8k5a2 onboard audio (ALC650) prob, no rear channel.

[WRX555]

I have a 8k5a2 (not +) with the Realtek ALC650 6-channel onboard sound (Epox needs to update their specs on the website, it says ALC201 2-channel for the 5a2). I'm running Windows 2000 (sp3) with the latest audio drivers from the Realtek site. I've re-mapped the ports/plugs to give me Front channel, Rear channel, Headphone. I've setup the Windows audio properties to use Quadraphonic speakers (I'm using Altec Lansing ACS54 4.1 speakers).

When I run the sound test, everything tests okay (FR, FL, RR, RL). But when I play .mp3's in winamp, or .avi's in media player, I only get sound from the front channels, nothing from the rear. I plugged my old SBLive! Value back in just to confirm that my speakers work okay, and they do. Anyone know if this is normal behaviour for the onboard audio? I found another post on amdmb forums asking this exact question (he was using a 8k5a2+ with WinXP), but he never got a response. Any ideas?

[drow_elf]

i'm guessing because winamp is only outputing stereo and not 3d... it doesnt know to put anything on those channels

[EPoX Tech]

Do you have any dedicated 6 channel software to test with ?

[Holst]

This is a limitation of your software i think.

On SB 5.1 it will mimic 4 channel sound on a 2 channel Mp3, I dont think the onboard audio will.

Try as ET says with a propper 4 or 6 channel source, DVD or EAX game and you should get all 4 channels.

[Kasho]

try this in Winamp->Options->Preferences->Plugins->Output->Direct Sound Output->chose your sound card, not primary sound driver.

[WRX555]

Ummm... found the problem (PEBKAC), heh heh, I thought I did, but I actually didn't have the most up to date drivers (v2.94). I just downloaded the v3.36 drivers from the Realtek site, and I'm getting sound on 3 channels now from 2 channel inputs.

And Holst and drow_elf was right, I did a bit of digging, and apparently the SB Live! drivers do mimic/clone (they call it CMSS or something) the front channels to the rear channels when processing stereo (2-channel) input. That's why I wasn't getting anything from the rear channel. And the new v3.36 drivers does this cloning too. Thanks for the help guys!

Now onto a new problem. Since I initially tried it with the v2.94 drivers and only got 2 channel sound from mp3s and such, I switched back to my SB Live, so the onboard sound WAS working. Now with the new v3.36 drivers, I'm only getting sound from 3 speakers, the front-left seems to be dead. I tried switching back to the v2.94 drivers and it's still dead. I've tried setting it 2 speaker/headphone setup and plugging in headphones to the Line Out/Headphone jack, and the left side is definitely dead. Now, could this possibly be a software problem, or does it sound like there's a problem with the jack? I've double-checked the volume/L/R sliders and it's in the middle, so that's not it. I've also checked the IRQs and it's not conflicting or sharing with anything (SB Live! on irq 19, and ALC650 on irq 22). And I've checked the hardwired IRQs too (Radeon 8500 in AGP, NIC in PCI2, SB Live! in PCI4), and there doesn't seem to be a conflict there either. I really don't look forward to having to RMA the board because of 1 faulty audio jack. Is there like a pin or wire inside the jack I could check? I noticed there was a wire sticking up from the bottom inside the Line In & Mic In jacks, but none in the Line Out jack.