, like this:
http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...cs_id=1011303&p_id=2522&seq=1&format=2&style=

Have one going to my 2nd monitor and the second going to some kind of adapter for audio? Or am i just clutching at straws here?

 

David, what you recommended to use was a sound card that would work regardless of whether he had SPDIF capabilities through his headphone jack. I am in a situation where I need an adapter that will let me use my 3 3.5mm based speaker system, and I can't seem to find something that will do that cheaply. If the notebook can output SPDIF digital audio through that port, there should be a simple way to convert it to 3 of the 3.5mm jacks.

 

Newman, if you want to do it cheaply you can just use two 3.5mm splitters, like these. http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.5212
Your local electronics stores will have these, or something to a similar effect for a dollar a pop.

It's a bit awkward sticking out of your laptop, but you will get 5.1 sound. However you won't get any effects of say if there was supposed to be a trumpet in the left channel only, it will come through all speakers.

 

hmm i see what you are saying. I looked into the whole SPDIF output port some more after I posted, and it looks like it will only output in SPDIF format, and the only things that will convert to the 3.5mm surround sound won't be cheap. Maybe I should just suck it up and get that creative external sound card. I have a 5.1 sound system that is mounted in my room that's just wasting away since I moved my desktop downstairs. Now that I have an Asus G50VT-X5, which is an awesome gaming laptop, I want to hook it up to this system and have real 5.1 surround sound. Thanks Aubz for the advice though. I have one splitter already, but I guess i'm just too much of an audiophile to do that. I just wanted something cheap because I just bought an expensive laptop, and I'm kinda broke now.