Some Audio Hookups Help

[Malagra]

Okay, so I got some new speakers, because I needed em.
Also a nice new monitor. So I'm trying to run everything (ie, Wii, PS2, 360, DVD player, computer) through monitor and speakers.
Because it has a separate hookup for the computer wires, that's good. And the DVD player and 360 have optical audio outs, which work fine.

Everything but the computer (and 360 audio) is running through an A/V switch that does component, hdmi, optical audio. So the Wii/PS2 is running component.
So it goes like so:

Wii, PS2, DVD player into switch. Switch into speakers. Or at least that's what I'm trying to do. The Wii and PS2 are using red/white audio cables. Here's the problem. The only inputs on my speakers (they are computer speakers, technically) are optical, digital coax, and the 3-plugs for the computer hookups.

Is there any way to make this work? Would a receiver be able to change the signal in transit, so I'd only need a optical out cable? Is there something I could place instead of the switch that would make this work, or between the switch and speakers?

I just really want to get this stuff going through the speakers. Any way to make that work?

I should add, the video works fine, it's just the audio that's the problem, since the switch won't convert any signals, just pass them on.

 

[CmdrFly]

If your Wii and PS2 are using red/white RCA cables, you won't get 5.1 out of them I think. You could fake it with some cablework but it'll be more like a 2.2.1 (2 left, 2 right, sub - no centre).

I take it the speakers are internally amp'd - I might recommend an unamplified receiver to assume the role of audio controller. Sounds like you will need some signal translation at some point between the various cable inputs and outputs.

 

[Malagra]

And receivers do that? The signal translation that is.

And yeah, it's the audio portion of a component cable, which as I understand it, is the same as your normal RCA red/white's

 

[CmdrFly]

I'm pretty sure they can. They're designed to take various input sources (console, DVD, PVR, etc) into one central hub and output to one or more sets of speakers.

The only problem is finding one that is non-amplified, or has pre-amp outputs. Most receivers double as amplifiers these days so they have common two-wire coppercrunch outputs for each satellite rather than RCA or optical out to your amplified source. I haven't looked at buying a receiver in quite a while though so maybe pre-outs are more common nowadays.