Regular Speakers with Sound card

[Harish]

Hi All,

I'm quite sure this can't be done but I thought I would ask here in anycase. I have the YAMAHA Home Theatre Speaker system NS-P220. Now, I haven't bought a receiver yet. My HTPC has a Hercules Fortissmo II. Would it be possible for me to hook up these speakers to the sound card directly (I have no idea how to do this!) without the need of a receiver? Might be a really stupid question but for my HTPC I was trying to use my computer to do all the processing!

Thanks.

 

[Harish]

bump

 

[FearOrLove]

Your right, it can't be done.

 

[RSMemphis]

Your soundcard just cannot provide the necessary current to drive such speakers... So, yeah, it's impossible.

One way of doing it would be to amplify the current for each and every speaker - but honestly, it is cheaper and better to just get a receiver.

 

[HouRman]

The speakers need power to play such as from a separate amplifier that gets hooked up with the sound card, or an integrated receiver.

The sound card speaker out has roughly the same power as a headphone jack. So it would be like plugging a home theater speaker into a portable walkman. Sure it might play, but not loud at all.

Right now I'm using a separate amplifier with my DIY speakers and the source is my PC sound card which is a Hercules GTXP. If you use the analog outputs of a sound card, expect some line noise due to the PC's power supply etc. Link to Site It would be better to use a single digital cable to a pre/pro or receiver instead of the analog pre-amp outs of the sound card.