Component to VGA boxes: what about the sound?

Franz the Stampede · Post by **Franz the Stampede** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 9:12 pm

Hello!

When using boxes like the typical YPbPr to VGA transcoder (e.g. X2VGA 2) I reckon that the audio (red and white audio RCA) of the component cable are always left out.

My question is. If one could find a splitter cable that has two RCA females at one end, and a 3.5mm stereo female at the other end, would it possible to plug headphones directly?

Yes? No? Why?

If the answer is no, would it be possible to use something like this

to plug audio into a Line In PC sound card and listen through headphones plugged to the Line Out of the PC?

Would it be better/possible to do that plugging the audio to the Mic in of the sound card?

thanks for the help!

ktownhero · Post by **ktownhero** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 9:17 pm

Yes you can. The only problem is that you have to accept the volume output of the console, and have no ability to amplify it. I do this with my DC and it works fine, but sometimes I wish it were a little louder. Might be a good idea to run it through some powered PC Speakers that have a headphone jack.

Franz the Stampede · Post by **Franz the Stampede** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 9:37 pm

so, it sort of works if I could plug audio directly to headphones. But the job will be better if I could run through a PC sound card, right?

icepick · Post by **icepick** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 4:21 am

Yes, I'd say so. It's pretty simple to use an adapter like the one pictured in your post for line-in/aux purposes. As I mentioned in another topic just now, you might even be able to get some matrix-encoded surround via the sound card's decoding features!

I used to run everything in my room through my Sound Blaster Live; I simply liked the way that it sounded, and the bass/treble adjustment. I'd run it out of that to my mom's Akai receiver (I finally gave it back after my dad let me have this other old one, but honestly, she wasn't using it!) to some inexpensive Radio Shack speakers (which I still have).

Anyway, there are also cables that perform the function of the adapter that you displayed... It's the same thing, but slightly more ergonomic in a way. I imagine that it would put less of a physical strain on the jack of your sound card.

ktownhero wrote:The only problem is that you have to accept the volume output of the console, and have no ability to amplify it.

-or attenuate it; the DC VGA box must amplify audio because I tried my headphones hooked up to the phone jack and it was just above my level of comfortable volume.

(Well, Radio Shack sells in-line volume control potentiometers.)

Franz the Stampede · Post by **Franz the Stampede** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 8:54 am

Guys, thanks a bunch for the info!

And, yes, Dreamcast is one of the loudest consoles ever. I had mine with a SCART RGB that had separate RCA jacks for audio. Plugged into my sound system it was SO much louder than anything else: Saturn, PSX, whatever.

Even if later I got an original S-video cable for Saturn, with golden audio jacks and the quality/volume was truly amazing. Sega's 1st party peripherals were the shit...