Trying to set up a 5.1, incompatible cables (1 Viewer)

Hello all! (I'm fairly new at this, so bear with me..) Okay, so I've got: - a Blu-Ray/DVD player with a dolby digital coax out and a component A/V out - a set of 5.1 speakers that expect a DVD player with 6 line out audio jacks to be hooked up to three Y cables and fed into three audio jacks (one for FL/R, one for surround L/R, and one for center/sub) Currently I have it hooked up using just the component A/V out going to the FL/R jack. (These speakers were given to me by someone that wasn't using them..) Question 1: Is there any way to split the digital out coax without a receiver? Question 2: If not (and possibly even if so), I'm looking to either replace the speakers or add a receiver. I'd *prefer* to stay simple and be able to just run the digital coax into the sub and split it from there, but I could live with a receiver. But when I look at receivers online, they all have a specific jack for the sub (I've read a bit about "subwoofer cable..?") This doesn't sound like it would be compatbile with the speakers I have.. if I add a receiver would I have to totally replace the speakers as well? Thanks for (trying at least) to point me in the right direction

Sounds like you either have self-powered speakers or speakers that came in a home-theater package or home theater-in-a-box. In any event, you need something in between the dvd player and speakers. Either a receiver to power the speakers or a pre-amp processor if the speakers are self-powered. Can you post pictures of the back of the speakers or at least give us a manufacture and model number?

Yeah, I'm confused too, pictures or models# would be good. I also agree that it sounds like proprietary speakers, meant for a specific HTiB. You say you have it set up. Is it working, are you getting sound? Does the sub have a power cord, or is it passive?

Sorry for the confusion.. I don't have a picture or the model number available with me, I'll get it posted here ASAP though. The brand of the speaker set is jWin though. The blu-ray player only has component out or optical out. The speakers have three audio jacks, one for front, one for surround, one for center/sub. All the speakers connect to the sub via speaker wire. The sub is powered. I have it "working" in that I have one Y cable running from the component out connections on the bluray going through a Y connector into the front L/R connector on the sub (then out via speaker wire from the sub to the FL/R speakers.) The sub produces some sound as well but it's not very good.. I presume it's not true 5.1 and is just generating "stereo sound." I'll get the model number and whatnot up as soon as I can. I think I'm probably going to be stuck changing something out here soon.

Okay so.. here's the back of the sub where all the connections from the DVD player are supposed to go... the system is a jWin JS-P701.

Wow, that is one bizarro speaker set. You decscibed it correctly, it just makes no sense in the current audio world. At first I thought it was meant to be connected to computer sound card. But I did a search and it seems that the set comes with three RCA to mini-jack adapters. You could certainly get those from Radio Shak or some such. As Gene mentioned, you need a receiver to power this, it's not meant to be plugged directly to a DVD player. And because of the strange 3 jack connections the receiver would have to have pre-outs to connect the adapters to. The set also appears to drive wireless rears (I first saw this in my search; but now notice that there is surround input but no hardwired surround output). I also saw claims that this was a white van promoted speaker set. My advice would be to abandon using this for any home theater. You might be able to make use of it for a computer.

Just when you think you've seen it all. Of course, I'm in agreement with Al (as usual ). Going back to your original post. First, you might be able to use just the subwoofer by connecting the Sub Out from the receiver to the Front L/R connection on the sub. Maybe. Second, it looks like that thing isn't supposed to be hooked up to a digital connection only an analog one. I think you need the original wiring harness because of the Mini-connector and the fact it only uses three inputs for six speakers (5.1). I suppose you could Jimmy-rig something (sorry Jimmy) using y-cables and adaptors and hook your dvd player (if it has multi-channel analog outputs) straight up to the subwoofers three 5.1 inputs but in the end you would just have a working jWin JS-P701. Not woth all that trouble imo. Since you're O.K. with buying a receiver anyway I'd look on craigslist for an old but good working Onkyo receiver/5.1 speaker package. They can be found for $100-$150 if you're lucky. Only problem is whoever winds up with your jWin JS-P701 will be here two days later asking the same questions you did !

Yeah... I got the impression this was crap. lol I *might* try using it for my PC.. it broadcast's wirelessly though and there's NO WAY TO TURN THAT OFF and my PC uses wifi. There were times having the sub as close to the wifi bluray player as it was noticeably lagged the connection. I had the wavebands set as far apart as I could, which helped, but we'll see. Alright so.. if I may, even though I know this is a little off topic, since I'm new at this and I'm going to be getting rid of this - now I know why someone was so happy to just hand this off to me... XD - what's all this I keep hearing about receiver, preamp, and amplifiers? I can interpret an amplifier from the name, but.. what's the differences with the others? I'm sure I could google around (and I have..) but I'm sure if I just come grovel here and say I've never done this before and don't know it I can get a better laymen's answer.

A receiver has two separate parts, a processor that accepts the incoming signal (from a redio station or dvd player), converts it from analog (radio) to digital (and back again) or from digital (dvd player) to analog and processes it into a stereo or surround sound signal and allows you to adjust the volume and bass/trable controls etc. And remember, all speakers are analog so the digital signal from a dvd, cd or satillite dish must be converted to analog eventually. The second part is the amplifier. Pretty self-explanitory. It amplifies that signal and sends it to the speakers. Higher-end components have separate processors and amplifiers. This way you can add more amplification if needed or just replace the processor part when the new must-have features are introduced. For 90 % of us a receiver is perfectly adequate. And many receivers have Pre-Outs (which output just the precessed signal before amplification) so you can add additional amplifiers anyway. Also, some subwoofers are "passive" meaning they don't have internal amplifiers. Powered subwoofers are muvh, much better because it means the receivers amplifiers have less work to do.

I agree with Gene! (Because he's almost always right; and I'm about 50/50.) As for the amps and receivers, I like to simplify it to this: (And we'll see if Gene corrects this ...) Pre-amp: handles switching, tone controls, line input decoding Amp: adds power Integrated amp: combines pre-amp and amp (this one has to be used in context, as many people will use "amp" when they are generically referring to an integrated amp) Tuner: receives AM/FM Receiver: Pre-amp + amp + tuner (or tuner + integrated amp) As as Gene said, unless you're really into it, most of us can "get by" with a receiver.

That way of putting it does make it simpler and easier to understand. I haven't really ventured into that level of equipment but I did own an Integra 9.8 pre-amp/processor for a while but I was able to turn it over for a nice (huge really) profit so I had to let it go. I had an H/k 520 receiver at the time which had jumper pins between all 5 pre-outs and amp in's ( a rarity I'm sure) so I was able to use the amp section of a receiver to power the 9.8. Sounded great but just didn't "feel" right. It felt like I was insulting both the 9.8 and the 520 .