I am curious about this too!

Creative Labs Audigy Platinum

http://www.americas.creative.com/products/category.asp?category=463&maincategory=461

Bon apetite!

If you're lucky and the reciver you have has pre-amp outs and connections to go directly into your power amp, you can have a real bunch of fun with the Platinum card or any sound card that has 5.1 channel output. What model number is the reciver you have and approximatly how old is it?

Or any other 5.1 cad for that matter. You can get that one if you have a liberal budget. I have a really generic 5.1 card, but i still get great sound, especially with my surround headphones (6 speakers, count them)

i don't have surrond sound but i have an optimus karoke (sp?) machine it's a discontinued model. I have a sound blaster 128 bit pci sound board I also have a cable with a portable cd-player head phone plug at one and 2 others i have no idea what they are called. I put it the head phone like plug in my line out on my sound board and attatch the other on the 2 input jacks on the optimus and switch it to aux. thats how i have my sound hooked up. i am not sure if it's the same on surrond sound but i imagine its close if not exact. There is a sound blaster sound card with a dolby digital surrond sound plug built into it though. they run about 40$ on ebay deppending who you buy from. Brand new they are pretty expensive.

You're best bet is to get something with digital out. Digital out is the best way to take audio from a PC to a audio reciver - and you will get full surround sound on it. This is because the actual audio card isn't doing anything to the signal - its just sending out the digital information which it recieves.

This may help.

I have a speaker/sub setup that is meant for RCA. I was using it for my DVD player/Television. I went to Radio Shack and bought size converters, and a converter for merging two lines into one, so it could be plugged into my SB16 (yes. sad old card. I know). It works fine, without any issue.

It gets the job done but I imagine if I wanted 'top quality' sound the most appropriate way would be to purchase a new sound card and speakers designed for that environment. However, if you are interested in a setup that will get the job done like mine, try going to Radio Shack and using the same setup for your receiver, it may work it may not, but beware my method is sloppy so you have been warned ;-)

Depending on your reciever you may be able to set it up to a certian mode (i.e. arena, church, concert) which is all processwed in your reciever settings. you can plug stereo out from your basic sound card and let your stereo convert it. It will not be prologic or digital surround but will work nicely.

Correct RadioShack (Free 24-hour tech support 1800-THE-SHACK) has the answer & several video cards can do this. I play Socom seals I & II on suround sound via 12" JBL subs right in my ear for that realistic approach. I do the same through the video card with MOHAA. I think creative makes a external deives for this aswell. Via RCA ect...