Cheapest way to add surround sound to laptop

I'm wanting to utilise my 5.1 surround sound speakers from my desktop on my laptop.

The laptop in question is an Acer 5920G and whilst I know I can get an expensive Creative X-Fi Xtreme Audio card and use the speaker extension module to add my 5.1 speakers, is there a cheaper route?

http://uk.europe.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=1&subcategory=208&product=16642

http://uk.europe.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=1&subcategory=208&product=16779

Ideally, I would just like a usb module I can hide under the desk that has all the connections for my speakers that I can forget about and simply reconnect when using my notebook instead of my desktop. Does this exist? Probably not due to the amount of support sound channels, but I know little of this area, apart from the fact notebook stereo speakers have no bass at all. I need Bass...

 

I use the creative live external usb (retails 49.99 usd).

 

Is that the product that is also advertised as being able to transfer vinyl into MP3? Because I have seen that product in ,c atalogues and it's at a good price. In fact my parents have wanted to transfer their records off vinyl for a long time, so they might even buy it for me

Thanks nizzy. I dont I'll find better than this. But Im still open to ideas.
ps. does it work on vista? It was made in 2006, but hopefully there area new drivers and such that make it vista compatible. I still have bad feeling feelings at creative for removing vista support for my old, but still extremely capable Soundblaster Live! 5.1 card. Just static in vista. Grr...

 

if you want good sound, there is no 'cheap' option. you could look at a docking station that would allow 5.1 out the back instead of the front like you'd need with teh 5920G (same as me)...but that would cost as much as a good mobile sound card, which is obviously the better option.

wouldn't it be neat if they could create some sort of wireless module that plugged into the front 3 jacks that would transmit 5.1 audio wirelessly, for our notebooks?

 

I don't want good sound. I simply require better sound. I used to think the speakers on the 5920 were decent until I used my desktop for the first time in 3 months. The quality made music from the Acer 5920 speakers sound like crap. Literally. Yes camvan, that seems like such a nice dream. To be honest if anything like that were to come out, Apple would be the first to do it. Creative make the consumer experience and purchasing simply too hard, yet they have complete control over their operations. I meandifficult is it to allow their software to auto-update? It took creative a long time.

I've come down to two products after some research. I can't really tell which is bettter, but hopefully someone who knows about audio can tell me which is better and the different feature sets. The price is too similar for me to make a choice.

Instinct tells me the more expensive one (Soundblaster Surround 5.1) is better. However this was released on 7 Nov 2006. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Creative-La...-Surround/dp/B000KFQTD2/ref=pd_sbs_ce_title_1

The Soundblaster Connect is slightly cheaper, and newer 11 April 2007 (so perhaps better vista support). http://www.amazon.co.uk/Creative-Labs-70SB027002008-Blaster-Connect/dp/B000OGRDLE

However I know that newer is not necessarily better. Plus, these do allow me to channel sound from my notebook to my 5 speakers and sub without purchasing anything extra. Right? Just double checking before I purchase.

Help!
Thanks

 

It does work in vista but with no eax support. 5.1 does work though.

however this is the one i have http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Labs...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1198978668&sr=8-1
its a little different than the one in your link. I have it paired with a logitech 5.1 z5300e speakers. Sounds about as good as my audigy 2 zs on my desktop (pci card).

 

Few games seem to have EAX explicitly supported from what I have seen in recent games, so this shouldn't be a problem. I primarily want a subwoofer with my music. I've found that the one you have nizzy is pretty much the same model as the Soundblaster 5.1. They even look identical, apart from the paintjob.

I will go with the Soundblaster Live 5.1 instead of the Soundblaster connect, because I've found the connect is only 16bit whereas the 5.1 surround is 24 bit. All I can assume is that 24 bit will sound better than 16 bit .

 

So long as you have 24 bit capable speakers

 

I don't know how much it would cost for you over there....but what about the Xmod? and what speakers are you plugging into? do they take a digital/optical connection or are they only analog? not sure if it would be problematic for you, but I believe one of the connectors on the 5920G will do spdif via the 1/8th RCA jack.

 

my speakers are only analog, so i use 3 headphone like jacks (front left right, center sub, back left back right)

 

I use a head phone jack that turns into a red and white plug thing that goes into my 570watt home theater system

 

The xmod looks a little too expensive without being able to do as much as the external 5.1 soundblaster. Around £50. I do like the look of the wireless xmod, but out of my range for a long time. I have videologic 5.1 surround sound speakers. With only Analogue connectors http://www.3dvelocity.com/reviews/zxr500/subconnectors.jpg, I don't think I could do SPDIF. Never used it in my life, but I'm sure it's simpler than analogue.

 

Easy.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829126101

Your welcome.

 

i remember reading somewhere that there is a way to turn the aux/headphone/mic jacks into 5.1 surround that uses the 3 stereo connectors, but i could be mistaken.

 

The headphone jack only sends out stereo sound.

The link I gave points to the cheapest way to add surround sound to your laptop, per the topic. It would be true 5.1 sound. I have one and it sounds great, it cleans up and improves the standard notebook sound output.

 

Wrong! There is a SPIDF out from the headphones connector, it's a multi connect TOSlink connector, it will use the optical out(red led) once it detects the correct connection. Basically you need to enable SPIDF digital output, get a Toslink Optical Cable and digital 5.1 Speakers(hopefully they support digital?) and your good to go. Once connected your sound card will detect the new speaker setup and it will allow for 5.1 Speaker functions.



No need for external sound cards or other peripherals.