Sony LBT-XB50 - Hooking Up To Home Cinema Help

[NarwhalDancer]

Hi, I have an old Sony LBT-XB50 compact hi-fi stereo system and I was wondering if I would be able to connect this to my Onkyo HTX-22HDX digital surround system instead of using the Sony's speakers?

The speakers that are with the hi-fi are just too big and I don't have anywhere to put them and I don't want to mount them on the wall so I thought I could make use of my Onkyo system's 5.1 surround sound speakers. The Onkyo has digital optical inputs as well as standard RCA inputs.

Would it be possible to use the Sony's optical output to connect it to my Onkyo's optical input and then hear the stereo through the Onkyo system? I want to mainly hear my hi-fi's cassette and record player through the Onkyo speakers.

Thanks for any help.

[NarwhalDancer · Accepted solution]

UPDATE: I've been able to figure out the best of way of connecting the XB50 to my Onkyo system now but it would have been nice if at least someone from Sony could've replied to my question.

Anyway, using the TOSLink optical cable only works when using the CD player (I guess because it transmits digital data) but not when using anything else like the cassette decks or the turntable. I used a RCA to RCA cable from the Sony to the Onkyo and this allowed me to hear everything from the Sony (inc. the CD player) and the Onkyo could convert the stereo signal into a full 5.1 surround sound one. I'm just using the RCA cable now and have disconnected the optical cable.

It sounds great listening to it through surround sound, it really immerses you in the music. The volume is quite low though when I have all the Sony effects turned off and so I boost it a bit by turning on the Sony's surround mode together with the Rock effect. I don't use the DBFB or Groove effects from the Sony as these seem to make little difference to the sound and I want the Onkyo home cinema to do all the sound processing really as it has a dedicated Neo 6 Music mode.

I prefer using my home cinema speakers to those of the Sony as they are just too big and powerful really.

Anyway, this has now been resolved but as I said it would have been nice for Sony to actually respond in the first place. It seems responses on this forum are quite low in general.