The LiveDrive connector and AC97 are not pin compatible. The AC97 plug expects analog audio and the LiveDrive connector only works with digital audio (SPDIF and I2S). The LiveDrive bay has a built in crystal semiconductor codec to handle the analog connections.

So theoretically if an adapter did exist, it would require power, have it's own microphone and headphone amplifiers and also contain it's own DACs and ADCs - Which is essentially a clone of the LiveDrive

Alternatively, you could use an AC97 breakout cable to plug the front panel connector into the rear jacks on the sound card by looping out of of an expansion card slot. Not clean but it would work.

NeoG_ wrote on 2026-02-02, 03:55:

The LiveDrive connector and AC97 are not pin compatible. The AC97 plug expects analog audio and the LiveDrive connector only works with digital audio (SPDIF and I2S). The LiveDrive bay has a built in crystal semiconductor codec to handle the analog connections.

Appreciate the response.... I may try the breakout cable route.

In theory, you could use a cheap S/PDIF converter as a mini-LiveDrive and connect the analog output to the front panel for headphones.

But first, there are questions about how to implement this idea:

- Which S/PDIF-out pin (SPDIF0_OUT, etc.) is assigned to headphones?
- What is the S/PDIF signal level - COAX or TTL? TTL can be problematic, not every converter can accept this signal.
- (optional) The original LiveDrive has a jack sense - when headphones are connected, the card mutes the line-outs (speakers). I don't know how this works, but if a contact is shorted on one of the card's pins, then the same behavior can be achieved using a minijack with jack sense (like HD Audio front panel).

As for S/PDIF to analog converters, there are a ton of different solutions, including built-in amplifiers with volume control. They all run on 5V, so powering from USB or Molex won't be a problem.

You could also buy a cheap LiveDrive in poor cosmetic condition and disassemble it so it could be mounted inside the case somewhere. The solder points on the PCB for the headphone and microphone jacks would be compatible with the AC97 connector.

Another option:
Buy other SB Live!/Audigy/X-Fi card with proprietary front panel connector:

Buy or build your own front panel adapter:
AC`97: https://audigy2zshowto.blogspot.com/2005/05/w … stroy-your.html
HD Audio: SB Live 5.1 Digital Front Panel Connector

Note: Make sure the pinouts on the cable are correct, otherwise the card may be damaged.
Re: SB Live 5.1 Digital Front Panel Connector

I'm probably going to make my own breakout cable using an old/cheap headset cable and some pins/header that will plug straight into the ac97 connector. It has a nice 90 degree jack that will look pretty clean on the back once done. This also resolves the "jack sense" option as well.

I also have an eye on a cr4860 upgrade kit with live drive front panel on the bay. Shouldn't it work straight up with the sb0060?

Mission accomplished!

The breakout cable is complete and works just fine.

I think the biggest change I would make if I do this again is spring for an audio cable with a 90 degree jack for a cleaner look, but other than that it is ready to go.

If anyone else is wanting to do this let me know and I'll post a quick how to\etc...

tomcattech wrote on 2026-02-04, 23:15:

Mission accomplished!

The breakout cable is complete and works just fine.

Can you post pics, please? Thank you.

OK here is the down and dirty:

You'll Need:
An analog headset extension cable with Left\Right and Ground conductors at minimum
A way to terminate the extension cable with some header pins (Header-pin set-crimper\soldering stuff optional)
An AC97 front panel
The troublesome sound card
multimeter to verify continuity and identification of wires in the extension cable

I decided to use 3x single pin housings instead of a single clean 2x5 housing for the pins just in case I had to move things around (glad I did...)

I originally used the following pins on the AC97 header:
2 - GRD
5-RGT
9- LFT

I connected and tested...
Issue one was that I messed up the wire identification and had to switch the left\right input wires
Issue two was that every time I removed the headset at the front or at the back, the system would hang and I had to reinstall the sound drivers
(I am assuming some sort of "headphone connection signal" was having a fit)

So I swapped the input wires to the "correct" channels and tried the new pins below:
2 - GRD
6-RGT
10- LFT

After those changes everything worked!
I could then remove any of the headset jacks without issue.
(I'm still scratching my head because from the headphone jack to the headset the conductors for 5\6 and 9\10 are the same.... but it is what it is.)

Here are the final pics:
(Orange is the AC97 connector, Blue is the three pin connector with the exposed ground wire safely surrounded with electrical tape.)

In the future I will use the "Correct" 2x5 pin housing for a professional\clean connection and an extension cable with a 90 degree jack, but for now it is working...
Let me know if anyone has any questions\comments...