S/PDIF - need audio guru help!

[illunious]

Right now I connect my receiver (sony str-de935 manual (http://www.docs.sony.com/release/STRDE935.PDF)) to my motherboards (asus k8v deluxe) on board line-out through a mini-to-rca "Y" cable (I don't have an audiophile ear, but I can tell it's bad quality). I'm getting a nice pair of headphones and want to upgrade that connection (I like having my headphones plugged into the receiver for the amplification).

My motherboard has a SPDIF out port, it's the same size as an RCA port, can I just use a normal RCA cord and will that even work with my receiver? I've never used a port like this before, it doesn't seem to match anything on the back of my receiver.

I know the receiver has optical SPDIF, would it be worth it to get a sound card with optical SPDIF out?

[Forbin]

Yes, you can connect it. Use a normal RCA cord and connect the SPDIF out on your motherboard to the digital RCA input on your receiver. From the diagram in that manual, it is right next to the optical in/outs, and is labeled 'COAX'.

As for getting a different sound card, if the only reason is optical support, that's not really necessary. The exact same data is transmitted in the exact same format (SPDIF) on both the optical and coax cables.

[illunious]

It worked, thank you very much!