How to hook up home theater speakers to a pc?

[V3LOCIP3D3]

I'm trying to set up a 5.1 home theater speaker system to my PC. I don't want to use regular computer speakers because I want to make this computer my main stereo to listen to music. I have 2 floorstanding speakers, 2 bookshelf rear speakers, a centerchannel and a subwoofer. In my computer I have a Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro. I don't have an extra receiver yet to connect my speakers to my computer, but I imagine the only way to connect the two would be through SPDIF connections. I have a couple of questions before I purchase the receiver:

- First, what's the best way to do this?

- Will my computer correctly send the surround signal to the SPDIF connections, to the receiver and then out the speakers?

- Can I control the sound from each channel from my computer (like I could with a regular PC speaker setup)?

- I've heard that PC speakers are designed differently, so that the magnets inside don't hurt the computer. Are there any precautions I should take?

- Can this be done in a professional way and keep the better-quality benefits of having a HT speaker setup?

[ROBSCIX]

Actually given the card you have the best way for you to connect to it would be with analog. Creative cards cannot do 5.1 over digital (SPDIF) unless your in pass through mode in which the card just lets 5.1 encoded audio pass through to the receiver. You can connect up with both and switch modes when you want. The control you will have over the sound depends mainly on the cards software. You should have a fairly good set of controls to work with. I haven't worked with a E-Pro outside of listening tests etc. Maybe guys that own them can fill you in on the specific details.

Many PC speaker systems are magnetically shielded but some are not. The only time they would case trouble is when you have satellites speakers very close to a CRT monitor and some say to keep the large magnets in the sub away from the PC case. Considering your using this as your main system I am guessing you will have a bit of distance between the speakers.

As you said you are gonna need a receiver...

[EniGmA1987]

The speakers do not need to be shielded as ROB said. The only time I have seen this to be a problem is next to a CRT monitor. I have my computer underneath a power amp and next to some 15" woofers with 3" voice coils and it hasnt had any problems before.

Also, before I had a receiver I went out analog from my sound card. Just make some cables (or buy them) that are stereo 1/8" to dual mono 1/4" and come out of the different jacks on your card straight into your power amps for the speakers. I am assuming you just have power amps right now cause I dont see how you would power your big home theater speakers withyout a receiver and without the amps...

Generally the center channel and sub are on a single output from your sound card, the left and right come out together, and the rear left and right come out together. Just use the splitter cables to come straight out and go into each channel of your amps that connect to the right speakers. Then run an audio test to make sure it is all right and if not, just change the cabling around. Its a very simple way to do it and easy to fix anything that is wrong.

[V3LOCIP3D3]

thanks for both of your replies. I was searching around the Soundblaster website and I guess they have a Creative Home Theater Connect DTS-610 (http://www.soundblaster.com/products/product.asp?category=1&subcategory=16&product=14191&nav=connections) for $100. It connects to you're surround receiver via SPDIF optical or coaxial. Then it uses an RCA to mini jack cable to connect to your soundblaster soundcard in your computer. Kinda pisses me off that they don't incorporate that into their original $250 sound card to begin with.

[Yakyb]

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=SC-003-HT&groupid=701&catid=11&subcat=

Or you could just get this