Budget 4.1 Windows home theater with active speakers.

[marcheloka]

Hello guys ive got a couple newbie questions for you. Would be very grateful for your insights.

1. Do you think it would work to setup budget HTPC with active monitors? Ive got lots of movie rips and watch them often and also watch live streams / sport events streams on my Windows pc.

2. Ive already found the way to setup it up the most simple budget way possible: my pc - > USB - > external sound card - > 3 stereo jacks - > 3x2=6 separate channels to use.

Ive already bought some cheapo sound card and it is working - https://amzn.eu/d/0iALRHEh

Is it degrading my sound quality and how much? What would be a step up in the sound quality?

3. Ive only tried it couple if times with some 2 pairs of speakers so 4.0 but i think it would work with 4.1 or 5.1 as well. So i need to take Care of proper wires for the proper setup. So is 2x0,18mm shielded okay? From what ive found out you can weld the balanced like trs or xlr to Such shielded wire or you can weld the unbalanced ts or rca as well? Can i bury proper cables under the flooring and give them unbalanced as for now, but if later i cgange my mind to balanced i just cgange the plugs yea? I was thinking about cord which is shielded and 2 like that https://allegro.pl/oferta/przewod-bit-liycy-2x0-75-sterowniczy-2x0-75-na-metry-15623390969

4. So we get to 4.1. My projector give me big screen basically to the floor so no room for center speaker. Or it would need to lay right there in the floor. Is it a good idea? Sound from below, and floor reflections i dont know. Is the phantom center a good idea? Is there a way to turn it on using Windows?

 

[AnalogSteph]

1. Do you think it would work to setup budget HTPC with active monitors?

Sure, why not. A switched power strip or two may be advisable so that turning them on and off isn't quite as tedious.

Ive already bought some cheapo sound card and it is working - https://amzn.eu/d/0iALRHEh

Is it degrading my sound quality and how much? What would be a step up in the sound quality?

It's probably similar (if not identical) to this CM6206-LX job:

C-MEDIA CM6206 5.1 USB Audio Sound Card Line-In & Line-Out Bass Extension Low Frequency Response Upgrade

Article Updated: 22 Mar 2022 C-MEDIA CM6206 is a cheap and solid performance audio codec...

tehnoblog.org

The chip's analog performance seems decent enough, but if the datasheet is to be believed then periodic digital filter ripple seems to be about 0.3 dBp-p (+/-0.15 dB)... I noticed an audible impact on a chip with a third as much. It is fundamentally possible to generate an inverse EQ if you have a recording input with essentially flat frequency response at your disposal (what sort of onboard audio do you have available?), which could then be used e.g. with Equalizer APO. (I didn't say it was easy.)

From what ive found out you can weld the balanced like trs or xlr to Such shielded wire or you can weld the unbalanced ts or rca as well? Can i bury proper cables under the flooring and give them unbalanced as for now, but if later i cgange my mind to balanced i just cgange the plugs yea? I was thinking about cord which is shielded and 2 like that https://allegro.pl/oferta/przewod-bit-liycy-2x0-75-sterowniczy-2x0-75-na-metry-15623390969

Shielded twisted pair is fine for balanced and can be used for unbalanced as well. As I already wrote elsewhere, you are likely going to have issues with unbalanced connections between a PC and a majority of active monitors.

BTW - welding is when it's all the same metal (most commonly steel) and sparks are flying (spawanie). You probably meant soldering (lutowanie).

4. So we get to 4.1. My projector give me big screen basically to the floor so no room for center speaker. Or it would need to lay right there in the floor. Is it a good idea?

I somehow doubt it. Some people are using acoustically transparent screens, I think. I'd try it without first, making sure to set speaker output to 4.1 and using downmixing if needed.