Asus Xonar D1 - Manual (Page 72)

7 ASUS Xonar D1
Q7: Will PCM sound output through S/PDIF be just 2 channels even with
different analog output channels?
Answer:
The S/PDIF protocol specification (IEC-60958) can only carry -channel PCM
data or non-PCM AC/DTS data. So, when a user selects PCM output for S/PDIF,
the Xonar sound card will always deliver channel PCM data through the S/PDIF
output port. For attaining 5.1 channel surround sounds, you can select Dolby
Digital Live encoding output from the S/PDIF out menu, which will allow the Xonar
D1 to deliver 5.1 surround sound for games, DVD movies, and even stereo music.
Q8: Why is it that while playing audio CD, I cannot adjust volume from the
path: Mixer page > Playback > CD?
Answer:
If you are using the Microsoft ® Windows Media Player to play audio files, you
have to change the playback setting of your CD optical drive to Analog. Open
the Windows Media Player and do the following to change the setting: Tools >
Options > Device > CD Properties > Playback > Analog.