Speaker cable to 3.5mm jack?

Question

I have a pretty basic 5.1 speaker system I'd like to start using with my computer instead of the dvd player it came with. I have a surround sound ready sound card and all the jacks needed. The problem is they are 3.5mm while my speakers are regular speaker cable (2 copper cables a black and a red one.) I haven't been able to find any adapters to help me with this. Thank you in advance

Answer 1

You simply can't connct the output of your PC's sound card directly to the speakers. You need to connect them to the "receiver" subsystem that drives the speakers.

If that Home theater had a s/pdif input, connect the sound card to it via s/pdif.  If it only has RCA audio in (stereo), then connect audio out (3.5 mm) to audio in (RCA).  You will not be able to get 5.1 channels without a s/pdif input.

Answer 2

The surround sound system should have a common power module (AKA  Amplifier), usually part of the sub-woofer assembly which will usually have several (2 to 5) input jacks. It may be necessary to purchase one or more 3.5mm X RCA cables to make the connections, the remote speakers will connect to the output terminals on the sub-woofer/power module. Radio Shack is a good source for cables with different terminal ends - it is a good idea to take the devices with you to verify correct fit.