Mail Bag

Hello monkeys. So this is the week: E3. I'm leaving tomorrow morning at 6 AM, which will mean I am leaving late tonight with my sleeping patterns. I drive down with the art guys, our computers, including the much-anticipated IGN Big Rig 3.0, and two bottles of Scotch. While this means insane updates and round the clock writing, it also means no mailbag this Friday. You'll have to chew on these until next Monday.

Make sure to check back for updates every…. 20 seconds or so I'm guessing.


Enjoy the show and have a rocking week.

I have a roommate who's looking into buying a 6.1 set of speakers; he
has an Audigy 1 Platinum. mentions that the budget version of Creative's 6.1 speakers do have an emulation mode for those who have 5.1 sound systems, where the rear center surround becomes a hybrid of the rear left and right, I believe.

What happens with the MegaWorks if the were to be used with an Audigy 1? Will they attempt to emulate a rear center as well, or will that speaker simply become a nonfunctional unit?

--Tim Rockbreaker

The MegaWorks themselves do not have an emulation mode. In fact, with a 5.1 card there is no way to get any signal to the rear center because there is no physical interface. However, if your friend wants 6.1 and is on a budget, then he should look into one of Hercules's new cards. They are 7.1, but are backward compatible.

You probably don't remember me, but I keep bugging you for your opinion on various hardware. I've got the Pro Eggo Headphones. Now I've got a birthday coming up and I want to get an MP3 player to match the quality. I've read the reviews and I definitely want an iRiver. Is the 190 as worthwhile as the 195? I don't know if you've had any actual experience with it, so I'm curious if the only differences are color and capacity.

--Eric Bigwheel

Those are not the only difference. The 195T is also more expensive. Hahaha. To answer your question, the players are the same except for said difference. Same size, same menus, same options, etc. You're on solid ground with either, though the 195T is a really incredible device.

At this time I have a Creative Audigy 1 and the Cambridge SoundWorks DTT-3500 digital. I am planning to upgrade to an Audigy 2 and the MegaWorks 650s at the same time, but I have a dilemma. I bought a Cambridge 15-inch sub as a replacement for the stock subwoofer on the DTT-3500. Looking at a picture of the back of the subwoofer I didn't see anything with a subwoofer output connection. Is there a way of connecting my subwoofer to the 650s?

--Peter Rageaholic

Unfortunately not. You can daisy chain the new Klipsch subs because of the company's SWS (Subwoofer System), but not yours. There is no physical interface with which you connect it. You'd have to actually take the components apart and assemble a home brew rig. Don't try it.

I have an Audigy 2 and the Logitech 680 system. It has been a nightmare getting them to work. I tried digital and made sure I chose 5.1 speakers and I had to get an RCA-to-1/8-inch mono adapter. Only two speakers out of the 5.1 work. Then I tried the three analog outputs. When I test the speakers the center channel doesn't work. I have an All-In-Wonder I am watching TV and sound is in the center speaker. I have tried many different effects Logitech offers but nothing seems to work. What am I doing wrong?

--David Billcosby

I get frustrated with letters like this. I feel bad for Mr. Billcosby because of his problems, but I don't know where to start. Firstly, why are you using a mono adapter? The Pro Logic 2 should work with any source. Other modes will have specific results. Try running the system with your PC alone. Play a stereo song and select PLII. This will tell you whether or not all your speakers are working with the easiest setup. Then work your way up through the system.

I have two questions. Firstly, I've been searching for a MD player for a gift to my friend, but want to get him a U.S. model instead of a Japanese model, like I have. (Woohoo!). Anyway, do you know why there are hardly any around? It's like the MD craze in the U.S. took a nosedive a year and a half ago.

Secondly, do you LOVE "Pale Shelter" by Tears for Fears? You know you do... oo yeah, kick it... "How can I be suuuuuure..."

--Motohide Roachclip

Well, you answered the second question for me. Wrongly, but you still answered it. Secondly, there was never a MD craze in the US. They were popular to some extent, but it certainly wasn't ever a craze. The format is still popular with people like bootleggers and field recorders, as well as a small but rabid MD subculture, but that't about it. Sony tried to inject life into the medium about a year ago, releasing a whole string of models. However, it never stuck. The NetMD protocol also sucks.

I have a question about getting Dolby 5.1 for the Xbox. Currently, I
have Logitech Z-540 speakers hooked up to the headphone jack of my TV
to simulate "surround sound". However, I am thinking about getting the
flagship Logitech Z-680s for Dolby 5.1. For video, I have Monster Cable Game Link 400X hooked up to the component inputs to the back of my TV. I thought that by buying Monster Cable's optical device I would be able to transmit Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. However, I've read in many
reviews that the device isn't recognized by the Xbox as Dolby Digital 5.1. Now I'm stuck.

The only other viable alternative is to sell my Monster cables, buy the Microsoft Advanced AV Pack with no component input support (only S-video support), and then buy a fiber optic cable for 5.1. Please
reply with your ideal Dolby Digital 5.1 setup for the Xbox. I am confused on how to set up my Xbox with the Z-680's to achieve true 5.1.

--Jesse Birdbird

Very simple, and forget what you've read. We use the Monster cables on all of our office systems and run 5.1 perfectly. Keep you Monsters, buy the 680s, and run the optical from the cable right into the 680s. You will have true 5.1 and it is easy as pie.

See you next week, chickens!