This system was designed for the Audigy2 card which is promoted so
aggressively these days. The decision to bring out the 6.1 system exactly in
the budget line was quite unexpected. Instead of building the system on the
components of the 500 series to match the expensive and feature-laden Audigy2
card, the manufacturer assembled it using a subwoofer and satellites of the
5000 series and provided only analog-ins.
To expand the range of application of such system they made it compatible
with conventional 5.1 cards, for example, Live!5.1 and Audigy. Note that an
additional sixth channel in the 6.1 configuration is implemented via a
central rear satellite. So, in the '5.1 into 6.1' upmix mode the sound for
the additional channel is formed as an average between the two rear ones.
What for is a 6.1 acoustic system in a PC? For owners of 6.1 sound cards it
can be used for playing DVD movies with 6.1 sound and for games supporting
DirectSound3D.
For owners of 5.1 sound cards the answer can be different: given to the
narrow directional diagram of the small speakers it can be used for a more
uniform sound field in the rear area.
Almost everyone knows what is Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS, but there are not
many out there who have a clear idea on the 6.1 and 7.1 formats.
Some movie soundtracks use a variation on 5.1 called Dolby Digital Surround
EX, which has now migrated via DVDs to home theater. This format matrix
encodes a third surround channel onto the left and right surround channels of
5.1 soundtracks, and may be decoded or not at the cinema's or home listener's
option due to their inherent compatibility. Because the extra surround
information is carried on the left and right surround channels, Dolby Digital
Surround EX encoded soundtracks are still regarded as 5.1 soundtracks.
With respect to home playback, the terms 5.1, 6.1, and 7.1 mean that there
are five, six, or seven main speakers, plus a subwoofer, in the playback
system. (The subwoofer reproduces the LFE channel recorded on 5.1
soundtracks, plus any bass the main speakers cannot handle.) The difference
is in the number of surround speakers: two in a 5.1 system, three in a 6.1
system, and four in a 7.1 system.
Obviously, a 5.1-channel soundtrack can be played on a 5.1-speaker system.
But it is not always understood that it can also be played on a 6.1- or a
7.1-speaker system. To do this, the two surround signals on the 5.1
soundtrack are spread across the three or four surround speakers. This
distribution can be accomplished by a Dolby Digital EX decoder, a THX
Surround EX decoder, or other proprietary methods provided in home theater
equipment by various manufacturers.
So the number (i.e., 5.1) describing the soundtrack does not have to match
the number applied to the speaker system. It's even possible to play
two-channel stereo content over these multi-speaker systems by using a matrix
surround decoder such as Dolby Pro Logic II. The delivery format and the
speaker configuration are independent, and it is the decoder's job to bridge
them effectively.
As for you game not detecting surround sound, then it is a fault in that
software: contact the designers or get onto their web site and see if they
have written any modifcations [updates] to work with the sound card.
