Unusual speaker question (1 Viewer)

[Ryan-G]

Hi all,

I have an unusual speaker question. I own a set of Midiland 5.1 speakers, they're originally designed for a computer system with 300 watt amp built into the subwoofer.

Now these things are from the computer speaker "Hey day" when Klipsch and others were releasing high quality speakers. They're very fine quality speakers.

I'd like to continue to use these in a small 5.1 setup for a single room. But I'm not sure it's possible. Unfortunately, their website is gone as is the company, so I'm going to try to describe the input/output config and maybe someone can tell me if they're usable for the new HD audio streams if I bought a new receiver?

The speakers use standard copper wiring to the amplifier which has the little "Clip-clamps". From the subwoofer, there is a very thick(about 1") wire that goes from the amp to the receiver, at the receiver end it breaks into 6 seperate RCA connectors. The subwoofer is powered.

Would this function in a modern receiver and be able to accept HD streams?

Thanks for your time!
Ry

 

[CB750]

I cannot help you specifically with 6 separate RCA connectors. But my Logitech Z5300 5.1 has three mini plug connectors labeled front, rear, and Sub/Center As this is the way it is connected to my Sound Blaster Audigy sound card. It appears your 6 RCA Connectors ar a Left and Right variation of that set up.

The Logitech also came with stereo mini plug plug that could be used for sound cards with stereo output or other equipment that uses a mini plug output as it had some sort of a matrex 5.1 decoder in it but I can't remember which inputs to the sub it connected to.

A friend uses an older Kilpsch 5.1 PC system for a home theater projection system in his basement and provides a very adequate sound, so don't give up a good PC speaker system.

 

[Ryan-G]

Ty,

The RCA connectors are actually RF/C/LF/RR/LR/Sub. They all connect to a little Midiland DTS receiver right now, but that little thing's incapable of even passing PCM because it's got a proprietary input scheme into the receiver. So I'm thinking that if RCA connectors can handle the bandwidth, and if receivers can take RCA outputs, then I *might* be able to use them. My concern is the sub, since it's a powered system through the sub, I don't know if it's usable, or if I could do powered outputs wiring the non-sub channels to a receiver and an unpowered output to the sub without using it's powered outputs to the other channels.

I really want to, 'cause this thing is a really impressive piece of work. Very good quality with virtually no distortion I can hear all the way up to the top, though the sub can pop at extremely high levels. The sub itself can literally shake things off the shelves throughout the house, but it's not overbearing, it's clean bass.

I'm sure an audiophile wouldn't be as impressed, but since my hearing's a bit damaged from too many years playing in a band, I'm satisfied.

I'd really rather get input here, because I don't trust the Best Buy drones. Got into a fight with one a couple weeks ago because he was trying to push a 4x" 720p Plasma TV on a friend over a >40" 1080p LCD.

 

[Lester988]

I actually use a 5.1 computer speaker setup as my HT setup. The Klipsch ALX series from a few years back (won them at a competition

)

Anyways, I'm assuming your amp has the stereo jack inputs on it, probably 3 like my system had, front, rear, sub/center. Actually jsut re-read your post, you have 6 RCA inputs? probably one for each 5.1 channel.

The amplifier by itself with RCA inputs is an analog input, so it would not work AS IS for a digital input. but if you get a D/A converter on there (Digital to Analog) it should work great, and probably not sound too horrible either.

All you have to do it get a D/A converter of some sort, at least thats what I did. To get a digital signal (Fibre,hdmi,etc) split into 6 RCA outputs that can be plugged into your amp/subwoofer. It would be nice if this D/A converter did 5.1 processing too

I'm an old car audio audiophile and i'm happy with how my Klipsch/Alienware 5.1 sounds its not AMAZING, but definitely above average, so yeah, just because they're "computer" speakers doesn't mean they suck.

 

[John ND]

Hi,

Does anyone know how to fix a computer speaker? I was trying to use the computer speaker temporally while waiting for the Infinity speakers I ordered from Amazon. After I hooked up my computer speaker to my Yamaha A/V receiver, I could not hear any sound from the speaker. I then put the speaker back to the computer and it is not working anymore. Thanks.