With my old sound system on my PC, I had a 5.1 setup, but never got 5.1 RESPONSE.  Two speakers never worked, two always did, and there was only 1 green plug that connected to my sound card.

I decided to look for a new speaker system, and on a suggestion here, I picked up a Logitech Z506 package for Xmas.

They have three plugs,  green, pink, black to connect to the audio card.  However it turns out that only one port on my audio card will work with sending out sound.  The green plug makes the front two speakers work, the pink one the back two speakers and the black one works for the double speaker. 

How to get all of the speakers working?  Well, the obvious solution is a splitter so that all plugs can connect to the one port on the audio card.  But I think that will attenuate the signal and therefore the sound.  Is this true?  I'd like to know before going out and buying two splitters.

Or perhaps a new sound card would provide the ports I NEED without sacrificing sound.

What say you?

I have an Audigy 2 Platinimum sound card with an XP system.

Thank you.
Have you tried playing a 5.1 audio source such as a movie that you know has 5.1 audio?  If you are only playing stereo sound (such as music, system sounds or Youtube videos) then only the front speakers will work, this is by design.No, I know nothing about 5.1 sound and when or where it's available.  I just assumed that if a system gives you 4 speakers and a WOOFER, that all four speakers will work all the time. 

Why not?

I have never played a movie on my PC.  I'll ask my son if he has one.  Hopefully I have the software to run it and then I'll see.

So you're saying that I'm doomed to 2 speakers - EVEN if I get a splitter?You could get a splitter and connect them all to the same jack but that defeats the point.  A 5.1 system is designed for surround sound, theres little point to it if all you play are stereo sources.But with a splitter I'm hoping for more sound than would come from two speakers.  With all four I'm hoping to get more volume, more "fullness" to the music. 

However if the signal is attenuated, that might not happen.  Do you know if the signal will be denigrated by using a splitter?Get a new sound card...Any suggestions that would work with an XP system?Your sound card drivers may gve an option to output through all speakers but this varies between cards.  A splitter would be the eassiest option. While running all speakers will be louder, it's not going to make the sound quality better, all the speakers will have the same frequency response.

If its sound quality you need, buy a pair of really good speakers rather than a surround set.Thanks for your help.  I think I'll return the Logitech speakers anyway.  The cracking and popping is intolerable and you're right - the sound quality just isn't there.

Plus while fooling around with the plugs, suddenly everything went silent - even when I put my old speaker system back in.  So I probably blew the audio card.

Well, Patio said I should get a new card anyway, so right now I'm trying to figure out what card is better than my old Audigy Platinum and still works on XP.  But I know nothing about audio cards.

Anyway, thanks again for your kind help.I really don't see why you need a new sound card.  Just get a really good pair of stereo speakers for your machine, get the best you can afford for your budget.

I can't see why a new sound card would make any difference.I tend to disagree...any 1/2 way decent SoundBlaster 5.1 card that supports XP will cost you 30 = 40 Bucks...dont return the speakers just yet...I'm really not that happy with these speakers.  My old speakers have everything these do - except for the double speaker set.  And the cracking and popping is terrible in both systems.

If I'm GETTING no sound I think it has to be the card.

I listen to music on MUZIKMAN, an old but very good mp3 software player which is no longer active.  After rebooting it gave me this message:

Audio system has changed, Old: Auidgy 6400   New: Realtek AC97  Proceed?

When I said "NO", the system crashed and I got The Blue Screen Of Death.

I don't know what Realtek is, or why I have two audio systems...or even worse,what to do about it.Ended up returning the Logitech speakers and picked up a Diamond xtreme 5.1 sound card for $20.

Fell in love with the Bose Companion 20 speakers and so will pick them up tomorrow.  Now I'm wondering if the sound card can do justice to those speakers.

Does it really matter?  And if so, what kind of sound card should I be looking for with an XP system?Nowadays, if you're not doing high end audio production or using a top end set of speakers/headphones to listen to extremely high quality uncompressed audio, you will likely never notice the difference between sound cards, I can't think of anything wrong with the creative card you have currently, I'd actually argue that it's probably better than the new Diamond one that looks like a pretty generic card.Except that that card wasn't working.  I put in the Diamond card today and my old speakers are now working fine.

I'm getting the Bose today, so I'm excited!

Thank you again for your assistance.  It is appreciated.