If you have Edifier powered speakers and want to connect them to your computer, there are four options available: two analog inputs and two digital inputs. Having powered speakers is beneficial because they come with a built-in amplifier, making them a plug-and-play solution.
For those with just motherboard audio, it’s best to go digital out of your computer and digital in to your powered speaker. This is because if you use your motherboard analog out, the motherboard sound card will do all the processing, digital-analog converting, and will take resources away from your computer. It also probably won’t sound as good as if you had an internal sound card or the DAC on the speakers.
If you have a good sound card, you can use the analog output of your sound card and go analog in if you prefer analog. This means the sound signal bypasses the DAC in the speakers and gets amplified in the speakers.
For analog input, there are two options: RCAs or just the auxiliary. They’re both the same, but the difference between aux and RCA is that the two channels get connected into one cable in the aux.
If you prefer digital input, Optical is the best option, especially if you’re just doing two channels. Connect the Optical out of your sound card, or if you don’t have one, the Optical out of your motherboard to the speakers. Now, your computer won’t do any of the digital-analog converting, and all the sound information is digital out to the speakers.
The last option is USB. If you have a USB input on your powered speakers, it’s the same as digital input. The digital signal bypasses all the sound cards and gets sent to the amplifier that is in the speakers.
In conclusion, these are the four ways to connect your Edifier powered speakers to your PC. Choose the one that works best for you and enjoy high-quality sound from your computer.