Great sound for pc without breaking the bank.

If you're talking about the link for CCCP, it doesn't really have much to do "great sound for PC without breaking the bank." First, the article is a bit outdated. CCCP has stopped using ffdshow a while back and it currently uses LAV which does about the same thing but it doesn't have the AC3 encode ability like the ffdshow. But before we get into that, let's talk about PC audio in general.

Most people will be satisfied with onboard audio, but it doesn't necessarily mean that sound cards are a waste of money. There are two ways to set up PC audio. The first method is analog connection and it is the most popular method. Analog basically means plugging your speakers directly into the audio jacks on your motherboard or your sound card. When you use an analog connection, the audio processor on your motherboard or your sound card is doing all the decoding and outputting into analog signals. With this method, there is actually some audio quality difference between an onboard (like the Realtek ALC1220) and a sound card (like the Creative SoundBlaster Z). It is completely up to you to decide whether or not a $100 sound card sounds better than the audio processor on your motherboard. I mean a more expensive audio processor should be able to output better audio, but a lot of people can't tell the difference. Personally, my SoundBlaster Z sounds miles better than the Realtek ALC1150 on my MSI motherboard especially in games.

The second method is digital connection.  Digital connection means using digital pass-through to an external decoder (a receiver aka an amp) with SPDIF or HDMI. In this case it doesn't really matter what onboard audio or sound card you use because it doesn't do shit. When you use an SPDIF or HDMI connection, your PC passes through all audio signals digitally to your receiver, and your receiver is now doing all the decoding. As long as your onboard audio, sound card, or video card (HDMI) supports sample size and sample rate that are high enough for the raw audio (like 24-bits and 192KHz), you won't notice any difference at all. This is the best set up for a home theater, but keep in mind that a good receiver costs at least a couple hundred dollars, and you can easily spend couple more grands on speakers and subwoofer. To get surround sound in PC games with this digital connection method, you should use HDMI instead of SPDIF because HDMI supports multi-channel PCM. With SPDIF, you'll need to encode the game audio (which is PCM) into a digital format like Dolby Digital or DTS with a proper onboard audio or sound card in order to get surround sound. Otherwise, it will only output in stereo with SPDIF. So just use your video card's HDMI and save yourself the troubles.

Now back to CCCP. For those who aren't familiar, CCCP is basically a filter pack for video playbacks. It is basically Media Player Classic with LAV filters for audio and video decoding, LAV splitter to open media containers (like MKV, AVI, OGM, MP4, etc.), and VSFilter for the subtitles. Compared to VLC which does pretty much everything by itself, CCCP can be a bit confusing to most people.

If you're using an analog connection, you can simply use LAV's mixer. Open LAV Audio settings window, click on the mixing tab, enable mixing, and select your speaker output (4.0, 5.1, 6.1, or 7.1). It is as simple as that.

If you're using a digital connection, you should pass-through (bitstream) all digital formats to your receiver instead. Why would you use LAV to decode them when you have a fancy receiver that can do the work? So open LAV Audio settings window, click on audio settings, and enable everything under bitstreaming (Dolby Digital, Dolby TrueHD, DTS, DTS-HD, etc.). However when it comes to playing a video with a stereo audio source, you'll need to properly configure your receiver to expand that stereo source and output it to all speakers. Otherwise, you get only audio from the two front speakers. A lot of receivers can do it via Dolby Pro Logic or DTS Neo 6, but some are different. So my advice is to read your receiver's manual, and good luck.

Hopefully that's not too confusing for you guys.

Maybe you didn't read through my reply at all. It is more of an in-dept version of PC audio guide for those who have actually read that article rather than a lengthy reply to dismiss it. Personally, I use CCCP as well but I have never used VLC, so I can't really comment on whether or not it supports surround sound output.

I was stating the fact that CCCP no longer used ffdshow so I decided to provide you the proper guide to setup the current version of CCCP on both audio connection solutions (analog and digital).

I've learned all these from personal experience and decided to share it with you guys. Especially for those who have PCs hooked up to their home theater systems, because that's where the difficulty and confusion really come in.

I believe you, you definitely know your sound. VLC provides if you have the codecs. I have found many statements of people saying the Logitech Z5500 plays their games in 5.1 surround so I very much like to know that big secret on how to do it if you are willing to share.

My Logitech is connected thru Toslink Digital Optical. The reason I use DAC's is my graphic card(s) get to damn hot and not much space. TV all good and well but I don't own one, idem for the receiver. The former I don't want/need the latter = costly.

And yes, I did read your entire post prior to responding. I agree that the sound output can only be as good as the quality of the hardware provides and very good solutions come with a budget attached, this solution is friendly to all.

Sorry, I was unclear. Yes, the analog cables get you surround in 6 CHANNEL DIRECT thru the speakers. Thru the headphone on the control pod, it does not translate in surround, as if you need a headphone with 5 speakers built in and I never got that fixed. I use the speakers rarely anymore and certainly not for gaming or movies because of my neighbors. HDMI is not available on the Logitech setup.

I am quite content to use virtual 5.1 / DTS via that little piece of software in all games and movies thru my DAC.

None the less, thank you very much.

No need to be confused. I get the output in games just fine with using my Logitech, like you described with analog cables and set to 6 CHANNEL DIRECT. The headphones are stereo thru the Logitech and so you answered the question to why no surround is possible. Switched to Toslink = less cable hassle.

Bought Creative G/E5 to have surround, it is their own brand and does not activate the ambient surround that comes with most games that automatically plays when you own a PlayStation or X box. This is due to not having the codec to allow that ambient surround (5.1) playback. I find that playback superior to the surround simulation from Creative. Same with movies, Creative delivers surround yes, 5.1/DTS no and I want that cinema feel.

It is a matter of personal preference and CCCP is that little software that provides me having that ambient 5.1 sound activated in games like I wanted. When I am in open air it sounds like open air, in grotto it sounds like a grotto etc....
Creative delivers on the surround but is absent on the ambient unless you want a whole game sounding like you are in a grotto or whatever gimmick nonsense you set it to.

Whatever product you buy, one is starved when it comes to the proper codecs, everyone wants to sell their unique brand tied to their own codec.

I thought that I could use the Logitech Z5500 to provide ambient surround thru headphone. It has the proper codecs but as you state, that is not possible = stereo only hence the confusion on my part.

Regardles, many thanks for your efforts.