This is a cool story! This is a bit of a nostalgic side note, but I didn't realise there were even more obscure connectors than my DB-25 I am using today in my HTPC to AV setup.
DB-25 is what Rotel used for multi channel connectivity 20 years ago, which I guess made sense at the time but you'd never see it today. I had a Rotel RSP 980 pre-amplifier, Rotel RB-985 amplifier, and Rotel's Dolby Digital decoder - connected with 2x DB-25 cables. It was fine for my LD, but when moving forward to using a HTPC around 2005, this required real time DD encoding on the PC end, something that was not always that easy to get going. Also the Dolby Digital path didn't exactly give me stellar audio quality. High compressed, and there was something about the quality of the signal that left me wanting. Even listening to stereo music meant an enforced, compressed DD path.
In particular I wanted to access DTS HD Master + TrueHD audio, so with no other multi channel inputs, the alternative would have been to buy a completely new AV setup to support DTS etc. However the thought occurred to me that the DB-25 was just an analogue connection, and what if a converter cable existed? True enough, after much searching I managed to source a DB-25 to 6 RCA connector cable, which then let me hook up an Asus Xonar HDAV1.3 Deluxe sound card.
This switch resulted in a massive improvement of sound quality, much thanks to the excellent Asus product as well, and made using a now 20 year old hifi system completely viable.
And has been used as a connector for multichannel audio by several manufacturers (mostly in recording gear), but with several different pin out arrangements.
Yeah, definitely remember wiring up DB-25 breakout cables a few years ago when I was helping a fledging recording studio wire up their new console into their Pro Tools system.
Yep - it's pretty common in the pro audio industry to use DB-25 cables for 8 channels of balanced audio (+, -, gnd per channel). They'll break out to 8x XLR or 8x TRS (1/4" headphone plug) connectors. It's used way more in the studio world than the live production world, since DB-25 is far from rugged enough to go on the road.
I recall that my challenge at the time was getting one with the correct configuration. The first one I got in 2007 was a dud for my setup; it was an 8 channel RCA one which was the only I could find at that time, adapters were involved (sound card at that time had minijacks) and I hoped I'd just be able to leave the other two channels unused. That turned out to not be the case.
I tried again in 2008 and scored with a (hopefully) proper 6 channel one from TheCableCo. It cost me a staggering US$168 shipped to Australia, so my joy was near endless when it just plugged straight in and worked. After that I upgraded to the Xonar sound card which took straight RCA inputs.
DB-25 is what Rotel used for multi channel connectivity 20 years ago, which I guess made sense at the time but you'd never see it today. I had a Rotel RSP 980 pre-amplifier, Rotel RB-985 amplifier, and Rotel's Dolby Digital decoder - connected with 2x DB-25 cables. It was fine for my LD, but when moving forward to using a HTPC around 2005, this required real time DD encoding on the PC end, something that was not always that easy to get going. Also the Dolby Digital path didn't exactly give me stellar audio quality. High compressed, and there was something about the quality of the signal that left me wanting. Even listening to stereo music meant an enforced, compressed DD path.
In particular I wanted to access DTS HD Master + TrueHD audio, so with no other multi channel inputs, the alternative would have been to buy a completely new AV setup to support DTS etc. However the thought occurred to me that the DB-25 was just an analogue connection, and what if a converter cable existed? True enough, after much searching I managed to source a DB-25 to 6 RCA connector cable, which then let me hook up an Asus Xonar HDAV1.3 Deluxe sound card.
This switch resulted in a massive improvement of sound quality, much thanks to the excellent Asus product as well, and made using a now 20 year old hifi system completely viable.