Logitech Z5500's with dell vostro 1700, how?

Ok first off, i have no clue about audio, i know nothing about inputs, outputs, compatibility etc etc, nada.

I want to make my Z5500 speaker system work with my laptop. Its a 5.1 system but this laptop comes with only 1 port, the speaker system has 3. How can i make this work?

Ive asked before elsewhere and got some good answers but i need specifics because i know nothing about audio. So heres some questions:

1. Whats this "optical" thing people are on about?? Please explain, is this the new standard of input replacing the old green/yellow/black wires?? If so, how can i use this with my laptop and z5500's?? Would it be easier and the best route to go down?

2. What specifically should i buy? Im in the UK so options are kinda limited. I would like something that will plug in by wire but be located a distance away from the laptop, for example something that isn't like a usb pen, they can get snapped off easily.

 

You need either a external or Express Card sound card, or you can use the S/PDIF optical port, assuming your speakers have this port as well.

 

optical signals are a way of transferring digital signals (as opposed to analog).

What is optical?
Here's some background. All sounds that originate from your computer, CD player, iPod, most anything (except cassettes, vinyl, etc.) start out as digital signals. Eventually, they need to be converted into analog signals, for speakers or headphones. The device that does the conversion is called a D to A converter, or D/A converter, or DAC.

Usually that DA conversion happens inside your computer. However, built in sound has a lot of noise, so audiophiles like to use sound cards, interfaces, and external DACs to take the original digital signal to higher quality converters and amplifiers. This original digital signal is carried through optical or coaxial cables.

An optical signal is usually used to get the digital signal out to an external DAC, or receiver. However, the Vostro line doesn't have optical, or coax outputs, so that won't you any good. The Z5500 do take optical and coax inputs, which means DAC/amp is in the speaker system.

The benefits of optical vs. coax are not audible without golden ears and consumer equipment, and neither will replace the other anytime soon. It doesn't replace analog cables either; those still connect the amps to the speakers.

For Surround Sound
The Vostro, being a business laptop, doesn't have optical or coax outputs, so you'll need a USB or ExpressCard sound card that does.

SB X-Fi notebook
M-Audio Transit
Edirol UA-1EX

Those three are good to start (I lean heavily away from Creative Labs, though). The latter two connect to your pc with USB and, you need an optical cable from that to your speakers, which may or may not be included.

 

Sweeeeet, thanks for the in depth reply. Why does the X-Fi optical port look different from the one on the M-audio?

The M-audio seems ideal because it can be kept a distance away from the laptop.

 

The Vostro 1700 does not have this feature. That cable will physically fit, but will not work, as the computer cannot send an optical signal through the headphone jack. Other computers have a combined jack (Apple laptops come to mind) but this one doesn't. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

They look different because they are different sized connectors. They both will output S/PDIF to your speaker DAC. The smaller round one (on the X-Fi) is an optical minijack (or mini-TOSlink), and the funny-shaped one (M-Audio) is called TOSlink.

When you buy an optical cable (if one isn't included, I didn't check any of them) you will need to know what your equipment has. They all carry the same signal, so you just need a cable that fits both ends.

 

I have a HP dv2000t and one of the headphone ports is labeled SPDIF. If I were to get that toslink cable I can use 5.1 systems?

 

For Soviet -- you can check for yourself. If you have Vista installed, right click on the volume icon in the system tray and select Playback Devices. If SPDIF is an option then you definitely have digital output. EDIT: However it would be 2 channel only, and through using the Dell OEM dongle. The Owner's manual has more info.

If your audio receiver has an Optical In jack, then yes. IIRC the dv2000t's sound card does output 5.1 digital.

 

On this Dell page?

I just don't see it. I just want to avoid confusion

 

Hmm, OK after looking at the owner's manual it seems that I am wrong -- the Notebook has 2 Channel HD Audio only.

The kicker here is -- the notebook does accept an SPDIF optical signal, but you need to buy a separate dongle. In any case it doesn't look like 5.1, although you can probably still hook it up directly to the Z5500 with just a mini-Toslink to Toslink through that dongle and get 2 Channel sound at least.

It doesn't look like it has 5.1 digital audio/SPDIF from the headphone jack, though. My mistake! I will edit all my posts and PM Soviet!!

 

Its ok DrewN it happens, in the end i was gonna go for an x-fi notebook, but theyre pretty rare in the UK, and it would be 1 extra thing sticking out of my laptop asking to be broken, already been there with USB pens and 1st gen ipod shuffles.

In the end i found this thing! The audigy 2 nx. Only con is it cant run off of USB power alone.

http://www.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=1&subcategory=205&product=9103

The picture there is garbage so heres a better one.

http://www.cwol.com/usb/images/audigy-2-nx-large.gif

It has every single port i would need, so i cant get confused. It even has an extra place for my headset on the side, so ill never need to unplug anything.

I looked into the x-fi replacement for it, dubbed Xmod, but it dosent seem as flexible as the audigy 2 nx it replaced. Its only got like 2 ports and i couldn't find any definite statement saying it supports 5.1. Think i made a wise choice? Anyone got experience with the audigy 2 nx?

 

only hearsay, that it's a processor hog. don't know if it was a driver issue or otherwise. That was several months ago, and I haven't checked since then, but you may want to before buying.