Gary and Melanie,

Your sound card should have a "Speaker Out" and a "Line Out".  The "Speaker
Out" is an amplified output.  Granted, some sound cards do not have much
power and may not put out much, but it is still amplified.  The "Line Out"
just supplies signal.  This is what you want to run to your 100W amplifier.
You can run the "Speaker Out" to it, but the double-amplified sound will
come out dirtier than a pure signal going to one amplifier.

I do want to qualify something here.  There are some sound cards that do NOT
have "Line Out" jacks.  I believe the Creative Labs 128PCI is one of those
cards, but I cannot verify this.  If you are unlucky enough not to have a
"Line Out" you can still use the "Speaker Out".  I would make sure the
internal mixer has the volume turned down as low as possible if you need to
do this.  Hope this helps.

Kyle

From: Gary and Melanie Wines <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, May 21, 2000 9:55 AM
Subject: [PCBUILD] Sound Card Question


> Greetings Group,
>
>
> I have a question, which needs your help.
>
> I want to use computer to play mp3 files.  I am using
> soundblaster sound card.  This works fine for small
> speakers.   The little speakers that come with computer,
> have amplifier built into the case of one.
>
> I want to use 100 watt amplifier coming from soundblaster
> card.   Cord from soundblaster to amplifier from amplifier
> to large speakers.
>
> Cord comes from sound blaster to little speakers, each set of
> little speakers has to be turn on, which means that the
> amplifier is in the little speakers.   I want to use the same
> but go to large speakers, my question is, do you know if
> sound card produces volume, or does it require an amplifier
> to produce the volume.  If it requires amplifier then i have
> no problem, but if soundcard has a volume, would their be a
> problem with this?
>
> From my understanding  the sound card produces the pulse
> then the amplifier in the small speakers it what produces
> the volume.
>
> I want to go from sound card to amplifier 100 watt then from
> amplifier to speakers, but i want to make sure that i don't
> blow a sound card.
>
> If soundcard just produces the ability for amplifier to play the
> sound then that is what is needed.
>
>
> Gary

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