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Windows XP sound cards with internal SPDIF Out header

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First post, by Renaissance 2K

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Hey, everyone.

I recently wrapped up a late Windows XP build using an EVGA Geforce GTX 285 card. The card has a two-pin SPDIF Input header so that it can insert audio into the signal when using HDMI Out.

I've found a handful of motherboards that have a SPDIF Output header for making this connection (including one that places it so close to the video slot that you can't actually use it if you have a video card connected) but no discrete sound cards. Does anyone know of any that could make this connection?

I'm using a HDMI Audio Inserter for basically the same purpose, but it's another device dangling around, and the handshake is just long enough to make my monitor impatient, so it'd be nice to make the connection internally.

Thanks.

Reply 1 of 6, by SScorpio

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SoundBlaster X-Fi PCIe cards can include a "FlexiJack" on them.

file.php?id=121237&mode=view

Reply 2 of 6, by Joseph_Joestar

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The OEM version of the X-Fi Titanium has a HDMI header. See here: X-Fi Ti HDMI header

PC#1: Pentium MMX 166 / Soyo SY-5BT / S3 Trio64V+ / Voodoo1 / YMF719 / AWE64 Gold / SC-155
PC#2: AthlonXP 2100+ / ECS K7VTA3 / Voodoo3 / Audigy2 / Vortex2
PC#3: Core 2 Duo E8600 / Foxconn P35AX-S / X800 / Audigy2 ZS
PC#4: i5-3570K / MSI Z77A-G43 / GTX 980Ti / X-Fi Titanium

Reply 3 of 6, by Renaissance 2K

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Well...

I bought one of these and one of these, connected them together, and ran an RCA cable through a hole in the back of my case to the SPDIF Out on my Live Drive. And it worked while being (moderately) less cumbersome than the audio injector.

Reply 4 of 6, by SScorpio

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Renaissance 2K wrote on 2025-04-03, 00:58:

Well...

I bought one of these and one of these, connected them together, and ran an RCA cable through a hole in the back of my case to the SPDIF Out on my Live Drive. And it worked while being (moderately) less cumbersome than the audio injector.

You never mentioned what you were using. Which revision of the Live Drive do you have? I have one of the Live/Audigy ones and there are exposed SPDIF headers. I just used a multimeter to map what pins go to what.

Reply 5 of 6, by Renaissance 2K

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I'm using the Sound Blaster X-Fi SB0460 with a SB0250 front panel.

Reply 6 of 6, by SScorpio

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Renaissance 2K wrote on 2025-04-03, 16:54:

I'm using the Sound Blaster X-Fi SB0460 with a SB0250 front panel.

The Audigy 2 Live Drive? I was only able to fine one image of it opened up. There's a daughter board that's the top row of connectors. You might want to see if there are any additional exposed headers that can't be seen.

https://ixbt.photo/?id=photo:770324

The Live Drive itself does some trickery to make the soundcard detect it and enable the ports. As a last resort you could easily solder two wires to the back of the main connector on the or sound card. Whichever your more comfortable with. That would let you grab the spdif signal internally without doing a permanent mod.

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