xbox360 optical cable to pc

Chrysalis · 28-04-2011, 14:54

Ok here is my situation. To save space, electric and not have to move around much I have my xbox360 sharing my pc monitor with my pc and the sound output goes via my pc to my pc speakers. I also gain from having a sharp image (xbox360 text very hard to read on my CRT SD tv) and better sound output.

This is how I been doing it, I got a new what I think is called AV cable for my xbox360 which has the analogue out adaptor for my monitor (pc uses dvi so both in at same time can just use a button to switch between the feeds), the same cable has 2 analogue outputs for stereo, one for left and one for right, these go into an adaptor which converts them into a single jack connector. This jack plugs into my soundcard via the 'line in'. I hope with me so far. I understand this is a popular setup as various youtube vids and guides on how to do this.

Yesterday I got a new soundcard the asus dx2 xonar, its had rave reviews and seen as a true competitor to the aging x-fi, whilst the x-fi is a great card it has suffered since vista and onwards as creative's weakness is the software and drivers. I get occasional crashing audio and half of the features on the card dont work properly, the software also laggy to use so I got the d2x.

The d2x is improved in that all its features in the software apps work ok and its not laggy, for movies on the pc it sounds awesome as well, music via my headset so far actually in my view is a dissapointment although playing with the various options it gets almost as good as the x-fi. However to the showstopper.

If I plug in the xbox360 to the line in socket on the soundcard and enable the appropriate feature so I hear the live sound on my speakers its all crackly, quiet, lagged and basically sounds like a dodgy radio signal. Bit of research led to this apparently been a known issue which happened to of course not be picked up in any reviews. However apparently the spdif in (digital in) is apparently fine and people use this for their xbox360 sound. The problem been tho unlike the 'line in' method I cannot find a single guide on this other method. I found tidbits of info, I apparently need an optical cable (no link given to one tho) and a adaptor, I think my cable the new AV one already has the socket but I need to check although I dont know what it should look like. I can feel a socket there tho. So if anyone knows how to do specifically what I want I would appreicate a guide thanks, on what to exactly do with the cables (I will handle soundcard configuration myself) and what I need to buy, links if possible.

craigj2k12 · 28-04-2011, 15:07

i dont know what you will need to do with regards to software configuration on your PC, but the xbox automaticlly detects when a digital output is connected and outputs audio both through it, and through any other audio output (HDMI, RGB etc...)

pabscars · 28-04-2011, 15:17

Maybe I'm not quite following Chrys, but how are you planning to terminate the end of the optical cable at your computer end.

Or is that the question you are asking?

The xbox cable should look like this I pressume
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Component-HD-H...#ht_2227wt_905

or like this

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/HDMI-HD-AV-CAB...#ht_3087wt_905

as you can see there is a little square slot for an optical cable, so you can plug one of these in the xbox lead but then needs to terminate to an optical input on you pc

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/3M-TOSlink-Opt...ht_2321wt_1209

is this what your on about dude

Chrysalis · 28-04-2011, 16:57

yeah that last cable. I got it working now as well.

It seems the necessary stuff I needed came with the xonar card.

Basically my AV cable for the xbox360 did have the right optical out socket already.
I then had 2 plastic adaptor thingies that came with the sound card, these are the TOS adaptors.
I had a cable which was very thing and had plastic things on each end, optical cable. What confused me is I only just realsied these plastic things pull off so the end looks different without them in.

The cable itself plugs straight into the back of the xbox360 cable socket, I then attached one of those adaptors to the other end and then that fits into the spdif in on the soundcard, doesnt click in like a normal jack does but fits.

Now the good news is this does indeed work without the lag and crackles. So I didnt need to buy anything else and now am using optical sound from xbox360 to pc.

Is some minor distortion but overall I would say less than the old line in method, is now stereo seperation whilst before was mono and although I cant apply DSP effects from the soundcard (still working on this) there is defenitly more bass on the music in game etc.

So for others who need to do this I needed an optical cable and a TOS adaptor which came with the soundcard. I already had an advanced AV cable that I paid a premium for in the past tho, my original xbox360 cable doesnt have the optical out socket on it.

pabs the one I got was actually this. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VGA-HD-AV-CABL...item4aaaa54ad0 but mine higher quality microsoft version which was nearer Â£20 than Â£2.