realtek with vista and boston speakers

[dutta90]

I have recentlt bought a new computer with Vista on it with realtek hd audio manager and creative audigy se soundcard. I am trying to use my boston digital ba7500g speakers with it and I am not getting any sound.

I have put the cable from the digital output slot in the woofer into the digital sound slot in the sound card. I have no idea what to do to make it work!

[BOB IROC]

Could you give us the exact brand and model number of the computer?

I know OEMs do crazy things but I have never seen a Soundblaster Card managed by Realtek Software. Also be very sure that the soundcard actually ouputs a digital signal because if I remember correctly the Boston Accousstic speakers (some models) had a digital coaxil headphone plug in that may not work in some sound cards. I haven't used Boston Speakers since I worked for Gateway though and I think my Dad still may have a set laying around.

[Platypus]

Welcome to WinDrivers, dutta90.

Which sound are you actually using on your system, Realtek or Creative? Or both?

The Boston speakers will need to be connected to the digital out for the correct card. ie the Realtek I'd expect to be on-board, the cluster of connectors near USB keyboard/mouse, LAN/Modem etc, the Audigy probably in the bank of card slots.

Whichever one the Bostons are connected to will need to be selected as the Windows default play device, and digital output will need to be enabled in the driver/device setup.

The speakers were designed for Windows ME, but Boston's comments about use with WinXP generally apply:

http://www.bostonacoustics.com/FAQs-C102.aspx

Edit: Ah, Bob posted while I was looking things up...

[Ferrit]

Where did you buy this computer?
If you have the realtek sound manager in the tray and you
"KNOW FOR SURE"
You are using the creative sound card. Then you have a serious issue.
You cannot successfully use the software from these 2 devices at the same time.
You need to look in the Device manager and look under Sound Video and Game Controllers.
The see if both a Realtek High Definition Audio device and a Creative device are there.

[dutta90]

Thank you everyone for your prompt replies.

I bought my computer from pcspecialists.co.uk where you build your own computer. Where they gave me the option of soundcard, I chose Creative Audidy SE.

In device manager it says Realtek HD Audio Manager and Creative Audigy. So by the looks of it, both are being used.

I think the realtek one is the onboard sound card. Does this mean that I need to disable the realtek one when I go to properties?

I have a slot on the rear of my computer which does say 'digital' and there are a cluster of slots. Near the USB ports I have 3 slots - pink, green and blue. And on the frontpanel, near some USB ports I have a green and pink ones.

[Ferrit]

OK it sounds like you have both cards installed.
Very Very Very bad idea. I cannot believe a computer store did that.
If you have 3 plugins Pink,Blue,Green then you likely do not have digital audio on the board so the realtek is the one that needs to be shut off.
This is a guess from what you have told us.
In any case you need to turn off the realtek in the
BIOS (Basic Input Output System)
That can be reached at first boot usually by pressing DEL or some such key. Your manual should tell you.
Disable the onboard and be sure to uninstall the realtek drivers in the add remove programs and just use the creative i expect.

[dutta90]

I have disabled the onboard sound card now i.e. realtek but stil no sound is coming from my speakers. Is there something in the settings that I need to mess around with? My boston speakers are from an old ME gateway computer but I used it with my previous one too which had ME on it and a creative value sound card. With that I used to have to tick 'digital output' settings and it was fine. But with vista I can't seem to find that setting.

Also on the rear (creative sound card) I havepink, blue, green and black slots - I have put the cable from the digital output from the woofer into the black slot - is this correct?

[dutta90]

Oh, and I don't know whether this is significant or not but when I went to add/remove programs to uninstall the realtek drivers, I did not see any programs in the list associated with creative

[Ferrit]

Well i would assume that now you need to go to Multimedia in the control panel and select the creative as the one you will use