Skip to main content ↑ ↓

Notice

Please note that most of the software linked on this forum is likely to be safe to use. If you are unsure, feel free to ask in the relevant topics, or send a private message to an administrator or moderator. To help curb the problems of false positives, or in the event that you do find actual malware, you can contribute through the article linked here.
Topic: Connecting PC speakers to a TV/Console Audio source... (Read 15801 times) previous topic - next topic
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Connecting PC speakers to a TV/Console Audio source...

I have an Altec Lansing 251 5.1 surround sound speaker system that I would like to hook up to my xbox 360.  The problem is, because it's an older system, it doesn't have a variety of audio input options.  It has three cables that work together- the input cables are coded to the various speakers, so that all of them need to be used in order to get full sound. They are 1/8th jacks, and they belong to (as far as I can tell):

Center channel/Subwoofer=Orange
Rear L/R surrounds =Black
Front L/R=Green

I would like to hook up my Xbox 360's audio out cables (simple RCA red and white) to this system, so I need some sort of adapter.  I tried an RCA to 1/8th to a 1/8th connector to the speakers, but that only leaves me with one jack to plug in one of the three above, which means that I can't get all of the speakers to work at once.

Hell, I'd be happy if I could get just the left/right/center working or even just the left/right, but for some reason, only one speaker seems to work for each of the inputs (I wonder if my RCA-1.8th adapter is making it mono, even though it's a "stereo" connector) So even though each input cable should each take care of 2 speakers, only one of each set will work!  The system is in great shape, so I doubt it's a broken hardware problem.

Is there any sort of adapter that will take these three inputs and convert them into an RCA red/white female input?

Does anyone have any advice on this topic?  Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Connecting PC speakers to a TV/Console Audio source...

Reply #1 –
It sounds as that your speakers only accept analogue input. This means that needs to be feed one signal for each speaker.

I don't know what outputs an XBox has, but i assume from your post that it either has analog stereo, or digital 5.1 (i recall it had 5.1... might be wrong).

normally, RCA connectors are mono (i.e. one connector, one signal), and the 1/8th jacks are stereo (one connector, two signals).
(probably you konw all this already).

it is possible to send the audio using the left/right output of xbox to the "front l/r" input of the speakers. Don't know if adaptors exists, but if you aren't bad with solder, making it isn't too difficult.

Connecting PC speakers to a TV/Console Audio source...

Reply #2 –
Solder you say?  How might one go about making such a connection?  Never done it before, but I'm a quick study and I know people who are familiar with it...

Connecting PC speakers to a TV/Console Audio source...

Reply #3 –
The cheap n cheesy way: Logitech Game Console Adapter
This just puts the stereo analog output from the xbox equally to the 5.1 channels. Don't be fooled by them saying "multi-channel sound" -- for $5 there's nothing in there that will do anything surround with the incoming signal.

The better but more expensive way: a digital decoder box (creative, midiland)
The only way to get 5.1 surround sound from the xbox is from the digital output. So you need a box to decode the digital signal and output 5.1 analog. It costs actual money, but you get real surround. The problem is that creative thing is kinda expensive, and the midiland one is very hard to find. Ebay might have old ones from speakers where someone killed the actual speakers... Anyways, you can buy a totally new set of 5.1 speakers for what that creative box is going for on ebay.

Connecting PC speakers to a TV/Console Audio source...

Reply #4 –
first, like klyith said, realise you are not going to get true surround without the digital, in which case youve got a whole other slew of stuff to deal with.

now, if yer speaker system has those wires coming out of it, front, rear, and sub, then yer not going to get the same kind of signal you got from the soundcard it used to work with. if the orange is truly a sub only path, then it was probably plugged into some jack that had a filter going over it. yer xbox doesnt have that.
if it's anything like my old speakers, the yellow was actually a digital signal.
so how youd proceed really does depend on what kind of signal the cords are carrying. plug each one into a walkman or something, see if you are right; does the orange one just activate the subwoofer, or does it not work at all (if thats the case, its digital)?

to do it with converters, you could put two rca splitters on the xbox (if its rca), then plug in two STEREO 1/8th female to TWO rca male plugs, then plug both front and rear speaker cords into that, or try the sub instead of the rear. you can daisy chain like this if you really want to go this route to use all three plugs, but yer going to do HELL on yer signal.

if you DO want to solder something, id suggest building a converter box...three 1/8in on one side to two rcas on the other (in this case we assume the sub gets the same signal as the other speakers). now you just have to worry about patching the right posts on one side to the right ones on the other side. a lot of wires will go to the same place...basically all the LEFT posts on the 1/8in jacks go to the signal post on the left rca jack, all the right posts on the 1/8in jacks go to the signal post on the right rca jack, and all the grounds should connect to each other and go to the same place...you can probably just connect them all to one post then run a wire to any grounds left out.

it could be a fun way to learn about signal flow and soldering. get yerself a cheap multimeter to see which signals are common, etc, and yer good to go.

i know this is confusing, i jsut cant remember like if its the tip or the shiled or which order they go and which is signal and which is ground.

Connecting PC speakers to a TV/Console Audio source...

Reply #5 –
You are correct on the color coding.
I have these same speakers, mine came with a Y-adapter that lets you plug an external source into the main (green) jack. You can then flip the switch on the back of the sub to "2-4 channel mode" and get virtual surround.
Like everyone else said, you won't get true surround from these without buying the optical->3 jacks converter, because the Xbox360 doesn't have analog 5.1 outputs (and these speakers don't have optical input.)

Connecting PC speakers to a TV/Console Audio source...

Reply #6 –
Hello,



I would also like to connect the 360 to my PC speakers, but I have the Klipsch ProMedia 4.1.  It just has TWO (not three) 1/8” stereo mini plugs.  One plug green.  One plug purple.  Front and back speakers.

Will this adapter work with it?

Logitech® 5.1 Game Console Adapter


Thanks!

Connecting PC speakers to a TV/Console Audio source...

Reply #7 –
Also, it does have a sub.  but no dedicated plug for it like "Super Mario" (above). 

Just green and purple.

Connecting PC speakers to a TV/Console Audio source...

Reply #8 –
Quote from: deleriumman on
Hello,



I would also like to connect the 360 to my PC speakers, but I have the Klipsch ProMedia 4.1.  It just has TWO (not three) 1/8” stereo mini plugs.  One plug green.  One plug purple.  Front and back speakers.

Will this adapter work with it?

Logitech® 5.1 Game Console Adapter


Thanks!

Should work fine, I have one of these myself (came free with my Logitech x-530s), handy little gadget really. Just be aware that you are not getting proper 4 channel surround sound, just stereo played over 4 speakers (which is fine too). It doesn't have a separate plug for the subwoofer because it doesn't need one(its not 5.1, the .1  refers to the channel used for the subwoofer).
 

Connecting PC speakers to a TV/Console Audio source...

Reply #9 –
Quote from: Jumpingmanjim on
Quote from: deleriumman on

Hello,



I would also like to connect the 360 to my PC speakers, but I have the Klipsch ProMedia 4.1.  It just has TWO (not three) 1/8” stereo mini plugs.  One plug green.  One plug purple.  Front and back speakers.

Will this adapter work with it?

Logitech® 5.1 Game Console Adapter


Thanks!

Should work fine, I have one of these myself (came free with my Logitech x-530s), handy little gadget really. Just be aware that you are not getting proper 4 channel surround sound, just stereo played over 4 speakers (which is fine too). It doesn't have a separate plug for the subwoofer because it doesn't need one(its not 5.1, the .1  refers to the channel used for the subwoofer).



Thanks!  I just got it and it works!