[DDDamian]

@loekf - there's the issue. WASAPI is just the render method - it is effectively passing thru right to the audio driver.

When XBMC is set to decode DTS (DTS 5.1 --> PCM 5.1) that's fine, but that's where it ends. SPDIF cannot send 5.1. If your Creative has 5.1 DACs and you are then using 3 prs of analog cables from the sound card to the receiver, that's fine, but not SPDIF.

To make matters worse, your card is reporting that it's only 2ch PCM, so even the second step there won't work, the PCM 5.1 --> Creative.

Check your Creative setup software and make sure it can accept 5.1pcm because it's not reporting that to Windows. Won't be the first issue I've seen with Creative's drivers.

I'm off now to go see family for the weekend, back on Monday if I don't check in somewhere in between, but keep me posted on what you find out with the Creative setup.

Yes I have 3 analog wires going to my speakers (FL + FR, RL + RL, C + woofer). As Creative didn't update their X-Fi drivers for more than 2 years, guess it's the Creative drivers. Of course, they have a new X-Fi card, but my next built will be either on-board audio or perhaps an Asus Xonar card.

I tried various modes (gaming, entertainment etc.. even bit-thru playback), but the WASAPI report back stays the same (2 channels). Funny thing still is that in DirectSound mode, 5.1 works, despite that XBMC reports 2 channels as well. Even when you switch off the so called 3D Crystalizer, which is upmixing to 5.1 as far as I know.

Yes, Creative has not updated those drivers in ages, which makes me think they are unlikely to now for that card. I do think that your future plans should be based on HDMI, not on dedicated sound cards - you will need HDMI if you wish to use DTS-MA/TrueHD or 24/96 or higher audio and multichannel lpcm.

DirectSound devices will always be reported as 2.0 channel, as this is the max for spdif pcm, and it won't affect passthrough like AC3. I do need to fix that for HDMI devices, but it's kinda secondary as with HDMI you should absolutely be using WASAPI anyways. DirectSound uses a mixer, which has benefits and disadvantages. Benefits include mixing (obviously) and resampling, but AE is capable of both on it's own. The big downsides are audio quality is worse than wasapi, and there is no support for HD audio.