[jouster]

I currenltly have my xbmc setup wired into an amp that can play two zones....

I will always want to have the same sound in both rooms but Im not sure whow to do it.

My current motherboard will not allow me to select two output for audio at the same time so I am wondering if a two sound card setup would work.

I will always be sending the maini sound source via the HMDI passthrough....but my amp (Onkyo SR705)will only allow the Zone 2 source to be Analogue so I will always only use the analogue source for Zone 2 but this will be the music source from XBMC

Does anyone know if XBMC will feed music through both cards at one..

Suggestions on a sound, sorry I mean post card please

[akg4y]

Are you referring to playing stereo sound (music) to both zones only, or are you trying to get movie sound also to both zones?

Im not sure if this is possible, nor if it is bad for your amp, so before doing it look for confirmation from someone else... but that amp does have pre-amp outs. You could theoretically send the pre-amp outs from the front speakers and send that back as another 'input' couldnt you? Then set zone 2 to that second input...

[akg4y]

Actually, based on the read here it seems you shouldnt do what I said:
http://forum.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages/1/166832.html

A second sound card should do the trick...

So right now you just have a motherboard with HDMI and onboard audio, but if the audio on the HDMI is active then it automatically disables the onboard audio and you dont have a separate sound card, correct?

[jouster]

Actually, based on the read here it seems you shouldnt do what I said:
http://forum.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages/1/166832.html

A second sound card should do the trick...

So right now you just have a motherboard with HDMI and onboard audio, but if the audio on the HDMI is active then it automatically disables the onboard audio and you dont have a separate sound card, correct?

yes just using thre onboard sound at the mo and it works very well...

might try and borrow a sound card from somewhere to see if it works first

[jouster]

in fact does anyone think that one of those cheap USB audio adapter cards/dongles would do the trick.....as I dont care what it looks like as in a cupboard and will be at the back of the pc

[jouster]

I think it is more a limitation on my motherboard not allowing me to have two audio outputs working at once.

I can have to outputs if I have Windows Media Player playing in Zone two from a different source, but appears to be no way of having two sources from XBMC...ie the same sounce in two zones