It's either considered an audio cable or an auxiliary audio cable--that cable that attaches to the CD/DVD drive and connects to the motherboard. What is it for? What does it do? If I disconnect it I can still play music from either the hard drive or a CD from the optical drive just fine. Can anyone explain to me what this cable actually does?
Audio cable? Aux cable?...What is it for?
- Thread starter cigarman
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It connects to the soundcard--be it pci or onboard, but what does it do? I believe it connects to the "aux" port, which is either a 3 or 4 prong connection to the left of the IDE or Serial port connections on optical drives.
If this little "aux" cable, or whatever it is, is not connected, I still get perfect sound. Likewise if it's connected. I can tell no difference whether it's connected or not. So what is it's function as "aux" then?
If this little "aux" cable, or whatever it is, is not connected, I still get perfect sound. Likewise if it's connected. I can tell no difference whether it's connected or not. So what is it's function as "aux" then?
Nodsu
Posts: 5,451 +7
That cable is for analog audio. The CD-ROM drive itself will decode the digital audio track and send it down that wire to an analog input on your soundcard.
Modern software can read and decode digital data from the CD directly (via the data cable) and that analog wire is nothing but a useless noise generator. It is better to disconnect it and mute the relevant input in your soundcard settings.
Modern software can read and decode digital data from the CD directly (via the data cable) and that analog wire is nothing but a useless noise generator. It is better to disconnect it and mute the relevant input in your soundcard settings.
chance1138
Posts: 60 +0
Just a related question: Do SATA drives even have the audio aux connection anymore? Just curious, because I never bother with the aux cable anyway! 
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