I’m running one of the 2 System 3 Monitor KVMs from Level1 techs and am at the moment looking for a new 5.1 audio setup for my PC to replace my Creative CT6600, I have noticed that there don’t appear to many PC 5.1 based audio systems around these days but have noticed some systems which support HDMI ARC audio.
Now what I don’t know about all this you could fill a bathtub with but what I need to know is as follows, I am running 3 Monitors in order they are ViewSonic XG2703GS 2560x1440@144Hz, Alienware AW3423DW 3440x1400@175Hz and another Viewsonic XG2703GS, there are no more outputs on my KVM, my 4090 still has an HDMI port unused can I use this for an HDMI style audio setup or have I got some heavy technical issues to get around first? Will running HDMI audio directly from the 4090 affect frame rates on my on my monitors?
Either way what do you all recommend for a 5.1 System?
You can do that but there’s no way to have audio only over HDMI from a PC, so it will behave like an additional monitor. It will work fine but you might have problems with windows opening on the fake monitor, it’s more an irritation than a real problem.
Although depending on which audio device you’re looking at if it’s expecting an ARC signal then plugging it in to your computer probably won’t work. You might be better off looking at a cheap or used AVR.
Please excuse my ignorance here AVR means Automatic Voltage Regulator or an Amtel Microcontroller what does your acronym expand to?
I think I just figured it out Audio/Visual Receiver ? They look expensive.
O.K I just found this in the “budget range”
I assume that I would hook the HDMI out from my video into the ARC connection and then the speakers into the receiver. and set the Audio device under windows to being the receiver name?
Sorry to ask so many “not so intelligent” questions - this is a new area for me.
Yeah pretty much, except you would connect the HDMI output in to one of the inputs on the receiver and the output from the reciever in to a display, or not connect a display and just use it for audio.
ARC is audio return channel, it’s used to allow a TV to send audio back to an AVR while receiving a video signal from the AVR on the same HDMI cable. It’s possible you can use ARC but not in the way you describe. The display would have to support it and then you would connect the display to the PC like normal and also connect the display to the audio device. But ARC can be finicky and I would avoid it if possible.