Asus Xonar DX only 2 channels

English Hardware
#1

Hi,

I’ve installed a new Asus Xonar DX sound card, installed/updated all the latest alsa libraries and firmware, configured it in YAST (Virtuoso 100 is correctly selected), Oxygen HD Audio is selected as the main sound in KDE/Phonon - it works. But I have these problems:

  • I only have 2 channels instead of surround sound
  • I have sound from all media players except for Flash in both Firefox and Chromium

And I have to say it works in Windows just fine with all surround sound.

Thank you.

#2

I don’t use GNOME, but KDE, but PulseAudio has the same kind of settings. For your speaker setup, what profile have you selected? I read where you can use this for surround sound.

Analog Surround 7.1 Output + Analog Stereo Input

It does depend on your actual speaker setup and how they are connected to your computer. Consider that except for playing DVD’s and similar media, all sound in openSUSE is Stereo. When sending stereo to 5.1 or 7.1 speakers, what do you expect the other channels to be doing? I use a Creative X-Fi sound card and use an optical connection to a 7.1 receiver. When playing movies, I can get up to Dolby Digital ES for 7.1, but for normal operation, the output is PCM stereo. I set the stereo up to use what Sony calls Multi-Stereo such that all speakers on the left are left channel and all speakers on the right are right channel. Most anything else is just some sort of simulation with echo when you only have a stereo source.

Thank You,

#3

Doh! I’ve set the audio to the new card in KDE’s Personal Settings but forgot to change the video. Now 1 problem solved with no sound in browsers flash. But still only stereo, no surround.

jdmcdaniel3,
I only have sound in the front left and right speakers, the other 3 (center and rear left/right) are silent. The speakers are set up correctly because they all work fine in Windows. And in YAST there’s only volume an master volume sliders, no surround and all as I used to have with on board audio. There’s just no way to select 5.1 instead of 2 speakers anywhere.

PulseAudio volume control also has only front left and front right sliders.

#4

Wow, PulseAuddio volume control has a channel configuration! Now I have surround sound! Thanks, jdmcdaniel3, for the hint.

#5

Doh! I’ve set the audio to the new card in KDE’s Personal Settings but forgot to change the video. Now 1 problem solved with no sound in browsers flash. But still only stereo, no surround.

jdmcdaniel3,
I only have sound in the front left and right speakers, the other 3 (center and rear left/right) are silent. The speakers are set up correctly because they all work fine in Windows. And in YAST there’s only volume an master volume sliders, no surround and all as I used to have with on board audio. There’s just no way to select 5.1 instead of 2 speakers anywhere.

PulseAudio volume control also has only front left and front right sliders.

The ability to convert Stereo into something else is a driver sound thing. Obviously, the driver by Xonar does this in Windows. But I am thinking this will not be the case in openSUSE. Also, you did not indicate the Speaker Profile that you are using. In KDE that’s:

Menu / Personnel Settings / Multimedia / Phonon (on Left) / Speaker Setup Tab

What choices do you get there?

Thank You,

#6 
                                               Wow, PulseAuddio volume control has a channel configuration! Now I have surround sound! Thanks, jdmcdaniel3, for the hint.

I was too quick on the trigger. Happy to see you got it working properly.

That You,