Connecting Yamaha HS50's to a PC

[aln688]

I've searched on this topic a lot but couldn't find any thread which relates to a similar sound card as I have.

I have Yamaha HS50's, and want to connect them to my PC, which has an internal Creative X-Fi Titanium sound card, with 3.5mm mini-jack outputs. The sound card product page is here: Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Pro Series PCI Express Sound Card | Creative Labs Online Store - there is a version of this sound card, Titanium HD which has RCA outputs and wonder if this would be a better choice.

I've read that I could buy an dual XLR male to 3.5mm mini-jack cable, but unsure if this would provide the best sound quality. I've also read doing this could damage the speakers if a power surge or similar goes through the computer to the monitors.

The primary use for the monitors would mainly be listening to music, and occasionally some games, but that would be rare. Is a simple dual XLR to 3.5mm mini-jack cable best, or do I need (as I read but still unsure) some sort of mixer device which sits in the middle?

Thanks.

 

[MinnieAVF]

Hi aln688.

I have a pair of these around.
That'll work fine, 3.5mm to xlr, or 3.5mm to jack, no difference in quality.
I'd take care to set the output levels, don't distort your soundcard output.
And take care to switch HS50's on after the computer, and off before you power down computer.
That will stop the soundcard sending thump to the speakers.

Good luck

 

[aln688]

Hello MinnieAVF.

I found out going from 3.5mm to XLR would work, but not recommended, as it's going from an unbalanced source to balanced input on the HS50. I could have gone from 3.5mm to 1/4" TS on the back of the HS50, which it accepts, but I'm at risk of the so-called dreaded "60 Hz hum", in which the speaker picks up noise from electrical sources.

To solve the problem of unbalanced to balanced, I'm going to use a Radial ProAV2 DI (Direct Input) box, this way the 60Hz "hum" is avoided from power sources. This box takes a 3.5mm input, with dual channel XLR outputs, one to each speaker.

Thanks for the tip on switching on the HS50's after everything else, I wasn't aware of that!

EDIT: Forgot to ask MinnieSVF, do you use them just for general music playback? My intended use is music playback and games, I'll be honest I do zero music production myself.

 

[MinnieAVF]

Yes, amongst other things we have pairs in a recording studio edit room, and at home for reference.
They are pretty loud and banging in a very small package, more nearfield & midrange sounding than the other monitors to me. Yamaha studio stuff is a style unto itself, quite dry, not everyones cup of tea but I like it generally.

The amps are pretty loud, start out down low!