Please help - what cable to do I need for my M-Audio Soundcard?!

[Zildjian285]

Hi all,

Basically I have been using a Audigy 2 ZS for my hifi setup (arcam amp + monitor audio S6 speakers).
I have just bought an M-Audio Audiophile 192 for music, someone on a different forum told me I will need this cable to connect the card to my Arcam amp:
http://www.decks.co.uk/products/acce...ble_xlrm_phono

So, they both arrived today - but that cable does not fit into anything...?
I take it that cable is wrong?!

All I want to know is, how the hell do I connect my Arcam amp to my M-Audio Audiophile 192 sound card?!

I was using a 2 X phono > 3.5mm jack when I was using my Audigy 2 ZS.

Any help would be appreciated.
It's so frustrating getting a new sound card with the wrong cable, grrrr!

[MikeTV]

It should be easy, without any special cables. I don't know why you were told to buy another cable. The 2 X phono > 3.5mm jack should work fine, for a simple stereo analogue connection. For surround sound, I would expect it to be much the same, except more cables.

However, the card should also support a digital (aka. coax or s/pdif) connection. For this, it may be as simple as a single phono cable. But obviously this is only an option if the amp supports a digital input.

For the vast majority of people, the digital connection is the preferred method. However, some audiophiles (perhaps you?) may prefer analogue connections, for complicated reasons that I am not really knowledgable enough to comment on. If in doubt, go digital!

[marlowdrummer]

Have a look at this page
http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_u...e192-main.html
and here
http://www.m-audio.com/layout/imgvie...ophile_192.jpg

Looks like there is a Midi connection that looks like an XLR fitting, but the cable you have is an audio XLR (if I'm not mistook).

Use the SP/DIF connections if your amp accepts it. There are analogue connections. Look at this page
http://www.zzounds.com/item--MDOAP192
it lists the connections out, anyone know what a 1/4in. TRS is?

All the best
Marlowdrummer

[DeeeKaaY]

Note I am not familiar with your card but....

1/4 TRS is a stereo Jack (unless I am mistaken). This is often referred to as a 'Jack'. Has 3 parts to the plug, a tip, a ring and a sleeve (much like 3.5mm stereo minijack but bigger).

That is the large jack plug that fits into things like mixer desks, guitars and some headphone jacks on amps. Sometimes you get an adaptor with headphones which means you can plug the little stereo jack on the headphones (3.5mm) into the larger one (1/4 inch).

As this is a stereo jack i would assume that all you need is a 1/4in Stereo Jack to 2X rca (ie mono). Although I am not familiar with your sound card. But the RME cards have TRS outputs and i used an adaptor and a 3.5mm minijack to 2X rca for that card.

If you need more help then check out the cables forum, Mark Grant is _THE_ man when it comes to cables, he will make them to order, and i can personally reccommend his work. He should know what you need also. They are not in the £10 range (but not too expensive, check it out) they are damn good.

By all reports your card is a good one and sound sound great when you get it up and running. Part of the benefit of using HTPC is more bang for buck, part of the pain is getting the thing working. .. :-)

enjoy
DK

[Zildjian285]

Thanks for your replies.

I had another look last night with my brother and a friend who works in a music shop. We think we need this cable: http://www.djworlddirect.co.uk/index...f4998fcbaf9b94

Thanks again

[analogueaddict]

Hi,

OK, The Audiophile 192/24 is a little different from the Audiophile 96/24 I've used for a few years now, but the basic are that you need a 6.3mm (1/4") TRS to RCA Phono lead to connect the analogue outputs to your amp, and you need a straight forward 75 ohm S/PDIF digital coaxial RCA cable to connect the digital output from the card to your A/V receiver.

With these cables, you should be able to make the card do what ever you want, be it straight stereo playback to passing Dolby Digital and DTS to an external processor.

I hope this helps.

Best wishes,

Dave

[Ian964]

Originally Posted by Zildjian285

Thanks for your replies.

I had another look last night with my brother and a friend who works in a music shop. We think we need this cable: http://www.djworlddirect.co.uk/index...f4998fcbaf9b94

Thanks again

Yes, that's what you need for analogue audio out from the card (or analogue in for that matter). I've got the same card which I use for copying LPs to digital via the tape line out from my amp, and use this cable:
http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/page/s...roduct_id/2149
which is basically the same.

[CrazyindianZA]

How is the m-audio compared to say audigy 2 ?

(when playing high bitrate mp3s or flacs/apes etc)

Thinking about getting rid of my audigy 4.

[leenx002]

Following on from this topic. I have the Audigy 2 ZS soundcard for my PC, and I've been trying to identify which digital cable I need to run from this sound card to a digital in on my Arcam 250 AV receiver. A standard digital or optical cable connection will not fit any terminals in the card - so what else is there? As I've been told by both Creative & Dell that this card supports Digital /DTS etc.

Help!!!!!

[James-E]

Yes you need, 1/4" jack to RCA, you do not need a 3pin jack to RCA as the RCA is unballanced.

These were recomended to me by another forum member
http://www.vdctrading.com/products.a...ionID=8&Page=4

Mine arrived today and they do the job nicely.

[Booger]

Okay now that you have the right cable, be sure that you get the ASIO drivers for your sound card. When ASIO is set up correctly, neither the volume on your media player, nor the wav volume on the sound properties page will have any effect on the music volume. This means you have bit perfect output, and the sound quality difference over non ASIO is amazing.

Maybe you know this already ?? Just checking !