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6 channel = 5.1 ?What is a 5.1 system? The number “5.1” means that you have six speakers: two on the front, two on the read, one on the front center (also known as “voice” channel) and one subwoofer (a.k.a. “bass”). So you have five similar speakers and one exclusively for bass sounds – the subwoofer –, hence the name “5.1”. There is also another very hi-end system available, called “7.1”, which has two more speakers, central right and central left.
Nowadays almost all PCs have on-board 6-channel audio, i.e. already integrated on the motherboard, but you will have to check on your motherboard manual if your PC supports it or not. Of course if you have an add-in sound card you should check on its manual if it has 6-channel audio. There are two kinds of 6-channel surround speakers: analog and digital. Analog speakers can be installed on any PC and are cheaper, while digital speakers are often more expensive and require that you have a SPDIF output on your PC. Besides a lower noise level, digital connection has as main advantage using just one cable to connect the PC to the speaker system. Analog connection uses three sets of wires. |
