What's the correct way to wire up your CD-Rom drive?

Question

I've noticed that there's more than one way to set up and wire up your CD-ROM drive. Mainly, there's your analogue connection - and there's the digital connection.

Before you jump for your answer, I'd like you to take a moment and look at your CD-Rom drive - because there really is an analogue cable, for those who are unfamiliar with it.

Yes, by now, I know how to wire up the CD-Rom drive using the analogue cable (the tiny, three-wire, cable that connects the back of your drive to the soundcard/ main board).

However, with digital, how do you do it? See, if you rely only on your ribbon cable for your digital sound, you are not getting your full sound. Your volume shrinks to half the level! Try it.

I haven't yet tried the two-pin digital cable for my drive/ main board. Strangely, my main board manual says it only accepts 'digital out', not 'digital in'!

Answer 1

Make sure you sound card supports the digital connection. Most don't, but some do. All cards support the analog though. If your card does not support the digital, you can't hook it up that way and have to use analog.

Answer 2

In one of my computers I have both digital and ribbon cable connected to my CD-Rom.
It used to start playing automatically through 2 pin connector once I put CD in, but the sound wasn't nearly as good as it should be, and the volume was always low even with small adjuster on the CD-rom. Playing CD from ribbon cable never failed. Software optimizes the best quality it can handle, and the volume is controlled by the OS. That's the best way for me. :)
In my new computer I didn't even bother connecting 2 pin.